Hey, just thought I'd put a twist on a thread topic that has 2 versions already........but if you know why he so suddenly started to suck, feel free to chime in...:smoke
Is this the place I go to see who might win a dream match between Mike Tyson and a prime Larry Holmes?
In addition to the other explanations already provided, I just don't think Benitez was well suited to be fighting at the higher weights which was where he started to fizzle and accumulate more losses. Fighting mustafa Hamsho at 158 was a mistake in hindsite and his then manager Jim Jacobs said this: "You keep moving up and up until finally you reach a plateau where the people are stronger and tougher. Hamsho was much stronger than Wilfred. I think this fight dictated that Wilfred will fight as a junior middleweight." Articles[edit]
I imagine that having fought nearly 40 fights and probably 300 rounds all before he turned 22 did some real damage. Hell I think his dad had him fighting on street corners for money as nearly a toddler.
People have said that for years and based on what I've heard and read I have no doubt that his father did some things that weren't in Wilfred's best interest.. But the fact is Wilfred got all of his major accomplishments while being managed and trained under his father. He was a multiple time, multiple division world champion and established a 44-2-1 record with wins over all time greats and defeats to only Hearns and Leonard, all while his career was run by Gregorio Benitez... Upon parting ways with his dad after the Hearns loss, Benitez finished out the rest of his career going 9-6 and never again winning against a world beater...
