Very odd mechanisms before that fight. The back-door deal. WBA Rankings. Cervantes increased purse to go to Puerto Rico. Re-adjusted weight scale. Cash put in escrow account for Cervantes (guarantee rematch clause). Just starting.
Before his bout with Antonio Cervantes in March 1976, In Wilfred's previous 16-bouts he failed to weigh-in, at less than 145 lbs. Most of his bouts in the Islands, were not monitored by any sanctioning bodies. In many of them, he was coming in at close to 150 lbs., while his opponents were scaling in at 140 lbs. Yes, he was only 16, and fighting older fighters. The general information coming out of Puerto Rico, was that he couldn't get under 144 lbs., as his body was growing.
January/February 1976 WBA Ratings for Light Welterweight did not list Wilfred Benetiz. Wilfred was listed and ranked at #14 (147 lb.) Welterweight by the WBA. WBA Light Welterweight * Antonio Cervantes 1 Monroe Brooks 2 Nicolino Locche 3 Emiliano Villa 4 Hector Thompson 5 Adolfo Viruet 6 Lou Bizzaro 7 Perico Fernandez 8 Carlos Maria Giminez 9 Cemal Kamaci 10 Lion Furuyama 11 Leonico Ortiz 12 Jo Kimpuani 13 Tony Petronelli 14 Jose Ramon Gomez Fouz 15 Miguel Velazquez 16 Battlehawk Kazama
T-N-T, As of February 1976, WBA Welterweight Rankings #6.... Pipino Cuevas....14-5-0 (12 KO's)..Mexican Welterweight Champion #14.. Wilfred Benetiz...25-0-0 (20 KO's) Wilfred then fought Antonio Cervantes on March 6, 1976 (Puerto Rico) (WBA 140 lb.) Pipino eventually fought Angel Espada on July 16, 1976 (Mexico) (WBA 147 lb.)
Fights down in Puerto Rico have always been kinda "shakey". The Gomez vs Zarate fight with weights all over the place is a good example.
Those fans are 'loco'.........You better be 'packing' if you beat one of their fighters in Puerto Rico........
even if benitez was packing a couple of more pounds it was still a 17yr old kid fighting a 30yr old man. benitez won because he was better no excuses.. and PR is one of the fairest places to fight.. no need to pack .. boxing as a whole is shaky and things happens everywhere but most of the time it has to do with which boxer the promoters are supporting it has nothing to do with the place of the fight.. remember the promoters are the one putting everything together and calling the shots. :hat
Both Wilfred and Antonio were well over 140 lbs. As a matter of fact, Antonio Cervantes has said that both he and Wilfred were very close to the Welterweight Limit 147 lbs. Cervantes, in Island Boxing News said, that he was 145+ lbs., but there was no worry from the WBA or Officials, as the fight would go on as scheduled, because there was too much money involved, and if both parties agreed it would be an over-weight Title Fight. The weight-scale was locked on 140 lbs. And Antonio came in at 140 lbs. even, and Wilfred came in at 138 1/2 lbs. But Antonio still maintained, that Benetiz was a bit heavier than him. No one complained, and a fight is a fight, Mr. Cervantes stated. Antonio had last defeated #1 Hector Thompson in November 1975, so the March 1976 bout versus Wilfred was not a mandotory defense. Trying to find the fight purse amounts of both fighters, and rematch clause money.
It looks like Antonio Cervantes fight purse for his bout against Wilfred Benetiz in Puerto Rico was $150,000. Wilfred Benetiz was to get $40,000, but $25,000 of his purse was put in escrow, for a guarantee rematch-clause versus Antonio, a contract signed within 6-months (by Septermber 1976). Monroe Brooks, Nicolino Locche and Emiliano Villa were in-line for the next Title shot. All of these fighters were given small sums of 'step-aside' money, to allow Wilfred to get a shot first.
Wilfred Benitez gets Emiliano Villa next, in Puerto Rico. # 1 Antonio Cervantes had to wait, for a rematch. # 2 Monroe Brooks took side-step money. # 3 Nicolino Locche would not come to fight Benitez in Puerto Rico. # 4 Emiliano Villa accepted.
