Benitez vs Chavez @ 140

Benitez by decision. Chavez couldn't work his magic. Benitez made Hearns miss who was quicker than Chavez and longer reach. Although Hearns fought him on the outside, Chavez would try and get close.. But that didn't work when Duran fought Benitez.

 

Wilfred: 5' 10". 70" reach
Julio: 5' 7-1/2". 66.5" reach.

Basically the same as Wilfred v Duran.

 

Benitez!

 

Benitez by unanimous dec, by the time Chavez got too jr.welter cracks in his Armour were beginning to show, he wasn't as dominate as he was at the lighter weights, Benitez conversely wasn't at his best at jr.welter (He was basically a teenager to be honest) but I Like the fighter on his way up the hill as opposed to the fighter who was over the hill though slightly so.

 

Another vote for Benitez who BTW was one of my original favorite fighters when I was a young man

 

That's about it i think. Benitez may have been potentially a touch fragile in the lower weights against the right guys but he had a lot going for him too even at that age.

Chavez would be grinding all night and i think Benitez would know he'd been in a fight still. Chavez would go after the body pretty hard. Benitez by decision.

 

Really surprised that nobody's going for Julio in this. There was a time when he was being considered best Mexican boxer ever. Ahead of Olivares, Sanchez, Zarate etc based on achievement. That put him in most people's P4P top 10.

Benitez could have been in similar stellar company but many of the superlatives lavished on him are based on what he potentially could have been. In reality, at JWW, he was scraping by Bruce Curry and Harold Weston, terrific performances for a teenager, granted, but if those performances had been replicated by a 27 year old Chavez, we wouldn't be comparing him to Mexico's elite. That said, I don't see Chavez beating 154lb Duran. Nor surviving 15 rds with a WW Leonard or a 154lb Hearns. But this fight is at 140lbs and Benitez was a teenager when he made that weight.

Also, in reality, Chavez trained like a monk in his prime. Wilfred trained when a pretty girl walked into the gym. So, for me, what you have here is a flaky teenager with terrific skills but a poor attitude who was barely able to get past consistent but second tier contenders against a guy who did it all, time and again.

I see the fight going like the Taylor fight a bit. Chavez falls behind early but never relents in the pace and the body attack and the sheer mental pressure of having such an undiminishing force against him has El Radar wishing he'd taken training a bit more seriously and Cayton and Jacobs thinking maybe a little more seasoning might have been a good idea. By the mid rounds, I can imagine Wilfred claiming low blows, headbutts, other rough stuff and generally giving the impression that he hadn't signed up for this. JCC has no trouble going hard at it for 15rds for a clear decision or maybe even a late stoppage.

 

I don't think this is clear-cut in favor of Benitez.

He was still maturing at 140 lbs.

Chavez was exceptionally physically strong at 140.

Cervantes was a great fighter, but didn't really impose his strength advantage on Benitez.

I feel like Chavez would get Wilfred on the ropes a lot. Benitez would make him miss a lot and counter. Chavez would work the body if he misses upstairs and will not be dissuaded.

Chavez by fairly close but unanimous decision

 

I agree fully. Chavez was way better than he's being given credit for here and Benitez was not the finished article at 140 (if indeed he ever was).

15 rounds would favour Chavez. He'd find a way to break down Benitez to the body and the accumulated pressure would eventually tell. Stoppage win in favour of Chavez in the championship rounds.

 

He was certainly much better defensively than Taylor. But, he wasn't nearly as busy or as fast with his hands. Thus, unless he can move constantly, Chavez will use his superior physical strength to get him on the ropes. Chavez will not let up. Benitez will last the distance, but be outhustled. True, it is a very competitive match-up. Cervantes may have been better than Chavez, but had a very different style - one that suited a still maturing Benitez better than that of Chavez.

 

What weight is this going down at?

At 140, Chavez breaks him down and stops him or wins a clear and punishing decision.

 

Chavez all the way people sleeping on him he'd get inside and work that body almost everyone had a reach advantage again him

 

Wilfred was at his career best against Duran at 154. At 140? Chavez would probably take one of those questionable 8-7 decisions with everyone else having it 10-5 Benitez.