Duran vs Benitez Sports Illustrated article

When Duran won he was given so much credit, yet he beat guys like Moore and Barkley. When Benitez, who was a legend, beat another legend Duran easily. No one wanted to give him credit. I am not sure why Duran got more credit for wins than any other fighter. Yet when he lost he had excuses.

 

Starts off by you can bet Duran will never fight again. LOL.

 

Very good

 

Great Longhhorn...I enjoyed this.

 

Got great admiration for Benitez...ice won out over fire that night. It was perhaps, along with the win over Cervantes, Wilfred's best win. I think he just had Duran's number.

 

Yeah, it's too bad how they twisted the truth and made this a story about Roberto's redemption instead of Benitez's dominance. Does every guy who manages to go 15 get the same treatment? Is Alfredo Evangelista as good as Duran?

 

I remember this article, it confirmed what I saw that night. Duran was a spent force after 10 rounds, when I heard they took him to a penal colony to train so he couldn't live the high life I said uh,oh!. I always liked Benitez and though he'd beat Leonard but he had that same aversion to training. Wilfred was at his absolute best that night, it would have taken the Montreal version of Roberto to beat him at 147,I think the Moore version of Duran still loses that fight at 154. I don't think Sugar Ray would have lasted against that Wilfred .

 

Me too, Benitez was brilliant , it was such a performance that writers were calling for Hagler after that fight. Had he not went drug city I'd have like to seen him at say 156 fight Hagler.I'd give Marvin the nod in a 15 rounder but the entertainment value would have been thrilling

 

Wilfred was a real legend. He really outclassed Duran, which no one seems to realize.. And 154 was his best fighting I think. He had the experience and was starting to use it more and put it all together. His flaw was moving up to middleweight, which was a big mistake. But at 154 he was great. he beat Duran easily and really gave a prime Hearns a great fight and went 15 rounds. He is underrated. Again he is underrated because he lost to Leonard, same as Hearns is underrated to losing to Hagler and Leonard. But Benitez and Hearns wins are legendary. Hearns had more wins vs legends, but they are both still hurt by losses in their biggest fights. The Duran fight was a great fight for Benitez.

 

They probably should have gone after Hagler in '82 instead of Hearns at 154 lbs.

If I remember right there were rumors of Hagler facing Benitez and Hearns in '82 but Hagler ended up fighting Caveman Lee! LOL. Talk about a comedown.

I still think Benitez had enough left to challenge Hagler after the Hearns fight but he picked too strong of a tuneup in Mustafa Hamsho. Hamsho was just too big and strong for him.

I am not saying '83 Benitez would have beaten Hagler but he was good enough to at least challenge him before the Hamsho debacle.

But, yes, mid 1982 would have been a perfect time for Benitez/Hagler. I'd favor Hagler

 

Good read! So much for Duran not having trained for the fight. He clearly had.

 

I remember watching Benitez on tv with my wife (at the time), and Benitez said, in his accent, that he wanted "Ha-ler" next, and my wife beat me to it...took the words right out of my mouth,...saying "you better leave Ha-ler alone".....I loved Benitez, but I though that would have been a very foolish move.

 

in someway Marvin's style might have been easier for Benitez than Hamsho. Benitez really fought his best at 154,, but I agree, moving up to middleweight was just too much, and he didn't have the power there he had at 154..