Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez 'How I Pimped Out My Kids'

Jacquot,,,,,,

Excellent Reporting........

One 'whacked out family'

Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez finally 'sold' his son in the Summer of 1978 to
Jimmy Jacobs and Bill Cayton for $125,000 -

They immediately took Wilfred out of the 'dysfunctional atmosphere', and
shipped him up to Cus D'Amato's training camp in the Catskills.

They brought in Emile Griffith to work with Wilfred, primarily on 'shortening'
his punches, and putting more power behind them.

And of course, they hooked up with Don King, but that 'partnership'
ended quickly - and the Jacobs, Cayton and Benitez Team moved to
Bob Arum before the end of 1978.

 

Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez,,,,,,,,

Basicilly 'pilfered' all of Wilfred's money, and 'squandered' it on horse racing, other gambling and bad business deals.

Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez, at age 67 died of a brain hemorhage, on March 5, 1996.

Clar Rosa Benitez, the mother of the Benitez family dies at age 81, on Jukly 27, 2008.

 

June 22, 1977

Madison Square Garden

'Frankie Benitez Upsets European Champion, Cemal Kamaci'

Frankie 'The Terror' Benitez, just 3-weeks shy of his 20th birthday, got an
early present, as he won a 10-Round Decision (W Dec 10) over European Light-
Welterweight Champion - Cemal 'Turk' Kamaci.

Frankie, the older brother of Wilfred, scored throughout with hard hooks, to
out-punch a tentative 34 year-old veteran Cemal Kamaci, over 10 'brisk' rounds.

Benitez, who had last fought and lost 8-months ago, was considered a washed-up
fighter after being 'knocked-out' by Chung-Moon Chin in October 1976 in San Juan.

But the 141 lb. Benitez, with shattering power in both hands, finally displayed his power,
by rocking Cemal Kamaci time and again with hard left hooks to the jaw in the early rounds,
and thundering right hooks to the body during the middle rounds.

Frankie, who was unranked coming into this bout, will now undoubtedly be positioned in
the the Top 10 of the WBC, and may seek a bout with WBC Light-Welterweight Champion
- Thailand's Saensak Muangsurin. Frankie now improves to 27-4-1.

Cemal 'Turk' Kamaci, of Turkey, had come into this bout as the European Light-Welterweight
Champion, and had been unbeaten in his last '13-bouts', going 12-0-1 during the past 2-years.
Cemal had come in with a record of 38-6-5 (15 KO's), and was the #7 WBC-ranked Light-Welterweight.

Kamaci never got his punches off in the bout, and was pinned along the ropes for most
of the fight. Cemal only exhibited his good boxing skills when Benitez backed off in Rounds
4, 8 and 10 - otherwise he was mauled during the majority of the bout.

Cemal Kamaci was hoping for a victory here, to send him into a bout with WBC Light-Welterweight
Champion - Saensak Muangsurin, or a non-title bout with WBC Lightweight Champion - Esteban De Jesus.

Scorecards { 7-3-0 / 6-3-1 / 7-3-0 }

Cemal 'Turk' Kamaci (Turkey) the European Light-Welterweight Champion

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Frankie 'The Terror' Benitez,,,,,,

May 1978

Nearly 'one-year' after upsetting European Light-Welterweight Champion Cemal Kamaci in June 1977,
Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez tried in vain to entice WBC Light-Welterweight Champion - Saensak Muangsurin
to come to Puerto Rico, and defend his 140 lb. Title versus Frankie 'The Terror'.

But the money wasn't there for Saensak.

Instead, Frankie got an 'unlucky call'. Brother Wilfred was supposed to fight 'Irish' Johnny Turner at
Madison Square Garden on May 15, 1978 - at an over-the-weight Light-Welterweight bout.

Wilfred pulled out, and Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez put in Frankie as a 'replacement'. The 20 1/2 year-old
Frankie (143 lbs.) and not in the greatest shape, was out-gunned by the hard-hitting Turner, and
got batterred and stopped by {KO 8}.

As usual, Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez complained that Frankie, didn't train properly and spent too many
nights at the disco's dancing.

His career now over at 20 1/2, and with a record of 27-5-1, 'Frankie the Terror', then returned to
his favorite sport,,,,, 'a crazy lunatic drug dealer and drug user' on the streets of the South Bronx.

Frankie would occassionally turn up at New York Boxing Gyms, where he would be available as a
sparring partner for virtually anybody. And within a few years, he too would suffer brain damage.

 

Wilfred Benitez {born on September 12, 1958} in the South Bronx, The youngest and
'least talented' of the early Boxing Benitez Brothers.

By the time Wilfred was the age of 7 1/2, 'Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez had moved the Benitez Family
back to Saint Just, Puerto Rico in July 1966.

And by the Spring of 1967, little 8 year-old - 67 lb. Wilfred was already competing in
Junior Tournaments. Wilfred was not the fastest or the best boxer in the family, but he was
the hardest worker in the gym, and always tried to get better.

After a busy 4-year schedule of Junior Tournaments, at the end of 1971, Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez
was entering the 13 year-old Wilfred in harder competition, putting Wilfred in the ring with
experienced amateurs who were older and stronger than Wilfred.

Though numbers cannot be documented, it is said that Wilfred already had '80' junior bouts,
hundreds of rounds sparring with his '3' brothers, plus numerous gym sparring sessions with bigger fighters.

At the start of 1972, the 13 year-old Wilfred (at 51 kg) was competing in the Flyweight Division, with the
likes of Wilfred 'Bazooka' Gomez.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In January 1972 at a Caribbean Island Tournament in St. Maarten, Wilfred was entered as the 51 Kg Puerto Rican entrant.

In a 'shocker', 13 year-old - Wilfred 'upset' Douglas Rodriguez of Cuba, by a 3:2 Split-Decision. The 21 year-old
Rodriguez was not only experienced, but was also a World-Ranked Amateur Flyweight, and had won a Bronze Medal
at the 1971 Pan Am only a few months earlier, to go along with a 163-15 record.

It was 'big news' as it was Wilfred's first 'International Fight'. Wilfred would go on to earn 'Runner-Up' honors at the
tournament, but his performance in St. Maarten made him a local star.

 

A) Gregorio 'Papa' Benitez, with the help of the Puerto Rican Boxing Team,
lied about Wilfred's age. He had '3' older brothers.......

B) Wilfred was 'one super talent' at those lighter weights. (112 lbs. in 1971 and early-1972).

C) Then at (54 Kg) Bantamweight in 1972, and eventually to (57 Kg) Featherweight.

C) Wilfred would routinely spar with Esteban De Jesus, Angel Espada,
Alfredo Escalera, and Samuel Serrano - all future World Champions.

More to come......

 

By mid-1972

Wilfred was 'too young' to enter into the 1972 Olympic Boxing competition.

But now, the 13 1/2 year-old was competing at (54 Kg) Bantamweight.

At the same time, 15 year-old Frankie was competing at (57 Kg) Featherweight.

And, the future great, Wilfred 'Bazooka' Gomez who was one of the best (51 Kg) Flyweights
in the World in 1972, after the 1972 Summer Olympics (August 1972) was pressing to move
up to (54 Kg) Bantamweight.

 

Little Pepito,,,,

There is no information on whether Wilfred Benitez and Wilfredo Gomez ever
fought each other at Bantamweight in late-1972, in a Puerto Rican amateur
tournament.

Wilfred would have only been age 14, and 'Bazooka' Gomez would have been age 16.

Though, 14 year-old Wilfred did compete at the November 1972 'Central American
and Caribbean Championships' in Costa Rica, and was Puerto Rico's Bantamweight representative.

 

Little Pepito,

November 1972

14 year-old Wilfred was competing at (54 Kg) Bantamweight (119 lbs.)

At the 1972 Central American & Caribbean Championships in Costa Rica, Wilfred
made it to the Semi-Finals, where he lost to the Great Cuban - Orlando Martinez
by a 4:1 Decision.

Orlando Martinez won the Gold Medal at those Games, and also won the Gold Medal
at the 1972 Olympics, by defeating Alfonso Zamora in the 'Finals'.

If anything was proven, it was that the 14 year-old Wilfred was a 'Boy Wonder'.

 

Little Pepito,

Wilfred moved up to (57 Kg) Featherweight (125 lbs.) in early 1973.

Wilfred was 'defeated' by a (L TKO 3) to Derrik Holmes in a January 1973
'Amateur Cup Tournament'

After that loss, the 14 1/2 year-old was moved up again, to (60 Kg) Lightweight (132 lbs.),
by the Puerto Rican Boxing Team, because they needed someone to compete at
that weight in a March 1973 'Caribbean Tournament' in Trinidad and Tobago.

Suprisingly, by May 28, 1973 - Wilfred was 'bumped up again' to (63.5 Kg) Light-Welterweight (139 lbs.)
for a North American Championship Tournament in New York.

 

Little Pepito,,,,,,,,

The 14 1/2 year-old Wilfred Benitez did compete at the May 28, 1973 - North American Championships
in New York.

He was 'defeated' by Decision to Johnny Turner in the Quarter-Finals of the (63.5 Kg)
Light-Welterweight Division.

Remarkably, Wilfred was campaigning at (119 lbs.) Bantamweight only 6-months earlier.

From what I have found, Howard Davis (Featherweight) and Aaron Pryor (Lightweight)
were competing in the same tournament. Wilfred was put in the higher weight division,
as he would have a easier competition. But, he still lost.

Mark Henderson who was there, said Wilfred was about 129 lbs., and should have been
fighting in the (60 Kg) 132 lb. - Lightweight Divsion. But, the Lightweight Divsion was
stacked, so the Puerto Rican coach moved him up to the higher weight class.