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why aint this a sticky buit that AM thread is :huh

 

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Wilfred "The Radar" Benitez​

World light-welterweight, welterweight & light middleweight champion​

Real name: Wilfred Benítez
Nickname(s): El Radar, Bible of Boxing
Born: New York, 12.9.1958
Record: 53(31)-8-1

Wilfred Benitez is a Puerto Rican boxing legend famed for being one of the greatest ever defensive boxers. He is also both the youngest ever world champion & the youngest inductee to the international boxing hall of fame.

He was a boxing prodigy with incredible innate abilities, great reflexes & respectable punching power, a true "natural" talent. A world champion at 17 & past his best at 25 his incredible career was short but contained glorious wins & defeats against some all time greats.

Born in New York into a boxing family Wilfred moved back to Puerto Rico as a young child. His brothers, Frankie & Gregory were pros & he was trained by his father Gregorio from an early age. Turning pro at 15 he fought in Puerto Rico & the Virgin Islands & the schoolboy amassed an impressive 25(20)-0 record, this included a win over respected Cuban veteran Angel Robinson Garcia.

The hugely popular 17 year old Benitez got a title shot against WBA Light Welterweight champion Antonio Cervantes aka Kid Pambele. Regarded as one of the greatest ever light-welterweight champions he was 30 years old, had a record of 74(35)-9-3 & had made 10 title defenses. With his classmates watching Benitez outclassed his veteran opponent in the first half of the fight & although Cervantes rallied & came back in the second half Benitez held on & did enough to win via SD & become the youngest ever world champion in front of a jubilant home crowd.

After 2 quick defences of his title, a dominant UD & a 3rd round TKO Wilfred began campaigning in America above 140lbs. After drawing against Harold Weston he continued his winning streak but was stripped of his title. In 1977 he faced the unbeaten (14-0) American Bruce Curry & won a SD over 10 rounds despite being knocked down 3 times (at that time the New York judges did not use the 10 point scoring system). In a 10 round rematch 3 months later Benitez won in more decisive fashion by MD with one judge scoring it 9-1 in his favour. However by this time the rumours were growing about his lack of focus, lazy training habits & poor discipline. He was coasting on his talent alone & seemed to lack motivation.

Benitez remained undefeated & in 1979 fought for his second title against the hard hitting Mexican WBC Welterweight champion Carlos Palomino (27-1-3). Palomino had won the title 3 years earlier against John H. Stracey at Wembley & had made many defences, including a win against the unbeaten Dave "Boy" Green. Many journalists doubted how the 20 year old would fare against the tough & powerful champion but in a performance that earned him his moniker, "The Radar" made his opponent miss with most of his best work whilst countering with crisp punches. Despite taking some big shots Benitez won via SD to become a 2 weight world champion.

At 37-0-1 his 1st defence was a rematch with respected contender Harold Weston who he had previously fought to a draw. This time round Benitez won via UD and next up was the greatest challenge so far in his career, the undefeated American sensation Sugar Ray Leonard. Their 1979 bout in Las Vegas is one of the most skillfull & technical fights of all time, a chess match played out at blinding speed between 2 young, unbeaten virtuosos. Benitez suffered a flash knockdown in the 3rd & was badly cut on the forehead after an accidental clash of heads in the 6th. Ahead on all 3 scorecards Leonard began the 15th & final round like a man possessed, he knocked down Benitez with continual pressure & then continued the assault until the ref stepped in with just 30 seconds left.

After suffering his 1st loss Benitez moved up a division & after 2 wins against respectable opposition in 1981 he had his 3rd title shot, this time against the British WBC champ Maurice Hope (30-2-1). Despite being cut in the 4th round Benitez controlled the fight & the game Hope fought back despite losing a tooth & bleeding heavily from the mouth. Benitez dropped Hope in the 10th then again with a spectacular right hand in the 12th which knocked Hope out cold for several minutes & was one of the knockouts of the year. In winning the fight & at 22 years old Benitez became only the 6th triple weight world champion & the first to do it since Emile Griffith in 1966.

El Radar defended his title via UD against the undefeated Carlos Santos before facing another all time great, Roberto Duran (74-2). In 1982 in Las Vegas Benitez outboxed & controlled the great Duran, fustrating him & making him miss when he tried to unload. Benitez received a unanimous decision giving him the biggest win of his career.

In his next fight & title defence Benitez faced another ATG, Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns, who was 35-1. Both guys were 24 & had only lost to once & against the same opponent, Leonard. In a close & competitive fight Hearns was deducted a point for hitting & holding in the 4th but Benitez touched a glove to the canvas in the 5th after a grazing shot & it was scored a 10-8 round. Benitez returned the favour, knocking down Hearns in the 9th but lost via majority decision.

Despite Hearns formidable reach, speed & power Benitez made him miss repeatedly but this was to be the last great performance of his career. After losing to Hearns El Radar went 8-7 & his performances waned as his lackadasical, unmotivated attitude to training finally caught up with him. He retired in 1990 with a record of 53(31)-8-1

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqEk8gU4C6U&feature=related[/ame]

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[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwi2Ppbh8k4&feature=related[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBXTa1gvOLM&feature=related[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1cseEf7AxA&feature=related[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7og6RYl_7qI[/ame]

 

Good work Dr Mo :good 'El Radar deserved a good write up, and he's got one.

Floyd Mayweather fans: watch it and weep :deal

Best wins for me are Cervantes, ATG 140lber, at only 17! And Palomino of course, IMO a criminally underrated 147lber and very formidable indeed. The Leonard stoppage was bull**** IMO, he wasn't too bad really, after what has transpired it seemed an odd moment to step in IMO.

Good stuff man, love anyone who appreciates Benitez :happy

 

I love the whole era, fab 4 plus Benitez, Cuevas & others.

Benitez was a very special fighter, against Hearns, I forget which round he's on the the ropes & makes Hearns miss about 10 times in a row :shock:

IIRC Leonard said he was the hardest opponent to hit "nobody makes me miss like that, nobody"

Now Ive done Locche & Benitez might be Whitaker or Pep next (no homo)

 

Good write up again 'Mo.

You like your defensive greats don't you?

 

Good shout on keeping with the defensive theme. If you haven't already, take a look at the 18 second clip of Samart Payakroon on the page before, you'll dig it bruv :good

Hearns boxes really well in that fight. I imagine without his hand problems he would've made easier work of Benitez, but for me the great 'what if' is Benitez with desire!!! He didn't give two shits for training, even when faced with the best of his time. Pure natural talent and ability. If only he'd fought Hagler, it'd be the 'Fabulous Five' ;-)

 

Cheers :good I love em, esp Locche he always makes me smile.

That clip was quality:deal

I think there was talk about Benitez vs Hagler for his 4th weight-division but he fought Hearns instead

 

Speaking of Locche, I'm doing Paul Fuji. In the next few days I gotta' upload Ayala-Lopez and do 'Little Red'....Fuji and, if I'm brave enough to attempt it, Starling, a favourite of mine and arguably the most underrated technician of all time.

 

I'm considering doing Sergio Martinez... yeah, I'm a ****ing nutter...

 

All time is a big call Flea but I certianly can't remember many more underrated defensive fighters in my time watching boxing than Moochie.

 

delete, drunken nonsense

 

Love Starling. Would be chuffed if you pulled it off :good