Wilfred Benitez

To me he looks happy and has a family that loves him immensely. That is a massive positive.

Sure his condition is bad, but focus on the positives.

 

Nothing too warm and fuzzey here.

 

If he was indeed formally diagnosed in 1989, then how on earth was he allowed to come back for four more fights?

He actually finished up two full years before Jerry Quarry, yet has now outlived JQ by a dozen years.

The personality is usually the last thing to go with a condition like this, and his personality seems very much intact within his restrictions. If there's a hell, his father (who likely gambled away his son's earnings) should be burning there.

 

Don't know, they were engaged, at least that what I've heard.

 

I first saw Benitez (on live tv) in the Leonard fight. Not yet a boxing fan, I was attracted by the Leonard hoopla, but became far more fascinated by the unique personality and style of Benitez, beginning with that great disdainful stare up against Leonard's face in the ring before the bell. Wow.

Then he began to exhibit those deep skills, always with intelligent concentration. Real boxing. Leonard, the great finisher, was better armed, but it was Benitez I followed through his boxing decline, hating it when he was floored by lesser lights.

Coincidentally, just last week I wrote to Guantes Magazine, asking how to help Benitez. Chon Romero wrote back:

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My favorite staredown of all time...Benitez is about 3/4" shorter than Leonard..and to give the illusion that he was taller than Ray, he tilted his head back slightly while nose to nose...a thing of genius I thought..and so amusing...I was a fan of Benitez before that fight..but that staredown just accentuated by liking of Benitez after that. He had an appealing, almost theatrical kind of arrogance that I actually liked a lot...and usually I'm not a fan of outwardly arrogant fighters...I'm more a fan of the Floyd Patterson/Joe Louis types...but I always liked Benitez a lot...I always rooted for him and I felt so bad when he was destroyed by Davey Moore and Matthew Hilton...both inferior to "El Radar"...

 

Absolutely. There's a big difference between Benitez arrogance and, say, Hector Camacho punk-style arrogance. Benitez had a class, control, and self-awareness to his theatricality. Glad to hear you can relate. The fights you mentioned were indeed painful to watch.

Of course, Hearns later tried to turn the tables on Benitez in the stare-down department... and he was a good deal taller! But Benitez retained his dignity in his unique way. Another great Benitez moment: his self-satisfied smile after he saw Maurice Hope's lights go out on his way down to the canvas from a lightning right hand. Everyone Benitez faced in his prime showed the "defensive fighter" lots of wary respect, including Leonard.

 

You mention that smile/smirk after crushing Hope...I love it...I watch tnat fight periodically more to see that gesture of his that he does right as Hope is crashing to the deck...as much as for the knockout itself...Benitez was a pleasure for me to watch. Another fight that made me sick to watch...was the Hamsho loss...

 

Anyone who let Benitez fight or had anything to do with him from a boxing perspective from about 1986 onwards, should be ashamed of themselves. That's a truckload of people

The Mathew Hilton mauling was a disgrace to the sport :-(

 

The Hamsho fight was brutishness vs. elegance. But boxing is, after all, a fight. Benitez was at a difficult time in his life. He had separated from his dad, left PR, and was not a natural middleweight. Fighters will be fighters... after a certain point, they just cannot see the truth. A tragedy.

 

Totally agree. All money, no glory, no care.

 

Hearns was not too big. Wilfred did well against Tommy, Tommy was quick and what won that fight for Hearns was his jab. Tommy couldn't really hit Benitez with his right hand. Benitez defense made Tommy right hand useless, so Tommy had to box and win the rounds with his height and reach and speed.. But if you see the fight, Hearns was not huge compared to Wilfred. Wilfred was at 154 and won the title before Tommy even came to 154. At 154 Wilfred was fighting great and beat Duran easily. 154 was his good weight.

 

Boxers need security for just this kind of event. If this happens to a boxer he should not have to worry about money. I am glad like all of you are that he lives with people who love him.

 

Yeah,it's very sad. Apart from his talent,Wilfre3d did n't have much of a life,from the word go.

 

Yes. Actually, the Hearns fight was one of the more exciting Benitez fights to watch. The deciding disparity was Hearns' reach, great jab and condition, not his size. Benitez tried to get through, and launched a body attack. But Hearns withstood it.

In the late rounds Hearns, ahead on points, did a lot of dancing away from Benitez. Ironically, it was Hearns' defensive skills (along with his long jab-flicking) that allowed him to hold onto his lead.