Top 5 Latin fighters of all time

Choco has zero case for top 5. You know that.

I'd rank him top 15, which is high.

Theres been sooooooooo many Latin greats. The fact that Choco is top 15 is a compliment.

 

He doesnt place but Juan manual Marquez deserves a hat tip.

 

Agreed that it's absurd to think that there's no argument for anyone beside Duran.

 

I think he has a case. Not sure it's a good case, but he has one. These pac fights are huge

 

Karl, couple things:

Firstly, I wouldn't call an over-the-weight non-title bout Duran at his "best." When is that EVER considered a fighter at their best? Duran never lost at lightweight, never lost a lightweight title fight, and TWICE avenged the DeJesus defeat. Secondly, Duran hadn't reached his peak in the early 70s - he was a 21 year old kid when he beat Buchanan and lost to DeJesus. He peaked in the mid-to-late 70s. What was Monzon doing at 21 years old? Can we hold his 1964 loss to Alberto Massi against him?

Monzon was a seasoned, grown man when he won the middleweight title from Benvenuti (he was 29), not a pup like Duran was when he won the lightweight title. Monzon was already a finished article when he became middleweight champion... Duran was a raw kid when he became lightweight champion, and in the coming years would perfect his skill and become a complete fighter.

Now, let's move onto accomplishments. What Duran did in moving up to 147, beating HOFmer in Palomino, THEN beating the second greatest welterweight of all time, THAT ALREADY trumps Monzon's career right there.

That's the equivalent of Monzon moving up to 175 and beating Ezzard Charles.

But Monzon was never interested in moving up to 175 and testing himself there, even though his frame could have supported it.

If you want MORE... Duran goes on to win a title at 154, win a title at 160, and previous to that gives a tough fight to Hagler, a man who's argued along side Monzon as the greatest middleweight.

That's 25 pounds above Duran's peak weight, and he gave a man who rivals Monzon in middleweight greatness a tough fight.

That's basically the equivalent of Monzon moving up to 190 and giving Holyfield a tough fight.

So, in essence, there's no debate. Roberto Duran is greater than Carlos Monzon, and it isn't particularly close either.

 

Read my reply to Karl, and tell me logically what case Monzon has.

OR, if you don't think Monzon has a case, tell me who does.

There's nobody who has one.

You'd have to be an EPIC Duran hater to not rank him as the Latin GOAT.

 

It's cool to dissent from conventional thinking sometimes, but in this case just go with what's widely accepted, and correct.

Duran's the ONLY Latin fighter in the GOAT conversation. The OVERALL GOAT I mean.

Monzon, Chavez, and Napoles have no arguments as the overall GOATs. Duran presents a legit case, and personally I have him at #2 behind Walker Smith.

 

Monzon's not even the undisputed GOAT in his division. Duran is.

I have ZERO issue whatsoever with Monzon at #2 on the Latin list, but there's no one else with a case at #1.

 

The problem with the Duran fans is that they gloss over all of his losses at the higher weights, while celebrating his wins there. Classic case of having a cake and eating it too.

And while Monzon doesnt have a win as big as the Leonard one, he also doesnt have a debacle nearly as big as the Hearns one

 

Has nothing to do with Duran fandom at all.

Duran's not even my favorite Latin fighter - Benitez is. Did you see Benitez on my list???? Gomez and Cervantes are among my favorite Latin fighters as well. Do you see them on my list??

Objectively, Duran is the Latin GOAT.

Gloss over his losses at higher weights you say? What higher weights did Monzon even move up to?

Was Monzon willing to test himself against Foster?? Does he get any flack for that??

Duran beat the consensus #2 welterweight of all time, and gave the ARGUABLE #1 middleweight of all time a tough fight.

His HATERS overlook that, it seems.

What's really ironic is that Monzon had a MORE ideal frame for moving up to 175 than Duran did for moving up to 147. Yet he never did...

 

To that second sentence I say... at least Duran tested himself against Hearns. 19 pounds above his prime weight.

TRUST ME, Monzon would have had quite a debacle if he had the balls to face Foster.

Bennie Briscoe had him out of his feet, or do people forget that? Foster would have sent his head into the cheap seats.

 

And lemme add ANOTHER notch to Duran's belt... at 19 fucking years old he beats featherweight great Ernesto Marcel, who a few years later would go onto outclass a young Arguello.

How is this man NOT the Latin GOAT???

Pure hate if you don't rank him #1. Has zero to do with fandom.

If I ranked based on fandom, then I'd have Tyson and Roy as my two GOATs. But I don't.

 

Duran wasnt a small guy. Calling him a lightweight is cute and everything, but its playing with words

 

When did I ever say he was a small lightweight? I didn't.

Truthfully, I think his optimal weight would have been 140. He was a big lightweight, and a small welterweight. The dude is only 5'7.

He fought at 140 in a non-title bout against Emiliano Villa and looked spectacular. That's a rare fight, and I have it somewhere on VHS.

 

Correct me if im wrong, but at the time of duran fight, Marcel was pretty much a nobody.

Its a bit like the first roy-hopkins fight

 

Duran was a nobody also. He wouldn't win the title over Buchanan for another two years.

And let's not forget, he WASN'T expected to beat Buchanan. The man was coming off of two wins over Laguna. Nobody expected a 21-year-old kid to beat him.

 

Anyway, I won't argue too much as duran is my top pick, but it think its absurd to completely discount putting Monzon there

 

Why is nobody addressing my point that Monzon was already a seasoned grown man when beat Benvenuti for the title.

 

Only it kinda is absurd if you think about it.

Only way Duran vs Monzon is a debate is if Duran retires after the rubber match with DeJesus.

Then, we could compare Duran's lightweight reign to Monzon's middleweight reign and debate from there who was greater.

The MOMENT Duran beat Ray Leonard, he exceeded Monzon's career.

 

I'd say a closer debate is Monzon vs Chavez. Although, to be fair, I consider Monzon a good deal greater AND better than Chavez. Monzon had less holes in his game than JCC.

 

juan marquez is certainly top 5

 

I'm not Marquez fan, but objectively, he has a strong case for 10. Not 5 though.

He's certainly top 5-6 on the Mexican list though.

The top six Mexican greats IMO are: Chavez, Olivares, Sanchez, Marquez, Saldivar, and Zarate. That's not in particular order.

 

I disagree, but I'm tired of debating for the day .

Who would your other 4 be?

 

marquez, duran and chavez for sure.

 

The Buboy looking MF'r with the Belt is like "Surrioously? Fuck my life..........."

 

Cheating to win the title should have been disqualified

 

Chime in with your list, Irish.

 

Quitting

 

Face Planted

 

Monzon hit Benvenuti with 16,000 rabbit punches.