Benitez's victory over Duran

But Benitez at 140 was also faster. Check the film at which ease he handled aggresive Carlos Palomino & beat him more conviningly than Duran did a year later. Also Benitez avoided most of the great Antonio Cervantes' punches, & that was at the tender age of seventeen!

 

Benitez was a truly great fighter who was under-rated because he let his talent dissipate. His losses to Hearns and Leonard were very close. He was at top of his game vs Duran.

 

It was Carlos Eleta who nixed certain matchups for Duran, such as a Carlos Ortiz fight in MSG (the management cancelled the fight and said Duran was sick), an Antonio Cervantes fight @ 140, a rematch with Ken Buchanan. Ken Buchanan would later say something like "Duran would fight anyone, but his management made the decisions".

I think it's quite a stretch to call a junior middleweight, 1984 version of Duran as being "prime".

 

As long as we're in agreement that Duran never personally ducked anybody. Ever.

 

I had Benitez beating Palomino by a point. Duran maybe lost a point to Palomino.

 

I remember one respected source scoring Benitez - Duran 13-2.