Never forget...

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...=&pagewanted=1 << The potential reality

[Silencers]

What happened to Benitez was really a shame, he was one of the best defensive fighters I've ever seen, what happened to the idea of FIST?

Benitez' mother recently passed away as well, hopefully he'll be alright.

[rj_ct]

benitez has his legacy which is something that dementia will never take away.

it's sad, but that is more than many fighters who suffer from the same symptoms can say.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

World Champion at 17 is UNREAL... that wont be matched..and if it is it will be done only because of the alphabet bodies, etc. Cervantes was a good champion who had stopped Loche and decisioned Esteban DeJesus previously

[Fenom]

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...=&pagewanted=1 << The potential reality

Wow.......i had no idea he was even in this state.......thats a shame. And of course nobody wants to bring this up or shed light on his condition because their scared to face that reality.

what a shame

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

In his prime Benitez was amazing the way he could sit on the ropes or in a corner and duck and dodge punches so effortlessly.

[BattlingNelson]

A sad story. This story shows the need for installment of some pensioningscheme to help boxers when the career is over. Of course this wouldn't help on Benitez medical condition, but it could help him and others to a more dignified retirement.

[rj_ct]

A sad story. This story shows the need for installment of some pensioningscheme to help boxers when the career is over. Of course this wouldn't help on Benitez medical condition, but it could help him and others to a more dignified retirement.

agreed, but how would you set it up? like a certain percentage of the fighter's purse goes into a retirement fund? what about fighters who never get even a 5-figure payday, but still suffer from the effects of a lifetime in the sport? outside donations and organizations like F.I.S.T.? i think we'd all agree there needs to be some type of pension, or at least medical plan for retired fighters. how to make it a reality is the problem.

[BattlingNelson]

agreed, but how would you set it up? like a certain percentage of the fighter's purse goes into a retirement fund? what about fighters who never get even a 5-figure payday, but still suffer from the effects of a lifetime in the sport? outside donations and organizations like F.I.S.T.? i think we'd all agree there needs to be some type of pension, or at least medical plan for retired fighters. how to make it a reality is the problem.

If I was head of a sanctioning body I would stipulate that in order to box a fight sanctioned by my org. you must pay x% of the purse to a fund. That should be for interims, regional and all other sanctioned fights.

It wouldn't be difficult to set-up. The difficult part would be to get participation.