More impressive wonderkid Benitez or Cuevas?

Which injury?

 

You mean the same Gray and Muniz that Perkins also beat when well well well past his prime?? Gant? Are you seriously going to argue that Gant was any better than the shot Perkins who defeated Espada?

 

Pipino's first big fight
7/12/75 in Mexico.
Still age 17.
Welterweight Bout

#5 Carlos Obregon 24-0-0 (20 KO's) vs Pipino Cuevas 12-5-0 (11 KO's)

Pipino scores 2 knock-downs in Round 3, and one in Round 4.
Pipino builds up a big-lead, but tires, and has to hold on, as Carlos Obregon rallies
big-time in Round 8, and has Pipino in trouble in Round 9.
Round 10, Obregon pounds Pipino all over the ring, but can't put him away.

Pipino wins a unanimous decision.
95-90 (7-3-0 in rounds) Cuevas
96-91 (6-4-0 in rounds) Cuevas
95-91 (7-3-0 in rounds) Cuevas

Carlos Obregon, Columbia Welterweight Champion
#5 WBA Welterweight
In his previous fight, 3-months earlier, Obregon had knocked out (KO 6) future
WBA Light Middleweight Champion, Eddie Gazo 28-2-2 (14 KO's).

 

Yeah, but that happened just after his fight with Leonard.

 

I think we're going in the wrong direction on this Benetiz vs Cuevas
question.

Pipino Cuevas destroyed a good Welterweight in Angel Espada.
Was Espada a great fighter, no, but he did post several good wins
over some good capable fighters, and clearly Top-15 rated.

Wilfred Benetiz won a close split-decision over an excellent Antonio Cervantes, who though may have been slowing down slightly, was considered unbeatable at 140 lbs. at that time.

 

On Angel Espada,
Turned pro in 1966, at age 18.
went 2-3-4 (2 KO's) in his first 9-bouts.

From April 19, 1969 thru November 1970
Went 15-0-0 (8 KO's)
Key wins;
11/1/69,,,W Dec 10...Roland Pryor (12-0-0)
12/12/69, W Dec 10..Fate Davis (34-6-1)
3/21/70,,,W KO 2.....Rafael Rodriguez (41-13-1)

His next loss;
11/2/70,,,L Majority Dec 10....(#19 LM) Matt Donovan (14-2-1)

Matt Donovan (14-2-1) (7 KO's) was a very good Light Middleweight (# 19 ranked), who had just upset highly
regarded Ralph Palladin (17-0-0) by a TKO on cuts.

11/3/70
His record stood at 17-4-4 (10 KO's)
Ring Magazine review, a 22 year-old Welterweight from Puerto Rico
Good boxing skills, with average power. Good defensively and a solid chin.
Potential to reach the Top-10 within a year. Needs to improve his ring generalship.
Strengths; conditioning and hand speed
Weakness; in-fighting

 

Incidentally i'd say the veteran perkins was still a fine fighter, with the vast majority of his losses close decisions on the road.He was well worth another shot at the title for years after the Hernandez loss.

losing to him circa 70/71, especially if not that experienced is hardly a major black mark imo.

 

I would have to say, losing to a veteran in Eddie Perkins is no crime.
1970,,#3 JW
1971,,#4 JW
1972,,#6 JW
1973,,#7 W

He dropped out of the Top 10 in 1974.
Not an easy guy to fight too.

 

The Eddie Perkins of the 1970s was nowhere near the fighter he was of the 1960s, particularly 1965 or 66 when he started to slide. And keep in mind, it was me who stated he was the best fighter Espada had fought prior to (and possibly including Cuevas), it was others arguing that that was Gray, Muniz, and Gant. Two of whom Perkins defeated and the other who couldnt have held Perkins shoelaces.

 

KL,

You do make a solid point, in 1971, Eddie was 34 1/2.
10/19/71
W DEC 10.....Angel Espada 20-4-4 (11 KO's)...age 21

Eddie was 62-15-2 at the time, and was bouncing between Light Welterweight
and Welterweight.
He was rated at #3 Light Welterweight and #7 Welterweight.
So despite the age, he was still a Top-Rated fighter.

Angel Espada at the time, was just on the bubble of Top-20 in the Welterweight division.
There bout was held in San Juan on 10/19/71.

Island Boxing News, reported, Eddie Perkins won a Unanimous 10-Round decision.
No knockdowns, and Perkins was in control for most of the fight, utilizing his
veteran boxing skills over a good young fighter, but who lacked good in-fighting skills.
Scoring in Rounds; (6-3-1) (4-3-3) (6-3-1)

 

Angel Espada path to the WBA Welterweight title.

Following his 10-Round Majority Decision loss (5-5-0) (3-5-2) (4-5-1) to Matt Donovan (#19 Light Middleweight)
in November 1970, which dropped him to 17-4-4 (10 KO's)

Between January 1971 thru April 1975 he went 16-3-0 (9 KO's)
Key bouts;
8/28/71,,,,,,,W DEC 10....Manuel Gonzalez 57-20-6
10/19/71,,,,,L DEC 10.....Eddie Perkins 62-15-2...(#3 Light Welterweight and #7 Welterweight)
6/12/72,,,,,,L DEC 10......Dario Hidalgo 18-5-1.....(#11 Welterweight)
2/15/73,,,,,,W DEC 10.....Dario Hidalgo 21-5-1
5/29/73,,,,,,W DEC 10.....Jack Tillman 41-4-1.....(#6 Welterweight)
4/15/74,,,,,,,W KO 2.......Alvin Anderson 18-4-2..(#22 Light Middleweight)
5/10/74,,,,,,,W KO 4.......David Oropeza 46-5-1
7/29/74,,,,,,W DEC 10.....Armando Muniz 34-7-1...(#8 Welterweight)
3/15/75,,,,,,L DEC 10.......Luis Acosta 21-0-0.....(#4 Welterweight, WBA)
4/17/75,,,,,,W DEC 10......Luis Acosta 22-0-0......(#2 Welterweight, WBA)

The 6/12/72 Loss to (#11) Dario Hidalgo (18-5-1) (4 KO's) was a Split-Decicison, (5-4-1) (4-6-0) (4-5-1)
Angel Espada had floored Hidalgo in Round 5,
and the decision was not approved by the fans in Madison Square Garden.

Anglel Espada was ranked as the #1 Welterweight by Ring Magazine, at the end of 1973.
and #2 Ranked in 1974.

Record before challenging for the vacant WBA Welterweight Title in 1975.
33-7-4 (19 KO's)

 

Zeke,

As far as the Angel Espada vs Luis Acosta I fight (3/15/75).
It was held in Caracas, Venezuela.
Luis Acosta was from Venezuela, and was the #4 WBA Welterweight.
21-0-0 (15 KO's).
Not sure just who he beat, but he was a decent fighter.
No detailed history on this bout, other than Luis Acosta won a close decision.

This bout was supposed to be a WBA Eliminator.
Jose Napoles was defending his WBC/WBA Welterweigt Championship, on 3/30/75 versus
Armando Muniz.
But Napoles, vacated the WBA Title right after defeating Muniz.

The WBA had Clyde Gray, Luis Acosta and Angel Espada in an eliminator series right away.

 

Well said! The win at 17 over Cervantes is gold...and Wilfred also did much better vs the two men who crushed Pipino..Duran and Hearns.