Did Monzon retire to avoid Hagler?

[Dr. Z]

Monzon hung them up at age 34. Hagler was the heir apparent. IMO, Hagler beat Briscoe more impressively than Monzon did.


So why didn't Monzon fight Hagler next? Was anyone in the press asking for a potential match up between them? Lots of question here.

[Willie Pep 229]

The only archive I complete access to is The New York Times.

Best I can tell there is no article mentioning Hagler until 1983.

Any Monzon-Hagler would have had a 1978-79 date attached to it.

No one at the Times sports desk seems to have been talking about it.

That would be four years before Hagler's first mention.

[Willie Pep 229]

Hagler The Ring Interview:

Hagler wishes he could’ve faced fellow legend Carlos Monzon. The great Argentine retired in 1977, when Hagler was becoming a contender.

“I think it would have been an interesting fight if I had fought Carlos Monzon,” he said. “I think he was a great champion. I believe I would have caused some sort of problem for him.”

This quote to me (anyway) doesn't sound like Hagler felt ducked.

[kara]

Hagler The Ring Interview:

Hagler wishes he could’ve faced fellow legend Carlos Monzon. The great Argentine retired in 1977, when Hagler was becoming a contender.

“I think it would have been an interesting fight if I had fought Carlos Monzon,” he said. “I think he was a great champion. I believe I would have caused some sort of problem for him.”

This quote to me (anyway) doesn't sound like Hagler felt ducked.

Hagler could have easily kept fighting beyond Leonard fight, but remained retired. I'm sure some people think he ducked someone.

[Tatabanya]

Monzon retired because it was the right time to do it.

[Ivich]

Monzon hung them up at age 34. Hagler was the heir apparent. IMO, Hagler beat Briscoe more impressively than Monzon did.


So why didn't Monzon fight Hagler next? Was anyone in the press asking for a potential match up between them? Lots of question here.

Monzon retired at the age of 35 having beaten the number one contender Valdez twice in his two previous fights.
Monzon announced his retirement in August 1977.

Hagler was not top ten Ring ranked until the end of 1977,when he beat the overated Mike Colbert and took his place in the rankings.Monzon had been retired for several months by then. four men would hold the title after Monzon retired and before Hagler won it.Hagler was never on Monzon's radar.

Colbert was the beneficiary of some crooked rankings during Don King's notorious American Championships which excluded Hagler because the Petronelli's would not give King exclusive rights to promote Hagler's fights.
Colbert's only win over a top ten Ring ranked fighter at that time was a split decision over number 5 ranked Tony Licata whom Monzon had already stopped. His only other career wins over a ranked fighter were over Rudy Robles in79

"Colbert was a middleweight contender during the mid-to-late 1970s, after having won the National AAU Welterweight title in 1968 as an amateur. Colbert participated in the controversial ABC US Championship tournament, that was part of the Ring Magazine Scandal. Colbert was attributed with fictitious wins in the 1977 Ring Record Book, occurring on September 8, November 8, and December 11, 1976. Colbert won both of his bouts in the tournament beating Jackie Smith & Rocky Mosley Jr. before it was cancelled after the scandal was uncovered."

Briscoe was in his prime at 29 when he fought 30 years old Monzon for the title.
Here is the score card for their title fight ,
149-143,150--139,149-139 A very convincing win for Monzon..

Briscoe was 35 and no longer prime when he fought Hagler.
Here is the scorecard for their fight.
48-43,49-43,47-44

Monzon never ducked a title challenger and at 35, retired as unbeaten champion ,having defended his title against the number one challenger,and the man ,Valdez who would succeed him as champion, in his last 2 fights.
Valdez a two time champ beat Briscoe convincingly 3 times, stopping him in 1 fight and flooring him in another.

Hagler lost his title at the age of 32 to the 31 years old Leonard ,who had been retired for 3 years and who had never had a professional fight at middleweight.

All spurious , agenda driven questions answered!

BTW. Can we also scotch this myth that Monzon won his fights because he had such a great reach advantage ? Several of his challengers had reaches over 70 inches


.Mike Tyson's reach is just 71 inches, it didn't prevent him stopping men 5/6 inches, taller with correspondingly long reaches .
It's how you use what you have!
Can we also dismiss this BS about Monzon''s challengers all being short guys
The P4P number one is Alvarez he has won , I think 16 versions of world titles over 4 weight divisions.
He is five feet eight inches tall with a seventy and one half inches reach!

[Dr. Z]

Monzon retired at the age of 35 having beaten the number one contender Valdez twice in his two previous fights.
Monzon announced his retirement in August 1977.

Hagler was not top ten Ring ranked until the end of 1977,when he beat the overated Mike Colbert and took his place in the rankings.Monzon had been retired for several months by then. four men would hold the title after Monzon retired and before Hagler won it.Hagler was never on Monzon's radar.
Can we also dismiss this BS about Monzon''s challengers all being short guys

Please, Monzon was 34 last fight. Get it right.

Carlos was rocked against Bennie Briscoe on Nov 11 1972 in round 9 of a 15 round title defense, he recovered to take a unanimous 15 round decision.


Monzon was decked by no.1 challenger Rodrigo Valdes on July 30 1977 in Monte Carlo, Monaco in round 2 of their 15 round title bout. Way ahead until about the 8th round Valdez faded and Monzon outboxed him late..


Monzon was decked by Jorge Fernandez in Jan 1966 in a bout for the South American Middleweight Title,

Hmm... his chin seems like it could be had by punchers.

Hagler was unlike most of Monzon's most famous opponents. For openers he never fought below middle weight. Monzon picked on blown up guys from the lower weights, who didn't sport close to 75" reach and did not punch as hard as Hagler!

Monzon used his natural size advantage over the samller men as he was not fast.

[QueensburyRules]

- - Y don't OP learn to read a time line?

Monzon last fight 7/30/77 against top contender.

Marv lost to Watts and Monroe in 1976, hardly heir apparent.

Marv drew in his first title fight 1979.

Beat Minter in 1980 for his first title 3 year after Monzon retired, yet several years away from his final legacy.

Dyslexic?

[Ivich]

please, monzon was 34 last fight. Get it right.

Carlos was rocked against bennie briscoe on nov 11 1972 in round 9 of a 15 round title defense, he recovered to take a unanimous 15 round decision.


Monzon was decked by no.1 challenger rodrigo valdes on july 30 1977 in monte carlo, monaco in round 2 of their 15 round title bout. Way ahead until about the 8th round valdez faded and monzon outboxed him late..


Monzon was decked by jorge fernandez in jan 1966 in a bout for the south american middleweight title,

hmm... His chin seems like it could be had by punchers.

Hagler was unlike most of monzon's most famous opponents. For openers he never fought below middle weight. Monzon announced retirement in August 1977
monzon used his natural size advantage over the sampler men as he was not fast.

Monzon announced his retirement in August 1977 a few days after his 35rd birthday .

Monzon fought punchers.

Valdez was a big puncher,he remains the only man to floor Briscoe in96 fights


Mundine has a ko record of80 % and he fought from middleweight to heavyweight

Tonna has a ko record of 80.43%

Briscoe has a ko record of 80.3%

Bouttier has a ko record of 67.19%,

Monzon was never ko'd and unlike Hagler he didn't lose his title to an ex welterweight who was coming out of 3 years retirement.He retired as unbeaten middleweight champ!

Monzon was knocked down 4 times in 100 fights!
Three times by 46 fight Felipe Cambeiro, Monzon had fought just12 fights.
Once by Valdez
Monzon never fought Fernandez in Jan1966.

They fought twice, on the 3rd of September 1966 and on the 10th of Jun 1967/
Monzon won both fights.

Where is your source Fernandez knocked Monzon down in either fight?
After Monzon retired 4 men held the title before Hagler .Valdez,Corro,Anutofermo, Minter.
As Queensbury has pointed out that is a 3 years time gap.
I was ringside when Hagler won the title from Minter.

Hagler was never a Ring ranked contender whilst Monzon was fighting!

This comment of yours below is just total BS,

"Monzon picked on blown up guys from the lower weights, who didn't sport close to 75" reach and did not punch as hard as Hagler!"
Name ONE tall puncher who was ranked that Monzon avoided?



You talk nonsensical rubbish,and whilst making this agenda driven thread you have been comprehensively exposed doing so!

[mrbig1]

Monzon retired because he had a fat movie deal in his pocket. He was a hero in his homeland.