By Coach “K” Carlos “Escopeta (shotgun)”: Monzón 89-3-9, 59 Ko’s was an Argentine boxer born in the slums of Argentina but went on to win the world middleweight title and hold it for 7 years, defending his title 14 times. Antonio “Tornado”Margarito born into poverty started fighting pro at the adolescent age of fifteen, Monzon turned pro at twenty. Both fighters had minor amateur careers and began their pro careers against local competition fighting their way into contention. Both Margarito and Monzon had the majaroty of their losses early in their careers.
Antonio Margarito / Miguel Cotto resembles Carlos Monzon / Nino Benvenuti in many ways. Monzon like Margarito was the challenger and no one gave the Argentinian a fighting chance. Margarito entered as the underdog, at times even as high as 3-1. Margarito although being dodged by many at the top contenders like Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather and even Cotto earlier, until his loss to Paul Williams many believed the big welterweights dominance to be a myth.
Monzon like Margarito was a slow starter with heavy hands and a rock solid chin both big men using a pressure body attack. In Monzon’s first meeting with Benvenuti the challenger applied pressure from the start methodically breaking down the champion. Monzon like Margarito appeared unyielding to any and all punishment as he kept coming and firing back. Monzon broke Benvenuti’s nose while Margarito at the least gave Cotto serious breathing problems with a heavy bloody nose. Monzon finally completely broke Benvenuti with a devastating right hand as did Margarito to finish Cotto.
After a relentless steamrolling attack Monzon used a thunderous right hand to finish and finally breakdown Benvenuti landing a perfectly placed punch on his chin to finish the champion.
Margarito started slow and the power punching Cotto boxed Margarito countering the Mexican challenger with clean heavy counter shots. Margarito picked up the pressure reaching Cotto with a solid right in the second round hurting the champion leaving him with a cut left eye. Cotto picked up his movement and counterpunching landing cleans shots which the granite chinned Margarito walked through. After rounds of pressure and at times just chasing the champion, Margarito’s pressure body attack began to pay off in round ten. The right hand was landing regularly and now from all angles hurting the slowing undefeated champion. In the eleventh the Mexican’s pressure overwhelmed the Puerto Rican champion putting him on the canvas twice, causing his corner to call it quits. Between rounds ten and eleven Cotto looked and was clearly a beaten fighter and after the second knockdown nodded to referee Bayless he had enough.
After his breakdown of Benvenuti, Monzón beat the broken Benvenuti in a rematch, this time in three rounds. Monzon had Benvenuti down in the second and third rounds causing his corner to stop the brutal assault ending the proud Italian’s prestigious boxing career.
Whether or not Cotto is finished, only time will tell and if the old boxing adage of when a fighter is defeated by a knockout the rematch result is usually the same is true Cotto may be finished as far as the “Tornado” is concerned.