Proudly Presenting 18 Wilfred Benitez
Fights on Boxing Dvd
Name: Wilfred Benitez
Alias: El Radar / Bible of Boxing
Birth Name: Wilfred Benitez
Born: 1958-09-12
Birthplace: Bronx, New York, USA
Nationality: Puerto Rican
Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Boxing Record: Won: 53 Boxing Fights; Lost:
8 Boxing Fights; Drawn: 1; KO: 31 Knockouts; KO%: 50
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5′ 10″ / 178cm
Reach: 70″ / 178cm
History of Wilfred Benitez Boxing Career
Benitez, a young prodigy who was managed by his father Gregorio
Benitez, was a member of one of Puerto Rico's most famous boxing
families, his brothers Frankie Benitez and Gregory Benitez also being
top notch contenders in the decade of the 1970s. The Benitez troop was
also commandereed by their mother, Clara Benitez. He was nicknamed The
Radar.
During the early stages of his professional career, Benitez often
traveled to the Virgin Islands and New York, (where he was born), for
fights. He divided his fights between those locations and Puerto Rico.
The proximity of those two locations to Puerto Rico helped him start to
become a household name in the island while building an international
following at the same time. His stunning speed, combined with punching
power and incredible ring maturity for a 15 year old, took the boxing
world by storm.
Benitez kept on winning, and in 1976, he lured the far more
experienced, 2 time world champion and now member of the hall of fame
Antonio Kid Pambele Cervantes of Colombia to San Juan's Hiram Bithorn
stadium, to defend his world Jr Welterweight championship. Benitez
stunned the world by beating Cervantes. Wilfredo won a 15 round
unanimous decision, becoming the youngest boxing world champion in
history, at the tender age of 17.
Benitez retained this championship 3 times, and then the lure of a
Million Dollar fight with a certain 1976 Olympic champion named Sugar
Ray Leonard made him move up to Welterweight. He and world champion
Carlos Palomino, who hailed from Mexico but lived in Los Angeles,
signed up for a title fight, which again was fought in San Juan, under
the auspices of Goya Rice and Bacardi. It was another tough fight, but
Benitez won a 15 rounds decision to become world champion for the
second time. After a defense against Harold Weston Jr, which ended in a
Benitez unanimous decision win, Benitez and Leonard signed for a fight
in Las Vegas in November, 1979. It was a brilliant exhibition of
scientific boxing by both, but Benitez unsuccessfully tried overcoming
a 3rd round knockdown and a cut which was opened on his forehead by a
headbutt in round 6, and the fight came to an end when the referee
stopped the fight with 6 seconds left in round 15.
After that loss, Benitez moved up in weight, and in May 23,1981 he
became the youngest 3 time world champion in boxing history, by
knocking out world Jr. Middleweight champion Maurice Hope of Trinidad
& Tobago, in 12 rounds in Las Vegas. This one was a frightening
knockout, a devastating left hook to the face and Hope had to be
hospitalized briefly after the fight. The knockout was named one of the
knockouts of the year.
Benitez's career went downwards after that night with Hearns, and so
did his lifestyle. In 1984 , he tried a comeback under the hand of
Yamil Chade but this proved to be unsuccessful. In 1987, with his
health clearly declining already, he went to Buenos Aires, Argentina to
fight Middleweight Carlos Herrera. Benitez was stopped in 7. But that
wasn't the worst part of the trip. He got his money for that fight
stolen by the promoter, along with his documents and passport, and was
stranded in Argentina for 1 year. After much government huddle and
talks, he was finally able to fly back home to Puerto Rico in 1988. One
of the most touching moments in his life came when, upon leaving the
airplane that brought him back, he handed his 7 year old daughter an
Argentine toy doll he had bought for her before his fight there, and
told her he hadn't forgotten her one single day during his time there.
2 years later he moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he tried another
comeback under the tutelage of Emanuel Steward, the famous Kronk
trainer. This also proved unsuccessful and he moved back to Puerto
Rico, where he is now living with his mother Clara, on a 200 dollar a
month pension provided by the WBC.
Benitez is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame since 1996.
ALL DVDS COME WITH
MOTION MENUS AND CHAPTERED ROUNDS AND ARE SHIPPED WITHIN 24-48 HOURS
GUARANTEED!!!
QUALITY 8.5 - 10.0
Disc 1
Benitez vs. Dennis
Benitez vs. Curry
Benitez vs. Shields
Disc 2
Benitez vs. Hearns
Benitez vs. Leonard
Disc 3
Benitez vs. Weston
Disc 4
Benitez vs. Turner
Benitez vs. Chiaverini
Disc 5
Benitez vs. Lewis
Benitez vs. Cerda
Disc 6
Benitez vs. Hilton
Benitez vs. Hamsho
Disc 7
Benitez vs. Ranzany
Benitez vs. Santon
Benitez vs. Moore
Disc 8
Benitez vs. Palomino
Benitez vs. Cervantes
Disc 9
Benitez vs. Duran
Benitez vs. Hope
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