Carlos Monzon vs Nino Benvenuti II

May 8, 1971, at Monaco's Stade Louis II marked the premature end of Nino Benvenuti's illustrious career when his manager Bruno Amaduzzi threw in the towel at 1:05 of the third round, halting his rematch with Carlos Monzon for the unified middleweight championship.

The outdoor arena held 6,000 spectators who witnessed a fight that ended in controversy. After a cautious first round that marginally favoured Benvenuti, the second round saw a shift in momentum when referee Victor Avendano lost control of the action. As Benvenuti held Monzon's left arm, the champion unleashed a series of right hands to the body. A left hook dropped Benvenuti near the round's end, signalling the beginning of the end.

Monzon's manager, Tito Lectoure, advised patience between rounds, telling his fighter, "Take it easy. It's no problem." Monzon's response - "No, no. We win this round" - proved prophetic. A right cross in the third round sent Benvenuti to the canvas again. Though the 33-year-old Italian rose, Amaduzzi threw a white towel into the ring, ending the contest while his fighter was still on his feet.

The stoppage sparked immediate controversy. Arthur Mercante, one of the judges who had refereed the recent Frazier-Ali bout, stated he would have thrown the towel back at the manager, noting that only a referee or doctor could legally stop a world title fight. Benvenuti himself was distraught, saying, "I wanted to die," and later adding poignantly, "Sometimes love can kill you."

Amaduzzi defended his decision, reportedly stating Benvenuti "cannot take a punch anymore" and would never fight again. Lectoure offered a pointed critique: "If I were Benvenuti's manager, there is no second fight after the first fight."

The statistics tell the final chapter: Monzon (159½ lbs) improved to 73 wins (50 KOs), 3 losses, and 9 draws. Benvenuti (160 lbs), the 1960 Olympic champion and former two-division world champion, saw his record fall to 82-7-1 in his final fight after 18 years in the ring.

The bout aired on ABC Wide World of Sports. Victor Avendano was the referee, and Arthur Mercante and Domenico Carabellese were the judges.