I think being pounded by Duran, Hearns and Leonard (win or lose) is going to take it out of anyone. Tragically his courage and willingness to fight the very best caused his current condition.
Many contributing factors on Wilfred. 1) He was not an overly bright individual. 2) Wilfred always had issues with 'abnormal behavior'. 3) He would disappear for months at a time. 4) Though there were no direct ties to drug use for Wilfred, his older brother Frankie got heavily involved into drugs in 1979 and 1980. 5) Wilfred was using prescription medication (Methylphenidate) as early as 1974, for behavioral issues. 'The Wunderkind' (1981) This content is protected
Duran barely touched him and both leonard & Tommy beat him cuz they were better & faster than him Those are the ONLY reasons for him losing In the Hamsho fight, Mustafa was way too much man for a cutie like Benitez. and Davey Moore wouldve still kicked his ass even if not for the broken ankle
Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton 'cut' Wilfred loose after his 'non-performance' versus Mustapha Hamsho in July 1983. 'Papa Benitez' took over again, and that's all she wrote.
Lots of studies coming out now about the negative effects of blows on the developing brains of young kids, teenagers, etc in sports. "Hits" in Youth football and youth boxing are being phased back.....even a class action suit by ex-players against the NFL re: concussions is evolving to a big legal showdown.
Wilfred started boxing at age 7, in 1966. He was entered in the Puerto Rican 'Juniors'. Through 1974 (9-years of amateur competition) Wilfred had accumulated approximately 145-bouts, not including sparring sessions with his older brother Frankie, Samuel Serrano, Esteban De Jesus and Angel Espada. This did not include the 'smoker bouts' that his father Gregorio had put Wilfred in over in St. Maarten in 1973. This all before he turned professional in November 1973, at age 15.
I actually bet $500 on Wilfred against Duran and, at the final bell, was convinced of a victory/payoff; however one judge scored it only 143-142 Wilfred?? What was he smoking? As to Leonard & Hearns? Your comment seems to put Benitez tiers below those two...bulls**t!. If he was it was only because of his career laziness (his dad left Vegas and flew back to PR a week before the Leonard scrap because he just wouldn't train properly.) Hearns? A UD for Tommy...again, the lazy, undertrained Wilfred didn't bring his A-game to the table. I watched the fight live. NO WAY Hearns had ANY chance of stopping him! Yet just another example of an ATG talent pissing away his skillful advanteges due to his head demons.
Rumors had it Wilfred was laying pipe on SRL's sister pre-fight......why would he want to mess up a good thing by putting a whuppin' on Ray????