How Great Was Wilfred Benitez

[kidbazooka]

Very great.

At 17 champion of the world.

Thats how great he was.

[sugar ray lenrd]

I been seing some of his fights on you tube and this guy was something else. He was up and down at times but he was special. He was neck and neck with ray leonard in their fight winnig 6 rounds on my card and making leonard look silly at times. Beat Duran, Cervantes, Palomino, made Hearns look silky in a close decision. He was a defensive wizard.

Why is this guy not talked about more? Watching him fight he looks like a generational talent.

Personally I enjoyed watching Benitez, Hearns, Leonard, Duran & Hagler fights. So imagine having to watch these guys fight each other was even more exciting. Benitez fight against Leonard was a true chest match. It pitted two young undefeated fighters in a 15 round matchup. Both were stars in their on right. Benitez vs Hearns? shoot I feared for Benitez life! But the man went the full 15 rounds with Tommy. Benitez against Duran was a great matchup as well. Benitez outboxed Duran in a 15 round unaminious dec. Benitez tried to make the move to middlewgt, but by that time his skills were already fading.I mean the guy turned pro at 15 yrs old. lord knows at what age he really started competing in the amatuers. At age 17 the body especially the cerebral part is not fully grown. So imagine at the age of 17 fighting a world Champion...that's not easy.

[Sheldon312]

Personally I enjoyed watching Benitez, Hearns, Leonard, Duran & Hagler fights. So imagine having to watch these guys fight each other was even more exciting. Benitez fight against Leonard was a true chest match. It pitted two young undefeated fighters in a 15 round matchup. Both were stars in their on right. Benitez vs Hearns? shoot I feared for Benitez life! But the man went the full 15 rounds with Tommy. Benitez against Duran was a great matchup as well. Benitez outboxed Duran in a 15 round unaminious dec. Benitez tried to make the move to middlewgt, but by that time his skills were already fading.I mean the guy turned pro at 15 yrs old. lord knows at what age he really started competing in the amatuers. At age 17 the body especially the cerebral part is not fully grown. So imagine at the age of 17 fighting a world Champion...that's not easy.

I've always felt that even Prime Wilfred beats prime Duran at 140.

[sugar ray lenrd]

I've always felt that even Prime Wilfred beats prime Duran at 140.

Sheldon,
Hmmm...I might lean a little towards your pick their, but Duran was a MOFO!!! It would've been one for the ages! Fighters back then fought each other more often, although i'm enjoying 2017!

[Ray Corso]

He fought a very old Cervantes when he was 17 yrs old and won a split decs.
He drew with Weston in a very close fight and his first bout with Curry was another split where he got dropped multiple times.
He stopped Moe Hope and desc. Duran but after the Hearns loss he went 9w--7l and in his career he was stopped 4 times in 8 losses.
The problem with Wilfred was he needed an A-side opponent on his own his lack of power diminished his ability to handle pay per view shows. His style was not a fan friendly form.
He was respected in the boxing community but the fan base did not hold him in the same light as the others mentioned.
Huge talent but to me not a great fighter, a very good competitor.

Ray

[sugar ray lenrd]

He fought a very old Cervantes when he was 17 yrs old and won a split decs.
He drew with Weston in a very close fight and his first bout with Curry was another split where he got dropped multiple times.
He stopped Moe Hope and desc. Duran but after the Hearns loss he went 9w--7l and in his career he was stopped 4 times in 8 losses.
The problem with Wilfred was he needed an A-side opponent on his own his lack of power diminished his ability to handle pay per view shows. His style was not a fan friendly form.
He was respected in the boxing community but the fan base did not hold him in the same light as the others mentioned.
Huge talent but to me not a great fighter, a very good competitor.

Ray

Depends what you clasify as great. Yes he beat a much older Cervantes in 1976, but still the kid was only 17 years old! Give him his credit dude. Are you aware that back then there were only 2 champions per wgt division (WBA & WBC) compared to today where we have 4 champions per wgt division? Aaron Pryor became World champoin by beating guess who? Antonio Cervantes 4 years later in 1980. So what are we gonna discredit pryor cause he beat a much older Cervantes?

His draw with Weston & hard fought fight with Bruce Curry was just how it was back in da days. There was no easy road for Benitez. He just turned 18 when he fought Weston & Curry.

Benitez win over Carlos Palomino for the World Welterwgt title was a good win over a world champion, at a time where there were only 2 champions per division as oppose to 4 champions per division as is today.

Benitez win over world champion Mo Hope for the Jr middlewgt title was his 3rd world title in in his 3rd division. This my friend is an easier thing to accomplished these days since we have 4 world champions per division.

Benitez wim over Duran was against a legend who still had a lot left in the game. So this also was a great win.

[chrisJS]

Fantastic fighter. Often fought to his opponents level. I think in terms of Puerto Rico's greatest, he was right in the same category as Wilfredo Gomez and Felix Trinidad but behind Carlos Ortiz.

He was masterful against Palamino and Duran and the Cervantes win is a huge achievement.

[GhostofDempsey]

I've always felt that even Prime Wilfred beats prime Duran at 140.

Benitez outgrew that division and was a better fighter at 147/154. Prime Duran at 140 wins a UD over Benitez.

[Ray Corso]

"Depends what you clasify as great".

I don't throw the word "great" around like most people on this site do.
If you fight a great fight or win over a great fighter that doesn't mean "your" a great fighter.

Yes I'm aware of the belts that were up for grabs then, I opened my gym in 1969 and it remains open today with one of my former members running it today. I had fighters fighting all over the world from 75 thru 90.

WBC & WBA were kings then the IBF was more of a regional award in a few continents around the world. The WBO was strictly BO!

Ray

[sugar ray lenrd]

"Depends what you clasify as great".

I don't throw the word "great" around like most people on this site do.
If you fight a great fight or win over a great fighter that doesn't mean "your" a great fighter.

Yes I'm aware of the belts that were up for grabs then, I opened my gym in 1969 and it remains open today with one of my former members running it today. I had fighters fighting all over the world from 75 thru 90.

WBC & WBA were kings then the IBF was more of a regional award in a few continents around the world. The WBO was strictly BO!

Ray

RAY CORSO,
Yes I totally agree with you on how great is often thrown around here a lot. And you are also on point, just because you beat a great fighter doesn't make you a great fighter. I'm sure you can agree to some extent on how much easier it is today to become a 3 time world champion in 3 different wgt divisions as oppose to back then when there only 2.

Ray are you from the NYC area? Your name rings a bell. I'm not good with names, but in the boxing world I know people for over 30 yrs & I still don't know their name, but when I see them we grret each other like long lost family members. Nice talking to you champ!