Carlos Monzón

Carlos Monzón dominated the middleweight division for most of the 1970s and made a record 14 successful title defenses.

Born on 7 August 1942 in San Javier, Argentina, Carlos Monzón began his professional career in 1963 after enduring an impoverished childhood. Nicknamed 'Escopeta' (Shotgun), he built his reputation fighting almost exclusively in Argentina and Brazil before travelling to Rome in 1970 to challenge Italian world middleweight champion Nino Benvenuti, whom he stopped in the 12th round in a major upset. Monzón went on to hold the undisputed world middleweight championship for seven years, successfully defending it 14 times against 11 different opponents — a middleweight division record — including twice each against Benvenuti and Colombia's Rodrigo Valdez. Fighting mainly in Europe, he became a national hero in Argentina, celebrated for his rugged, effective style and imposing presence, and was regarded by many observers as the finest middleweight champion in the sport's history. Monzón retired undefeated as champion in 1977, having gone 80 fights without a loss, with a career record of 87 wins, 3 losses, 9 draws and 1 no contest, including 59 wins by knockout. In 2002, The Ring magazine ranked him among the 20 greatest fighters of the previous 80 years. Monzón's life after boxing was marked by escalating personal violence. In 1988, he was convicted of killing his partner, Alicia Muñiz, who died after falling from a balcony during a domestic altercation, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He died on 8 January 1995, at age 52, in a car accident that occurred while he was returning to prison following a weekend furlough.

Rugged, effective boxer with excellent reach and a strong jab

Widely regarded as one of the greatest middleweight champions in boxing history, though his legacy is complicated by his later conviction for killing his partner

• International Boxing Hall of Fame 1990