¿Should Wilfred Benítez be considered the fifth fantastic of the 80s?

guy went 15 rounds with Hearns and lost by majority, went 15 rounds with Leonard and got stopped whilst giving him a tough bout and went 15 rounds with a past it Duran, humilliating him on his own field

idk people, maybe?

 

Yes he's the 5th King in my book

 

Mike McCallum has his hand up, waving.

 

The idea behind this grouping is that each one fought the other three. Benitez then can’t qualify.

 

Resume wise he is kinda a minor king; a notch below the Fab Four.

At his peak, Benitez definitively was more than a match for any of them.

I wish he had fought Hagler, anyway.

 

He didn’t fight Hagler so no - id argue Benitez, Hearns, Duran and Leonard is as valid as Hagler and co, Hagler got the worse version of all 3 and Benitez had better fights with Duran and Leonard (though less impactful) Hagler’s place in the Fab4 for me really rests on Hearns? His fights with Leonard (shot) and Duran (shot) were eh.

 

Who do you fancy at 154? McCallum or Benitez?

 

Didn't fight Hagler and never reached their level of superstardom.

 

A real shame Wilfred dramatically declined in 1983. The Hamsho fight was a tough test as he was probably the best Middleweight after Hagler at that point.
If Wilfred had kept his '82 form and had a Middleweight tune up win against say a Scypion or John Collins he gets the Hagler fight. Marvin was desperate for a superfight.

 

McCallum. Much bigger skeleton. You can’t slip body punches.

 

Yup. Many informally already do.

Its hard to hold Beneitzs short career against him when guys today don't sniff 60 fights in a full career.

 

That is also my opinion.

 

IIRC I read somewhere negotiations for Hagler - Benitez were well on track but somehow fell off, or maybe I am wrong.

 

Was the winner of Benitez-Hamsho, Hagler's Mandatory?