Benitez father used to put him and his brother in the ring with Esteban DeJesus when they were kids. It probably contributed to his boxing skills and early dimentia. Angelo Dundee once said he was the best technical boxer he ever saw. And I can't argue with him.
Benitez was never allowed to be a normal teenager - won the 140lbs title when he was just 17 - that came back to haunt him later when he partied more & more, seemingly to make up for his misspent youth. No way should he have burned out by the time he had reached 25, because he simply didn't get hit that much His career is a warning to others - drinking & drugs don't mix with boxing.
@@kufujitsu A ton of partying, undisciplined training, bad management, getting hit in the head by pros since 15 years old on a not fully developed brain. He shouldve had a longer amateur career and turned pro at 21 . Maybe then a different lifr.
@@boxcarent.3147 If the frog had a tail than it would be a lizard. But maybe. It was how it was, we all choose our way and must learn on misses of the others too
Soy mexicano y todos sabemos que tenemos excelentes boxeadores pero mis respetos para puerto rico que también a lo largo de su historia los tiene y el radar Benítez fue uno de ellos saludos hermanos puerto riqueños
🙂Gracias cuate, tu observacion correcta y generosa se reciproca. Desde SanJuan Puerto Rico, te saludo y digo: VIVA Mexico Lindo!! VIVA Borinquen Bella!!✌️
Another Fighter who partied his way too oblivion. Wouldn't stop partying, wasn't training until the last minute and after a while it catches you when it's long past a habit. Truly 1 of the best I've ever witnessed on TV 'Wilfredo 'El Radar' Benitez'!!!!!!!!
Backing to the ropes and then masterfully slipping dozens of blows while your opponent exhausts himself trying to knock your head off - that is actually a pretty good plan, and it won him some fights.Also, some fighters can look in shape, but not actually be in good shape. A classic example was Mike Tyson v. Buster Douglas.
@@celestinoguerra9795 it's true.... benitez had a lot of fights up to the leonard fight, he started very young, yet he still beat Duran, who won on point to leonard then quit in the 2nd fight with leonard...
All martial artists know that the smaller the fist the greater the damage to the opponent. So if you were thinking to the contrary now you know. That's why martial artists train to punch with two knuckles only. Other martial artists use all of their five knuckles but only after working the bone to protrude them, again, making five small impact points, never bigger.
Fight was a lot closer than this biased commentary's call. But a better fight than I remembered when I seen live. Cheers to both. Excellent hall of fame fighters.
Larry Merchant after the 14th, "This may be the last round we ever see Duran fight." This was the 77th of Duran's 119 official bouts in an extraordinary career that stretched on for another 20 years.
And most of those fights were at middleweight or higher! Duran was best at lightweight - top 5 all time - but his durability and ring savvy in the second half of his career were second to none.
Muchos boxeadores no le gusta estar en LA esquina delas cuerdas y ahi es que benitez Era Bueno, El radar benitez orgullo boricua ,Dios lo bendiga siempre
Benitez was one of the most elite defensive boxers in history so this fight was nothing for Duran to be ashamed of. Duran was great but his attitude stunk at times. Like at the end of this fight when Benitez stayed in the corner and fought face to face and was not running, but Duran still showed poor sportsmanship after the final bell.
spanish rampage Do you realize how you sound? You believe a fighter should change the style of his fight so that it benefits the other fighter. That would be a foolish thing to do in boxing as well as other types of fighting in life in general. It's adolescent thinking. Being macho does not equate to being good, as in Duran's case. Benitez plain out boxed and out maneuvered poor Duran and made him look very awkward. Duran was so mad because he was made to look ineffective, which he was. It was embarrassing. Benetiz broke Duran down mentally and outscored him. Duran was childish and unsportsmanlike. Very immature. Whereas Benitez showed good sportsmanship in fights where he was beaten and lost.
spanish rampage Stop making excuses and talking around the truth. Duran got embarrassed by Benitez and Ray Leonard when they refused to fight his childish macho fight. There are plenty of fans who loved watching fighters like Benitez. You talk as if everyone only likes a macho man like Duran. That's nonsense. I loved watching Duran fight (devastating in fighter), as well as Thomas Hearns, as well as Sweet Pea Whitaker, and all the great defensive fighters. I appreciate all the fighting styles. However, you're thinking is limited and narrow and based on your own limited culture. Hispanic fighters and fans think one track minded. Sadly, that culture caused some potentially great defensive fighters (hispanic) to never reach their potential. They all had to macho it out to please people like you, or they were considered pussies. Benitez fought Tommy Hearns to the final round and even pursued him aggressively in desperation towards the end of the fight to try and score past his long reach and height advantage. Whereas Hearns obliterated Duran and knocked him out cold on his face. He fell like a tree. Duran should have not come out for round three after being stunned so badly. Duran's macho foolishness could have gotten him killed against Hearns. Benitez starting fighting at a young age and fell early due to brain damage. Duran fought long years and was lucky. Not all fighters are as lucky as Duran. He still lost embarrassingly to Benitez and no one can reverse that fact. It's history my friend.
spanish rampage Ha ha. Duran was mad and hostile at Benitez because he got embarrassed when he was swinging and missing up close. He wasn't used to being made to look ridiculous like that. And Benitez would not stand there and give him a target. I felt a little embarrassed for Duran myself :-(. A great fighter made to look ineffective. "Fight of the Year" does not make a fighter great or give them a title ... ha ha. You are full of joke coments sir. Benitez bleeding nose against Duran did not change the outcome .... LoL. Duran LOST and got shamed. The damage done was to Duran's record and his legacy, but Benitez bloody nose was only a temporary annoyance. You seem to be taking Duran's loss pretty hard there hero. Don't let it make you ill.
I like that look of Duran in that ring Classic movie star looks and the Dude can Box and hit like the devil oh the good old days Great fighters come around once in a great while So happy to have seen Duran fight
Benitez was probably one of the more underrated boxers from the mid 70s to the early 80s. It's a shame that he didn't train as much once he reached the tender age of 20. I would've loved to have seen Benitez compete at Middleweight with the focus of the Benitez who beat Cervantes and Palomino.
@@defensor14¡Deja de usar drogas, hacen mucho daño! Benítez a su corta edad de 17 años, bailó en círculos alrededor del veterano Colombiano, Kid Pambelé. Le dió una cátedra de boxeo. ¡No sabes un carajo de boxeo! Aquí te dejé el enlace para que veas la pelea completa. Usa anteojos esta vez y no fumes crack antes de verla.
WILFREDO BENITEZ,FUE UN CAMPEON MUNDIAL,UN BOXEADOR QUE PELIABA LINDO,BELLO,Y BONITO CON MUCHA DICIPLINA,UN EJEMPLO PARA NUESTROS BOXEADORES BORICUAS Y LATINOS...W.BENITEZ SIEMPRE TE RECORDAREMOS!!!QUE VIVA PUERTO RICO Y W.BENITEZ........
Benitez fue un payaso en frente de Duran. No le gano a nadie de importancia cuando estuvo en su mas tiempo. No tenia pegada ni tampoco much aguante. Buen boxeador? Cierto, fue un muy bien boxeador. Pero no un verdadero campeon con uevo porque no tuvo el con que serlo.
hank williams Tienes toda la razon y la mejor prueba de eso es que Benitez nunca se atrevio a enfrentar a Duran cuando estaba en su edad de 24 -29 años porque Duran lo hubiese hecho pedazos.
@@globulorojo9532 Ya deben de bajar a duran de los cuatro fantásticos y poner a Benítez quieran O no pero Benítez selo a ganado a pulso y la pura neta duran es mi ídolo pero que escuela de boxeo le dio Benítez ni modo
Saludos ,tienes razon en lo que dices pero dentro del contexto del momento en que se dio la pelea ,recuerda que Wilfredo era 6 años mas joven.Pero en realidad tu crees que se hubiera ganado a Duran en sus 25 años,Imposible¡
Benitez is one the most underrated fighters of all time his win against prime duran is never mentioned hes is the youngest champion to ever live at age 17 where he outpointed hofer Cervantes and had a record of 28-0 before he turned 18 being a champ and also beat HOFer Palonino, his defensive abilities were amazing he would stand right in front of you and still make you miss
This was no prime Duran dumny. This wasnt even Duran weight class. Dont try to make this benitez win bigger. It wasnt even a clear win. Just kept Duran off distance but never dominated or put the older Duran down. You are a big mouth.
Duran was never more than a welterweight. Its amazing how he fought at light middle and middle for so long with so much success. If he laid off the banquet table - he was a welter at most.
Wilfred's greatest performance IMO. Duran's counterpunching and infighting abilities were somewhat nullified by Benitez. As you know, Duran was very skilled, not just offensively but defensively. Not only did he have great infighting skill, he excelled at the middle range and could box very very well. That Duran lost.
Duran was a much better match for Benitez than Hearns or Leonard. Benitez struggled with Leonard's handspeed and the fact that Leonard wouldn't come to him and made Benitez be the aggressor - Leonard was content to sit back and potshot Benitez. And Hearns' length (and speed) were also real obstacles for Benitez - as they were for pretty much everyone. Benitez could make Hearns miss but even then, Hearns was too far away to counter properly. The way to beat those guys was to get right into their chests, which wasn't Benitez's forte.
@soft76cider - I think Duran has been way overrated from what I've seen. He's more of a brawler, clinch type boxer. He's not in the same league as Ray Leonard, or Benitez . Duran does not have the hand speed, or body rhythm as a skilled boxer, in my opinion.
@@grantp4022 I swear you are upvoting yourself through alternate accounts. That's what all the kids new to boxing do to validate their shitty opinions.
@@grantp4022he actually has good head movement and dodges,he sometimes just lacks against these outboxers,sure he can outbox,but their speed...bad...bad...
When Boxing Was Boxing. No Other Boxing Era Can Match. Great Champions Great Fights On Paper That Delivered Very Rare Knowadays. Good Upload God bless Peace
No,his prime was kind of years earlier,his young success means that in his so called "prime years" he's kinda screwed up,on 17 your brain is still developing yet he already fought in championship rounds.
The weight cut that fight was horrific, all Durans weight cuts were seemingly pretty agonizing for him but in this fight he didnt look like himself, not taking away from Benitez though hes one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time
Benitez is truly an all time great. He was so talented that instead of training properly he got by on his ability and eventually that would catch up with him. He was a three division champ, when it actually meant something and the his record for winning a world at age 17 is not likely to broken.
Surprisingly, Benitez was still only 23 years of age here, & yet this was his last great performance - he lost a decision to Thomas Hearns immediately after this; no disgrace there, but his record after the Hearns fight represents one of the most dramatics falls from greatness in the history of the sport. Watching Benizez here, he looked capable of beating anybody - the multiple losses after this fight took everybody by surprise.
And his hand speed was right up there with SRL. HE moved up a weight too high and his training habits just weren't there anymore. Natural ability will only take U so far with out dedication in any sport!
@@Jumpman90Never the same? This man went on to beat Iran Barkley, Davie Moore, 15 rds with Hagler and went on to fight up to the 2000s. Stop bro, the Greatest Latino fighter ever.
@@roldangonzalez7360 Benitez was younger than Duran. Duran won 2 championships after this fight. If Benitez was past his prime too, then El Radar was getting hit more often than his nickname suggests. More evidence of this is how both them fared physically after their careers. Perhaps Duran was the real 'El Radar.'
@@buckchile614 Duran got his ass whooped in 1 and a 1/2 rounds by Tommy Hearns, knocked out cold by one punch. Benitez went 15 rounds with Hearns and lost by decision to Hearns. He laid on the ropes and Hearns could not touch him. Benitez was given the “Radar” name when he was in his younger years coming up the rankings. Benitez started boxing at age 15 and became the youngest World Champion of ALL TIME at the age of 17. His down fall were women, , the drugs, the disco techs and he would train on average 3 weeks before a fight. Benitez was smooth as silk with so much natural abilities. His father Gregorio would put Benitez at 5 years old in street fights for money against older boys, which is nothing but child abuse. He did this through out Wilfred’s childhood. Children are not meant to withstand that type of abuse. They’re not fully developed physically or mentally to put them through that kind of hell. His father should have been put in prison for endangering the life of a child. There is so much to his life story that’s heartbreaking. When he fought Duran after the final bell Benitez went to hug and shake Duran’s hand and Duran like the p#ssy that he is refused to shake Wilfred’s hand or acknowledge that it was a good fight. Duran did the same thing to Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard. Wilfred is in horrible condition today and to me it was all that SOB father of his who caused his illness.
Science of pugilism: To hit your opponent as often as possible, while avoiding being hit by said opponent. When Benitez was at his best, he embodied this sentiment!!!
Excelente pelea, ambos boxeadores , Durán era su primera pelea en 154 en su carrera. Leí el libro de Yo Soy Durán, y Durán reconoce que esta pelea la perdió contra un boxeador que esa noche estaba más joven y mas fuerte. El Radar Benitez tenía 23 años, Durán 31. Benitez fue campeón desde muy joven , el mas joven de la historia.
@@rafaelramirez1507 La pelea fue en las 154 libras donde Duran no había peleado y la diferencia fue de UN punto, Duran salió aplaudido por la afición esa noche, Benitez ganó una pelea muy cerrada.
@@Rundm3p no ... Esa pelia la Gano Benitez por unanimous decision 145 -141 Benitez , 144 - 141 Benitez , y 142 - 141 Benitez pero yo y las otras personas que estaba en en Ceasars Palace ese dia viendo la pelea estuvemos muy soprendido porque en velda Benitez le gano por Mucha mas , eso judges son meirda 👎
+spanish rampage He got hit by right hands, he was harder to be hit with the right. Do you remember him going 15 full rounds with Hearns whose big gun was his right hand. Hamsho was a southpaw.
Bruce@@wmadorobruce curry lo vencio tambien lo tumbo varias veces y lo puso mal contra las cuerdas le quitaron el llegar a ser campeon mundial campeon sin corona. Con 13 peleas
Skill and intensity shown by these legends in this boxing match. Benitez was so good here, this was a case of how good Benitez was in the ring on this day to beat Duran, who would have beaten so many people on this night just a tough style for him to beat.
Another thing I noticed is Duran is trying to box with Benitez. He should have just attacked Benitez relentlessly. At least he'd have had a puncher's chance if he tried that style. He was never going to outbox Benitez.
@@Anthony-Testicali ummm ... 🤔 ... nope .... Hagler and Hearns had Duran on the outside .... gotta love Hagler , everytime Duran connected, Hagler connected three times ... I got lucky I saw the fight in person with my uncle at Ceasars Palace
This is why a lot of folks didn't like Duran. Incredibly good fighter, fast as hell, great movement... but he had to act like a punk all the time. Too bad.
Estupenda pelea de parte de Benites, le tomo el tiempo o timing a duran durante toda la pelea y le saco partido a esa ventaja, mientras Durán intentaba sincronizar para imponer su pegada, pero el hábil y escurridizo Benítez lo neutralizó con su memorable defensa y contra ataque preciso, toda una cátedra de Boxeo de Alto nivel
Duran had over trained. He made the weight too soon. However Wilfred was a fantastic fighter. If they had both taken training seriously they would have been greater fighters. That division then with these two & Leonard & Hearns has to be the best boxing ever had!
@@ramirosuarez4141 - I think Duran has been way overrated from what I've seen. He's more of a brawler, clinch type boxer. He's not in the same league as Ray Leonard, or Benitez . Duran does not have the hand speed, or body rhythm as a skilled boxer, in my opinion.
Underrated technical fight. Duran was in pretty good shape, too. Probably the best he’d ever come in over Welterweight outside of Moore. Benitez was just bigger and better at the weight. Younger, too. I thought Duran fought well, though. It wasn’t the schooling a lot of people make it out to be. Benitez was just the better man.
@@Robert-qm5soidk. I don't think he schooled Duran. Duran never looked a step far behind. Benetiz imo just won a good decision over Duran. A schooling imo is a beat down. Duran was actually the one who hurt Benetiz clearly 2 or 3 times in the entire fight and Duran himself was never
@@sergioflores9246 no , he schooled him , Duran was completely confused and embarrassed , he didn't even want to shake hands with Benitez , bad sportsmanlike by Duran , shame on him
@@sergioflores9246 no No ,the majority of the times , when Duran wins ,he wants to wrap his arms around you and congratulate you on how good you fought , but when he loses he is a sour loser , don't want to shake hands and acknowledge that he lost fair and square , the majority of the time he always has some lame excuse , Duran had bad sportsmanship , it was during his later years when he got older , he got wiser and became a likable loser or winner for that matter
Un Durán bien preparado era difícil de derrotarlo,pero las parrandas y el poco entrenaminto le costaron muchas victorias ya todos sabemos el triste final de Benítez
@@wilfredosantana9199 Duran después de la primera pelea con Leonard se dedico a divertirse, ya no entrenaba como antes, fue un grande pero en esta pelea se le ve mal preparado producto de las parrandas
Porque no escribes el nombre de mi pais como es? Puerto Rico, no seas racista, bastante se quejan de trump y ustedes son peores, ademas Puerto Rico es diminuto y es logico que tu pais produsca mas campeones pero en la rivalidad Puerto Rico va alante busca los numeros, payaso racista.
Rocky Vasquez lmao...I love when Mexicans say they produce more champions than Puerto Rico..duh!!! Ur comparing a huge freaking country with a little island that it takes 4 hours to get from one side to the other.... No shit...u produce more... But can u imagine if Puerto Rico was as big as ur country!!!!. Then we will b able to compare.... Respect to Puerto Rico....for being such a little island and having so many great champions... Think before u say something tht doesn't really make sense.
Yep I hear you brother the 80s were awesome I remember boxing was almost every Saturday I am 68 years old now and I would never never ever forget the good old days I miss those days boxing was so great and the boxes
GRAN BOXEADOR WILFREDO BENITEZ...FELICITACIONES PUERTO RICO PARA HABER TENDIDO UN BOXEADOR DE ESA CATEGORIA...SALUDOS DESDE COLOMBIA...LE GANO BIEN A PAMBELE....LASTIMA QUE NO FUE TAN DISCIPLINADO..QUE CONDICIONES TENIA....MUY BUEN BOXEADOR
Duran was outta shape and that's on him...but Duran is a better fighter no question ! Duran ate and partied like a madman...promoters would give him big paydays but like 6 weeks to get himself ready. Duran's fault but Roberto was better than most of them. Outta shape against Hearns too.
sniper squat Duran is one of the greatest fighters in history, but he was lazy and loved to party. Go watch him dismantle Iran Barkley...and Duran was how old at the time ?
i agree, very poor sportsmanship with the not shaking hands after a fight, treating leonard and is wife the he did and bascically just being a sore loser and a plain ole asshole
Roberto mano de piedra ,gran boxeador ,,quedaste en la historia como un gran peleador yo diria como un HEROE,del boxeo,,,nos diste grandes emociones dios te bendiga ,,venezuela,,,,
What ever way you go, Duran was schooled in this fight. There are no excuses when you are schooled and easily beaten. I've seen Duran live many times, including his 1st loss to Esteban de Jesus.And I was there when he was on fire against the great SRL. Guys like Duran come from the Dempsey school of killer instinct but they also have amazing skills that many over look. Tyson is another guy from that school. In his PRIME at 135 lbs he is up there with B.Leonard, Sweet Pea, Julio Caesar Chavez. I'd also say he is at 140 lbs a fighter that would be at the top of that division also, although he was only there a short time. At 147lbs he does not rate with the greats at the top of that division. Sugar Ray Robinson was by FAAAAR the greatest of the WELTERS,with Ray Leonard at the 1A spot, and apart from THE BEAST HAGLER was also at the top of the 160lb boys, it's either Sugar or Hagler, for supremacy of the 160lbers. Duran had many lives along the way, but the hands of stone still fascinates us because his intensity and his incredible style when he was Prime can never be duplicated again. Imagine a Chavez vs. Duran PRIME fight???? Talk about a war!!!!!
Duran was fighting 3 weight divisions up from his youthful prime ....Duran as a lightweight world champion ....making 14 title defences was a awesome fighting machine .....he bypassed junior welter ...won the welterweight crown at age 29 against sugar ray and here he is 31 yrs old and weighing 11stone ....not the 9 & 1/2 stones of his lightweight prime .......pound for pound the greatest fighter ever !!
nobby roberts I get what you are saying about Duran's versatility. It is amazing. I agree. But the fact remains that he chose to change weight classes - it was his choice. In doing so, he lost to Leonard twice, Hagler, Hearns and Benitez. He LOST to them. You can't call someone the greatest pound for pound fighter ever when he loses 5 times to other legendary fighters. He wasn't past his prime in any of those fights. Look what he did to Iran Barkley just months before he fought Leonard for the 3rd time. He fought one of his best fights.
Dr. Anderson Excuse me, but winning again Barkley and losing to the others on the same period of time doesn't demonstrates that he was at his prime. It only stablishes him as one of the best figthers of all time even past his time. Of course, he was going to loses to other great fighters at their prime, and the fact that Duran was at least 5 - 6 y/o older than all of them just spits class. As simple as that, once an athlete pass his prime everything goes down exponentially, unlike when their are getting to their primes.
Cesar Barroso I agree. Great clarification. My point was that Duran fought a great fight against Barkley (who had beaten Hearns twice) prior to fighting Leonard in their 3rd bout. Many have argued that Leonard's domination of Duran in that 3rd fight was because Duran was way too beyond his prime. I pointed out that his solid performance against Barkley indicated that he was capable of pulling the upset and defeating Leonard. In a nutshell, I was responding to all of the comments about how Duran was better than Sugar Ray Leonard. No way.
@@dr.anderson5320todos los grandes boxeadores LxL tienen derrotas: Ali, Louis, Robinson... Durán les daba ventaja de peso, fisico y juventud a Hagler, Leonard y Hearns y los enfrentó en su mejor division y momento a ellos y jamas puso condiciones para negociar peleas. Eso se valora.
Had a brain fart, was thinking of Comacho. But his health is terrible, mostly in a wheel chair. Leonard went to see him at a retirement home and he could barely speak.
It's hard to believe only a little over a year after this, Benitez lost to Mustafa Hamsho. Styles do make fights, and hamsho was a very strong middleweight but a great fighter losing to a guy like Hamsho shouldn't happen. Benitez faded pretty fast after 1982.
Not sure why, but losing to Hearns later in the year was when Benitez started falling off. With defeats to Hamsho and Davey Moore. But at his peak Wilfred was something special.
I love Benitez but to be on the real side, Hamsho was no walk in the park , the guy can fight ... would of loved to see him fight Duran or Roldan or Duran v.s. Roldan
Wonder how Benitez would have done vs the Duran that fought Ray Leonard in Montreal. Duran had a lot of energy that night. This night, however, not so much. He looked tentative, slow & old. I actually thought it was the end for him as well but he would prove me & others wrong
Wilfredo Benitez proves that you can be a great defensive fighter w/o running like Floyd. Add to the fact that he wasn't afraid of stepping into the ring w/ monsters like Roberto Duran and Tommy Hearns. Too bad Benitez never had the motivation to train more. He truly could've been one of the greats had he had the determination.
I never seen Floyd run just Leonard. I mean if Benitiez is giving Duran that much trouble then what do you think Floyd would do ? Floyd is faster than Benitez and a way better Boxer.
@@curtismcneil8695loyd just never engages in a true fight. It's not his style. If he brawler he will lose - he doesn't have elite punching power but he is so fast in and out then he literally is the best defensive fighter- its hard to engage him. That's why he is literally the most boring champ but who gives a shit - he isnt going to change ...YOU will have to change
@@rhdtv2002 The name of the game is Boxing and Floyd takes away what you do best. Look at Arturo Gatti he came right at Floyd but had never fought anyone with Floyd’s speed. The closest would have been when he fought De La Hoya and he struggled with Oscar as well. Speed changes things and it is not just hand speed it’s upper body movements and feints.
As a Duran fan, I hate when people make excuses. If you've done it yourself, then you know a good big man always beats a good small man. Size really does matter and in cases like these, it shows. Duran, a natural lightweight lost to the BIGGER Leonard, Benitez, Laing, Hagler, Hearns and Sims. The rest don't count imo. There's no doubting he was one of the greatest fighters ever. The reason he beat bigger fighters is when they fought his fight, which is wearing them down inside, counterpunching and then turning up the heat. Duran is the GOAT because he took a risk in fighting bigger fighters and for so long. PS isn't it crazy how many times commentators said "This might be the last time we see Roberto Duran"
You woke me up as a Duran fan too,but I guess his weakness is just dudes with the style of Kirkland, Ray and Wilfred,slick dudes that is hard to hit,and even when he was done after the no mas incident and that could have affected him here and later on,naturally his style fell against good outboxers with speed I guess,he can outbox and counterpunch for good but he excels mostly at pressuring.
You woke me up as a Duran fan too,but I guess his weakness is just dudes with the style of Kirkland, Ray and Wilfred,slick dudes that is hard to hit,and even when he was done after the no mas incident and that could have affected him here and later on,naturally his style fell against good outboxers with speed I guess,he can outbox and counterpunch for good but he excels mostly at pressuring.
Wilfred Benitez was my Idol when I was growing up, and a lot of respect For Duran. It docent mater in witch weight this fight would have been Benitez would of have the same result, Duran was tailor made for Benitez counter punching.
Many here are missing the fact that Duran and Benitez were far superior fighters a lighter weights when their punching power had more effect on their opponents. That is one of the threads that run through the history of boxing, devastating punchers who moved up to weights where their punching power was negated.
Duran showed real poor sportsmanship and disrespected Wilfredo Benitez when Duran was thoroughly out boxed and loss that fight. Benitez went to shake hands and embrace Duran but Duran gave his back to Benitez and walked away. I should hope at some time Duran made amends with Benitez. This was one of Duran’s low points in his career, he showed no class what so ever. Benitez truly one of the greatest fighters of his era. You are loved and never forgotten Wilfredo 🇵🇷 you will forever be remembered as a great hero to the Puerto Rican people ✝️🙏🏻
At this point Duran was still struggling to come to terms with his humiliating loss to Leonard in their rematch. I think it took him a very long time to get his motivation and confidence to something approaching his pre no mas fight. And I don't think he was training properly either, allowing his weight to balloon, and then drastically losing weight just before the fight. And Benitez had the perfect style to frustrate and beat Duran.
