Wilfred Benitez 1979 vs Jose Pipino Cuevas 1979, Title Unification, 147 lbs.

Reinhardt · Nov 11, 2020

Saintpat said: ↑

I think Cuevas is all wrong for Wilfred.

Benitez is brilliant at making people miss, El Radar and all that, but what he was particularly great at was taking away the right hand — Leonard missed more than 20 right hands in the first round alone, all right there in the pocket, and Dundee instructed Ray to work hooks and jabs ... which he did until he was later able to find the range.

He’s still good defensively but less adept at avoiding left hooks .. and Pipino’s was a wrecking ball. He’s the lightest person I’ve ever heard of to break the metal buckle on a speed bag. Foreman did it and I think Shavers. No welter or even middle or light heavy that I ever heard of did it, but Cuevas did.

Furthermore, Benitez is most comfortable fighting off the ropes — look at how he picked apart Palomino there and you can see the same in a lot of his other fights. Hearns, in fact, would not engage him there: Manny Steward instructed him to step back to the middle of the ring and wave Wilfred out rather than fight him there and get countered.

But Pipino is a different sort of animal. He thrived, somewhat like Foreman, in destroying people when he pinned them on the ropes. And he was willing and able to go to the body with both hands rather than head-hunt, and Wilfred can’t make his body disappear.

I think eventually, probably inside of 10 rounds, Benitez gets nailed in a corner or on the ropes with a right that stuns enough that Pipino comes crashing down with that wicked left hook and he never gives Wilfred a chance to recover.

Cuevas by TKO, I’ll say in eight, while behind on the cards.
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Compelling argument.

Richard M Murrieta · Nov 11, 2020

The only thing that we will never know is if Jose Pipino Curvas could go 15 rounds, we know that Wilfred Benitez could. For all we know, Cuevas punches could become less potent as the fight drags on. Roberto Duran would later stop Cuevas, Benitez took Duran's best in their 1982 fight. So stamina would be a question for Pipino, as he never had to go the distance.

Bujia · Nov 11, 2020

Richard M Murrieta said: ↑

The only thing that we will never know is if Jose Pipino Curvas could go 15 rounds, we know that Wilfred Benitez could. For all we know, Cuevas punches could become less potent as the fight drags on. Roberto Duran would later stop Cuevas, Benitez took Duran's best in their 1982 fight. So stamina would be a question for Pipino, as he never had to go the distance.
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He did. Just the once against Randy Shields in his 8th or 9th defense.

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Wilfred Benitez 1979 vs Jose Pipino Cuevas 1979, Title Unification, 147 lbs.

Reinhardt Boxing Junkie Full Member

Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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Wilfred Benitez 1979 vs Jose Pipino Cuevas 1979, Title Unification, 147 lbs.

Reinhardt Boxing Junkie Full Member

Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

Bujia Well-Known Member Full Member