This is an interesting match up because of style. Sugar Ray Leonard is pound for pound better than Carlos Monzon but he is the smaller man here. He did outpoint Marvin Hagler but that because Marvin give him too much respect early on and he built up a big point lead and also Marvin didn't go to the body. When you fight a smaller man, weaker but faster man, you suppose to slow him down with body shots. Another factor is that Marvin is a short middleweight. Carlos monzon will have a height, reach advantage and he was a good body puncher. That was why he was so successful against great welterweights like Jose Napoles and Emile Griffins. If you watch the Hagler fight, you will see that Ray outpoint but was never able to hurt Hagler. Carlos Monzon is a natural middleweight that was never knock out so he can take Ray punch for sure. The difference is that he will weaken Ray with body shots then TKO him in the 14th round coming from behind.
Does someone want to remind of Leonard's great career achievements at middleweight? Let's see, a gift draw against Hearns, a very disputed decision against Hagler, a decision over a totally uninspired and used-up Duran, and getting KTFO. That's the middleweight career I remember.
Anyway Monzon stops Leonard anywhere from the 12th to the 15th. Carlos Monzon, IMO, was the greatest of middleweight champs, and no one, and that includes Leonard would beat him. Leonard had many gifts, but what Monzon trumped him in was ring intelligence. Monzon's cool, calculated style and fighting in the deep waters of the 15 round limit would be Ray's undoing. Monzon was much too strong for him as well.
Please give me a break for all of you who think that Leonard would have defeated Monzon in their primes. First of All Sugar Ray defeated a tall Hearns but Hearns was not as Strong as Monzon. Sugar Ray was a great fighter but the only reason he defeated Hagler was because hagler fought a dumb fight. All he had to do was continuosly work the body to weaken him and he would have won the fight because
Sugar Ray was to quick and Hagler was trying to out box him. Basically he fought Sugar Ray's fight. Monzon had a different Style. He was a body puncher would wear you down the go for the Knock Out. Also, Sugar Ray did not have enough power to hurt Monzon.
Leonard eeked out a decision against a fading Hagler.
Monzon would tear Leonard to shreds.
Split decision Leonard.Back when this sport where for tough guys 15 rounds 146 to 143 Leonard that's my score card.
Leonard would dominate the highly overrated Argentian
Monzon's height would pose some issues, but it aint like SRL never faced a tall opponent before. i think Leanords "fastest hands in tha west" woud be too much for Monzon
Leanor also had more big time fight experience, and was not afraid to fight on an opponents soil, unlike Monzon
virtualy every one of Monzon's fight took place in the comfort of his homeland, and about 55 of his 70+ fights were against guys i never heard of
the rest were mostly welters moving up to fight him like Jose Napoles and Emile Griffith
i dont know that many legit world class middleweights Monzon ever beat, besides may be Bennie Briscoe
Leonard would expliot MOnzon, who was among other things a woman beater
15 rounds at Middleweight. Remember Leonard beat an all time great Middleweight in Marvin Hagler.
