leonard said himself he never missed so many shots in a fight. truly underrated. and one of the best from puerto rico. I never saw upper body movement like wilfred, combine that with footwork like willie pep, then you have a fighter who might be untouchable lol.
Billy Bobcat Jr Wilfred Benitez recieved a career decline after the second loss of his career to atg Tommy Hearns. After that fight he stopped caring about boxing was homeless and was not conditioned. I think his coach (his dad) cut ties with him around this point leading to his downfall. 😔😢😢😢
Benitez like so many others didn't dedicate himself to the sport. Nor did his Pop's nor handlers. He could have taken the super welterweight to a whole different level. Just was too good for his and everyone else's good. Still he was there and did it his way. Rock On El Radar
Benitez was a defensive wizard and history has shockingly underrated him as a fighter. He lost but he lost to Ray Leonard: the most dynamic offensive fighter of his generation. Two real champions at or near their peak. All my respect to both.
Wilfredo Benites, definitely one of my all time favorites. Fight never should've got stopped. I was heart broken to hear of his present condition. Saludos de un hermano Mexicano
If Benitez was the one to fight Duran in 1980, he would have matched up better against him than Leonard at that time. I don't know if he would have won, but he would have fought his fight.
@@pamle1 Benitez prepared for Duran better because he said in the last rounds 14 and 15 he started getting tired first. He trained better for Duran. Leonard said only 10 percent of his punches landed. Benitez was just impossible to hit. Leonard said it was a mirror image of himself.
Benitez was a brilliant fighter but Leonard's style, combined with punching power and speed gave him the edge. Benitez might have safely stayed on his feet in the final seconds if the ref didn't stop it but he lost on points for sure. Floyd Mayweather never fought this caliber of opponent (Leonard in his prime). Mayweather's father fought Leonard in his prime and was TKO'd. In fact, Mayweather would have been knocked out by Hearns for sure. Mayweather is a brilliant defensive fighter but he is indeed "delusional" for thinking he ranks up there with Ali, and it's absurd for him to think he is greater. I wouldn't even put him in a list of the top ten greats. He's only one of the greatest in his generation, and he was afraid to fight Pacquiao when he was at his best.
Mayweather wouldn't have Answers for guys taller And rangey then him Thomas Hearns woulda KOed him Hands down at Welterweight & Also Mayweather Ducked Paul Williams & Antonio Margarito who many say Would have beaten Mayweather..Mayweather went away after the Ricky Hatton Fight and returned Fighting a Lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez WHY Didn't he come back And faced one of the world Champions at the time ??
Rakeem SW Actually you're wrong. Marquez was he comeback fight after his long layoff/Retirement. Hatton was he last fight before his his retirement. He fought Hatton in '07 and Marquez in '09.
Ok true story Dundee once told me on the way to work the David Estrada Sugar Shane Mosley fight, why didn't Leonard never gave Benitez a rematch, he told me quote : we were lucky we won the first one, no way we would have excepted a rematch especially at 154lbs.Benitez was the most naturally gifted fighter but we knew he was undisciplined at times we were banking on that.
Ray Leonard beats Benitez 10 out of 10 times. Benitez could never beat Leonard. They are the same fighter except Leonard hits much harder and is much faster. Horrible matchup for Benitez.
May 1981 Wilfred Benítez Won WCB 154 pound. Over Maurice Hope. Benítez interview after fight Benítez Say want remach with Ray Leonard. June 1981 Ray Leonard won WBA 154 pound. And do not remach with Wilfred Benítez and quit WBA 154 pound.
Excellent fight. Benitez was clearly a great fighter. But, no one had Leonard's hand speed. He fought a smart fight, letting Benitez take the initiative for much of the fight. Benitez couldn't cope with Leonard out-Benitez'ing him with counterpunching and movement. Made for a slower fight, but much more interesting.
Benitez was a very tallented and gifted fighter. It is very sad that the profession he chose took a serious toll on his health later in life. Benitez who is in his late 50's is wheelchair confined and suffered a few strokes plus other health issues that possibly was caused by the beatings he took . I believe some call it The Boxer's disease.
No fool!!!! Benitez loved to party. plain and simple coke, strong drink, and broads. Get it right. That kills you. Was named El Radar for what? His ability to know what you were shooting before you and get out the way!!!!! Very very Underated
+Maxoman427 Do you know how many people end up having strokes or heart attacks later in life? Its amazing how quick people are to blame boxing for everything as if people don't break down otherwise.
Such an amazing fight, crazy to know that this guys were so young but already veterans in style. According to rumours Benitez only trained a month for this fight and he was dating Leonard's sister... not sure if it was true but it was well known that Benitez had a very poor work ethic. His defense was amazing and if he would had trained I believe the fight could had been much closer but I think Leonard still would've gotten the win. A rematch for sure but thats how boxing works. Boxers nowadays should look at this and be ashamed in how they duck fighters and their styles are so much similar and they have no charisma. For God's sake their "staredown" was more exciting then any fight I have seen in the past 10. years.
i feel like the only way to make fights actually happen nowadays is to just have one sanctioning body. My great grandpa always told me that in the days of Joe Louis, he'd fight the top 3 contenders every year. Bring that back and you don't have loudmouths like (insert modern fighter idc honestly) saying they're the best when they haven't fought anyone.
@@Quellebreo373 Unfortunately too many hands are involved in Boxing to have 1 sanctioned body but you are right. That could change the way boxing is now.
En el minuto 8:51 de este vídeo al finalizar el primer round fue cortado cuando Leonard y Benítez se miran fijamente aproximadamente como 10 segundos eso mismo quiso Thomas Hearns en su primera pelea con Leonard y Leonard inteligentemente lo esquivó con mucha sicología para finalmente derrotarlo en el round 14 por K.O técnico.
I remember watching this fight on a Friday night on ABC on the TV in my parents bedroom. It was kind of a fluke that I found it, but it made me a huge Sugar Ray Leonard fan for the next 8 years... this fight basically set up a decade of exciting boxing in the lower weight classes
Boxing referees sometimes see things in a boxer's eyes that we as spectators cannot see. The ref's job is to protect a fighter that is hurt and in danger of serious injury or even death. Padillo saw something about Benitez that caused him to step in and protect him. Did his job.
138-128 Leonard before stoppage. Sugar outlands him in almost every round...with way more pop. ..head and body..His left was very impressive..hooking and jabbing.Never fell for traps on ropes. Ray had great move where he d roll his shoulder pinning wilfred s right hand, then snapped hooks and double hooks over top....damn smart tactic!
Benitez the youngest boxer in history to win a world championship take that u Puertorican haters, per capita we have the most champs in the history of this sport!!!!!!!!
The fact that there even IS a rivalry between a country as big as Mexico and a place as small as Puerto Rico is purely sad for Mexico. The fact that they're not 100% dominating with such a huge advantage really says a lot.
+Buddy Boy12 well there's barely any rivalry at all now with Puerto Rico now only having just ONE legit champion in rocky martinez but he'll lose that belt soon enough
What a great fighter Benitez was. Turns pro at 14. Beats Antonio Cervantes at 17, to win the junior welterweight title. Beats Carlos Palomino at 20 to win the Welterweight title. Beats Maurice Hope at 22 to win the junior middleweight title. Youngest ever 3 time champion. Over the hill by 25. Broke and found wandering in Argentina at 32, suffering from pugilista dementia. His care is provided by the government of Puerto Rico. Boxing is a brutal sport, it cares not how great you were. Some fighters make it out ok. Some fighters are forever damaged.
So sad to hear that boxing needs to be like the NFL NBA NHL and gives these athletes pensions health care. Boxing sucks the life and money out of their fighters then gives them nothing when they retire. Yo man it's sad I hate it...
The difference in this fight was power. Leonard landed the more punishing shots and hurt Benitez on several occasions and even knocked him down with a jab. Benitez landed but he couldn't hurt Leonard.
Benítez en ocasiones (15 segundos para el final)no le puedes esperar en un rincón, o te alejas y esquivas o amarras,Benites regaló la pelea en los últimos segundos.
Leonard was a p4p great.He fought p4p greats,what p4p great did Mayflower fight.Leonards fights were also exciting,you actually do not fall asleep watching him.Leonard in his prime would have giving Floyd a ass wooping like he did his daddy.
Carrot teeman What are you talking about? Most of the SRL fights where againts rivals that already has passed their prime many years ago and were getting old, in fact he decides to fight againts Duran because Duran already has passed his prime. Duran fought againts rivals of firths level his whole carrier. Shame that Leonard couldn´t say the same!
Pedro Hereira Give me one big named fighter at lw that Duran fought besides De jesus who Duran lost too in their 1st fight.Leonard 1st fought Duran,Duran was 29 years old,hardly past his prime.In Durans first 14 fights at ww & up he was 8 wins & 6 losses,hardly great numbers.Leonard was 25 when he first met one of the worlds most dangerous & undefeated boxers in Hearns & he was 22 hardly past his prime.Benntiz was 24 & Hagler was 32 when he fought Leonard & Ray was 30.Duran was A very good lw but he never really tested himself against top level lw like Pryor or A.Arguello.De jesus was a good lw but no where near the class or punching power of an Arguello.Duran was hyped up as a great lw champion when in fact he was just a very good lw champion.Leonard was the first boxer to win title belts in 5 different weight divisions & at a time when there was only 2 belts for each weight divisions not like 5-6 today.
Carrot teeman Duran is probably the greatest LW of all time although historians often say Benny Leonard. Regardless, Duran never fought Arguello as they were seperate weight classes; as he got older Duran struggled to make the weight for LW and Arguello started as a feather weight. Duran's last fight as a LW was in 1979, Arguello was still fighting as a super featherweight through 1980 so how can you blame Duran for not fighting him?
Kato robinson Duran was fighting as a lw in 1979 & Arguello was fighting at 130 in 1978 & said he would move up to lw (135) if Duran gave him a shot at his lw title belt which he never did.It would have been a great fight unfortunatley it never panned out.I would have liked to see Duran up against stiffer competition.Chavez only fought 3 fights as a lw but 2 of those fights were against dangerous punchers & Chavez stopped both of them.
I'm a white guy from Kansas. I like Mayweather because he is a defensive wizard and if you look at his power punch accuracy he is second to none. Nice try, calling me a racist, only black people like Mayweather? Who is the racist here?
Dude he retired came back, Hagler was his first fight in five years and he owned his ass. Five years off and beat someone like Hagler you have to be one of the greatest to do that.
Dude he was named boxer of the decade in the 80s. So could he have done more, maybe, but he made Duran quit in the 2nd fight,NO MAS, he did not owe him anything.
Stop! The reason Floyd has a master defense is he only throws 2 punches at a time he never punches in with combos, and he gets away with it because the fighters today suck. And that's why he cant knock anybody out great fighters throw 5-6 punch combos to the body and head mayflower in the 60`s,70`s,and 80`s is every top ten fighters bitch just like his daddy was.
I don't know how Leonard didn't break his hands often with that overhand right. Nothing more likely to break your hands than hitting someone on the top of the head.
Leonard was great but Hagler was better no doubt. As a middleweight he decimated the devision like Tyson did the heavyweights. Holyfield beat Tyson, Ali beat Foreman, Ray got a dodgy decision against Hagler and talks about it like he got a knockout. Hagler the best.
he won the early rounds and leonard won the end rounds after Hearns punched himself out. All haters can point to a fight and say someone got robbed doesn't make it so.
Howard Cossell is really overselling anything Benitez does in this fight. Saying Benitez had Leonard in trouble in the 9th rd? Lol. Leonard stunned Benitez at least 10 times throughout the fight, Benitez never stunned Leonard once with his weak sauce pitty pat punches. Leonard won pretty much every round. This fight was actually closer to a one sided beat down than a super close fight.
Leonard deserved the victory but not the TKO. That was a bullshit stoppage by the referee. If the fight had gone to the scorecards, I believe Leonard would have won by unanimous decision. That's the way the fight SHOULD be remembered; Leonard by UD, not a bullshit TKO.
6:57 Ray way short with a sloppy right, that he had a habit of throwing often. Another right thrown with the elbow out and not straight enough from Ray at 7:20. Ray wild here misses another right at 7:27.
People quick to talk shit about Floyd Jr. Man please. U can't compare eras but Floyd is equal or better than all these fighters. Especially at 130-140. Floyd power and defense was unmatched. Hate all u want.
Still not sure about Leonard evading right hands. would Robinson have caught Leonard with more right hands? Leonard was protecting himself more in this fight from rights after he threw jabs, had right hand up to parry.
Dude you act like Hagler was washed up. Watch the fight on youtube, it was billed as the super fight. Nobody gave Sugar Ray a shot, it was one one of the most memorable performances in Boxing history. If you don't give credit to Leonard for the Hagler fight, then I'm sorry you don't understand boxing.
Ronaldo Morales Estupendo! Eso significa que un Mano e Piedra Duran con quien acepta pelear porque Duran ya había pasado su mejor época, le sacó la rechucha al mejor Leonard de toda su carrera, el resto es pura habladera de paja!
You did not understand the Benitez style. His energy was high, he just did not outwardly show it. He could not have been as great as he was if his 'energy' was low. Everyone does not have to act maniacal like a Roberto Duran did to show high energy.
His energy in THIS fight was low!he looks lazy and listless!compare it to the high energy and intensity of Leonard here,which is why Benitez lost his title
You guys have lost your mind boxing today is a joke 5 champios per division 32 division give me a break Mayflower in the 60,70 ,80 would have been every top ten fighters bitch just like his daddy was. As for leonard vs maylower it don't last 8 rounds Ray to big to strong to fast and hits way to hard mayflower. mayflower has not beat anybody leonard beat 5 hall of famers.
Leonard was 5-1-1 against what boxing experts consider the top fighters of the 80s. Benitez, Hearns, Hagler and Duran. So you are right he sucks and runs from everybody. So who doesn't understand boxing.
