Hell of a fighter certainly one of the best ever at 140. I've read an interview one of these days with someone who was connected to Cervantes career (Promoter or manager i dont recall) and he said they made an offer to Duran to move up and fight Kid Pambele but Duran or his people declined, anyone know anything about this?
Phillips was special though, his habits, especially drugs, destroyed him, but he knew how to fight prety well and in shape could beat great fighters.
I think it was Roy Jones the one who said that he believed that Phillips was more talented than him when they were both young.
Yes, there was a rematch clause in this bout and the WBA decreed Benitez had to grant Cervantes the rematch by August of '76, but Benitez appealed saying he was in a car accident and needed more time. The WBA agreed but then Benitez signs to fight Tony Petronelli in October. The WBA then stated he must fight Cervantes in December and Benitez again ignored the edict. The WBA vacated the title with Benitez' constant refusals and Cervantes won the vacant title in June of '77. Benitez was not having difficulty with the weight because he still defended his title against Ray Chavez 2 months after the Cervantes-Carlos Gimenez vacant title match (Benitez was defending some NY version of the junior welter title). This was the same Ray Chavez that Cervantes KO'd in 2 rounds a couple of years before. So, there was no reason why Benitez or Benitez people couldn't make the match, they obviously just didn't want to. IMO, I think a better prepared Cervantes would have taken the rematch, which could have set up a 3rd matchup between these two. Our loss.
Very interesting. It's funny how much a rematch (or a lack of a rematch) can change boxing history and the way that we think about certain fighters.
I tend to agree there should have been a Benitez vs Cervantes rematch.Pambele never really convinced in his second run, and by 78\79 was looking fossilised but higher profile Benitez bouts may have kept him ticking over better than having to start again. As far as the initial fight goes though, Cervantes may have taken him lightly but he didn't look soft or notably out of shape and by the mid-rounds is clearly fighting at the same sort of level as his last few defences, doing his best against what is a clearly formidable foe.He didn't just half ass the whole fight thinking this was just a kid in there. Benitez did fight in a manner in that bout that he rarely replicated again though.No nonsense jabbing and pivoting, blending his great radar in with a greater efficiency of movement and punchpicking than usually was later the case where he more often be far too flat footed or focused on defence first displays. If he fought flat footed and lowered his workrate against Cervantes he would most likely lose due to Cervantes range so a rematch would have been very interesting to see his approach.If he fought in a similar manner to the first bout...well Cervantes wasn't getting any younger, was already pretty slow by then, often relying in a fair size advantage against his foes to give him a comfort zone which he didn't quite have against Benitez, who was also very big at the weight.Wilfred using his feet as well as his radar would have been tough.
