How in the hell did Benitez survive this fight?

[Steak]

Nowdays, this fight would have easily been stopped after the second knockdown.

go to 2:17, Benitez is in the black trunks, Bruce Curry is in the white.

and yea...I dont think Benitez was prime until he hit 154lbs.

[PlasticFlamingo]

Not only did he survive, he actually won the fight and a subsequent rematch.

[Steak]

Not only did he survive, he actually won the fight and a subsequent rematch.

controversially. I havent seen either fight in its entirety, but Ive heard both were arguably robberies. especially this one here.

[BoriKua305]

controversially. I havent seen either fight in its entirety, but Ive heard both were arguably robberies. especially this one here.

well you cant really say anything until u watch them people be tryna say mosley vs cotto was a hometown decision he really lost even though cotto landed the better shots

[Dambala]

That was crazy, it would've been a T.K.O. on this times. No wonder why he's so damage right now, sadly.

[Steak]

well you cant really say anything until u watch them people be tryna say mosley vs cotto was a hometown decision he really lost even though cotto landed the better shots

I agree with you completely. cant judge a fight until youve seen all of it.

still...its hard to believe he could have taken that kind of punishment and those 3 knockdowns and still be able to win the fight, but I guess anything's possible.

[PlasticFlamingo]

controversially. I havent seen either fight in its entirety, but Ive heard both were arguably robberies. especially this one here.

Can't say for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised, he was a kid, probably 18-19 years old.

[TheGreatA]

Can't say for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised, he was a kid, probably 18-19 years old.

That's right.

Benitez looked phenomenal against Antonio Cervantes but he had some lackluster performances in between that and the Palomino fight. He had no dedication and often took unnecessary chances as he did here against a powerful puncher like Bruce Curry.

Benitez came back well from such a beating though, he showed a lot of heart in that fight.

[BennyST]

Not only did he survive, he actually won the fight and a subsequent rematch.

Yeah, the first one he lost. Straight up lost. The second was much closer and he won it. Although he did well in the first one at points, overall he lost the fight. Got beaten up, out-slugged and fought badly. It might have woken him up if he had lost it on the cards.

Then again, I don't think anything would have woken him up. He hardly ever trained for fights and relied on his talent alone in most. He didn't train for Leonard at all. He did train a lot for Cervantes, Palomino and Duran, but he didn't train much for Hearns as well or Davey Moore. God knows why you wouldn't train for fights with Leonard and Hearns.

[TheGreatA]

Yeah, the first one he lost. Straight up lost. The second was much closer.

Curry did not have a pretty record but he was a pretty good fighter.

After the Benitez fights he probably lost his motivation and became a bit of a journeyman, winning some and losing some. It was great to see him finally win the title in 1983.