Wilfredo Benitez's Greatest Performance & Duran Overrated

Duran was in good shape for Benitez. Wilfredo was the better fighter at that time. He fought Duran at the right time.
Benitez was damn near shot just a couple of years later. At like 26-7 years old.

 

I totally agree. I have no problem with the excuse for the first Dejesus match tho and Duran came back a couple of times to right the wrong. It was a good wake up call.

Even Duran didn't really throw forward excuses for the Benitez loss. This Benitez would have beaten the Duran that beat Moore handily as well and i reckon at 154 he would have been a real decent shot of turning back the Duran of Palomino and SRL. Speed was the way to beat Duran above lightweight.

 

No, no, no! On this forum you can only be a fan of one, and must detract from opposing fighters. It's in the rules.

 

Benitez is never underrated just overlooked.

 

Which was my point in the Duran threads.. People are misinterpreting fairness and no tolerance for excuses for hate in regards to Duran, when my point was always thinking about his opponents who had a great win. If I did not think Duran was great, I would not think his opponents should get the credit at all. Benitez was very overlooked. Had Hearns not hurt his right hand and become reckless against Benitez and then Wilfred might have caught him and stopped him. Hearns was at this best when he was took his time and boxed and controlled the action with his jab. Had he not done that, Wilfred was quick and Tommy left himself open at times when he really did not have to. He gave some opponents opportunities.

 

I have said this for years but this is seen as hate. Duran had an excuse for every loss against the greats, yet somehow he was up for the fights against Moore and Barkley and in shape. The real Duran always showed up when he beat mediocre, and yet when he lost to greats he was not himself. How convienient. It is not logical to believe this sort of thing.

 

I agree with this to an extent. Duran's fans and Duran himself always had excuses for losses.

That said virtually all of his near prime losses were against great fighters themselves who happened to be much larger men. And an ex Lightweight like Duran being competitive with an ATG middleweight is almost unprecedented. Napoles couldn't do it with Monzon, De La Hoya couldn't with Hopkins and Floyd didn't dare try it with GGG.
The fact he could even go on and win a title at that weight after nigh on 100 fights against a massive middleweight who conquered a guy who destroyed him just shows the kind of quality he was.
Don't let the excuses and occasional blemish detract from what was truly a remarkable fighter.

 

It was a good showing but it was not a win no matter what, and then you take the Benitez and Hearns fights at the same time or era. Then we see how Hagler fought rather docile in that fight against Duran. And winning the title at middleweight was impressive in 1989, which also shows how 5 years before he was not a washed up fighter against Hearns. He fought another 35 times. Also, for example I think Spinks beating Holmes is much more impressive than Duran losing to Hagler by decision. The fights he did well in show that the fights he lost should not have had excuses. His best showing at that time was against Hagler? In a loss?

 

No problems.

Good to see you took the open handed post of mine in the conciliatory manner your posts concerning Duran are renowned for.

Have a good Xmas. I'm done here.

 

Thank you. You too. Have a good Xmas and New Year. I am signing off now for many hours. I stayed up too late and I have to wake in a couple of hours. Take care..

 

I think Durán threatens Sweet Pea's claim to being the #1 LW (which is false anyway). He doesn't like it.

 

YOU TOO MAN!!!! IMA SPEND IT WATCHING FRANK FLETCHER, YOU?

 

I'm not so sure he was in good condition for that fight, his manager Carlos Eleta tried to get him to retire after the Leonard fight,,," Quote,," he was not living an athlete's life, he was staying drunk, not exercising and growing fat, I told him to retire and he resented it" Arcel was talked into coming back for the Benitez fight where Duran had to drop a quick 30 pounds and then he retired again there after. He said some time later that Duran was fortunate to be able to go the distance. This fight Benitez looked his best, this however was not the best Duran and I think even his critics know it. The Benitez fight was a continuation of the lifestyle that Eleta mentioned that had ruined his career. During the fight Ray Leonard said Duran looked listless, and I agreed. This is why Wilfred probably doesn't get the credit he should, his fight with Roberto was sandwiched between the second Leonard fight and the debacle against Kirkland Lang . It didn't take a great fighter to beat him at that point.