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Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight divisions at the age of seventeen, he is best remembered as a skilled and aggressive fighter with exceptional defensive abilities, along with his fights with Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard.

Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996, he is considered among the best Puerto Rican boxers of all time, sharing the honor with Félix Trinidad, Wilfredo Gómez, Carlos Ortiz, Héctor Camacho, Edwin Rosario and Miguel Cotto.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Early history

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Benítez turned pro at 15, a young prodigy who was managed by his father Gregorio Benítez, was a member of one of Puerto Rico's boxing families. His brothers Frankie and Gregory Benítez having also been top contenders in the 1970s. The Benítez troop was largely directed by their mother, Clara Benítez. Young Wilfred was nicknamed "The Radar" for his uncanny ability to foresee and dodge his opponent's blows.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He grew up going to a neighborhood boxing gym in New York, where he learned from watching his brothers and other local, renowned fighters practice their skills.

During the early stages of his professional career, Benítez often traveled to Sint Maarten and New York City 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 speed, combined with punching power and surprising ring maturity for a 16-year-old, were enough to make him a world-ranked boxer by both the WBA and WBC, then boxing's only world-title recognizing organizations.

Professional boxing career

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On March 6, 1976, at age 17, with his high school classmates in attendance, he faced Lineal<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and WBA Light Welterweight champion Antonio Cervantes. Known as Kid Pambele, the champion was 30 years old, had a record of 74-9-3 with 35 KO's, and had made 10 title defenses. The result was a fifteen-round split decision in Benítez's favor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Benítez retained the championship three times, and then moved up to the welterweight division.

Moving up

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Benítez challenged Lineal<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and WBC World Champion Carlos Palomino in San Juan. On January 14, 1979, Benítez won a fifteen-round split decision to become a world champion in a second weight division. Referee Zach Clayton scored the fight 145-142 in Palomino's favor, but judges Jay Edson and Harry Gibbs disagreed. Edson scored the bout 146-142 for Benítez. Gibbs also scored for Benítez, 146-142. After outpointing Harold Weston Jr. in his first defense (avenging an earlier draw), Benítez fought Sugar Ray Leonard in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 30, 1979.

Fighting Sugar Ray Leonard

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Template:Main It was a scientific fight by both fighters, who demonstrated their defensive skills throughout the bout. Benítez suffered a third-round knockdown and a cut on his forehead, which was opened by an accidental head butt in round six. Leonard put Benítez down again in the fifteenth round and the referee stopped the fight with six seconds left in round fifteen. Leonard was ahead on all cards at the time of the stoppage. The scores were 137–133, 137–130 and 136–134, all for Leonard.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Moving up again

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Template:Main After that loss, Benítez again moved up in weight, and on May 23, 1981, at age 22, he became the youngest three-time world champion in boxing history by knocking out WBC World Super Welterweight Champion Maurice Hope in twelve rounds in Las Vegas. The knockout was named one of the knockouts of the year.

His next fight became a historic bout. On November 14, 1981, he fought future world champ Carlos Santos of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. It was the first world championship fight between two Puerto Ricans in boxing history. It was fought 3,000 miles away from Puerto Rico, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Benítez won a fifteen-round unanimous decision. His next defense was against Roberto Durán, whom Benítez defeated at Caesar's Palace on January 30, 1982 by a fifteen-round unanimous decision. On December 3, 1982, at the Carnival of Champions in New Orleans, Benítez lost the belt to another boxing legend, Thomas Hearns, by a fifteen-round majority decision.<ref>"International Boxing Hall of Fame". Ibhof.com (1958-09-12). Retrieved on 2017-07-14.</ref>

Career decline

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Benítez's career went downwards after the fight with Hearns, as did his lifestyle. In 1983, he lost a unanimous decision to Mustafa Hamsho. In 1984, he tried a comeback under the hand of Yamil Chade, but this proved unsuccessful as he was knocked out in the second round by Davey Moore. On November 28, 1986, with his health declining, Benítez went to Salta, Argentina to fight against middleweight Carlos Herrera. Benítez was stopped in seven rounds. But to make matters worse, his money for the fight was stolen by the promoter, along with his documents and passport, and he was stranded in Argentina for over a year. After eventually being tracked down, and after much government huddling and talks, he was finally able to fly back home to Puerto Rico in 1988.

In 1990, with his health in increasingly worse shape, Benítez moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he tried another comeback under the tutelage of Emanuel Steward, the Kronk trainer. This also proved unsuccessful, as he went 2-2 in his last four fights. His last bout took place in Winnipeg, Canada on September 18, 1990, six days after his 32nd birthday. He lost a ten-round decision against Scott Papasadora.

Professional boxing record

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Template:BoxingRecordSummary

Template:Abbr Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
62 Template:No2Loss 53–8–1 Scott Papasodora UD 10 Sep 18, 1990 Template:Small
61 Template:Yes2Win 53–7–1 Sam Wilson UD 10 Aug 24, 1990 Template:Small
60 Template:No2Loss 52–7–1 Pat Lawlor SD 10 May 23, 1990 Template:Small
59 Template:Yes2Win 52–6–1 Ariel Conde KO 7 (10), Template:Small Mar 8, 1990 Template:Small
58 Template:No2Loss 51–6–1 Carlos Herrera TKO 7 (10) Nov 28, 1986 Template:Small
57 Template:Yes2Win 51–5–1 Harry Daniels UD 10 Sep 17, 1986 Template:Small
56 Template:Yes2Win 50–5–1 Paul Whittaker UD 10 Jul 1, 1986 Template:Small
55 Template:No2Loss 49–5–1 Matthew Hilton KO 9 (10), Template:Small Feb 15, 1986 Template:Small
54 Template:Yes2Win 49–4–1 Kevin Moley UD 10 Aug 21, 1985 Template:Small
53 Template:Yes2Win 48–4–1 Danny Chapman RTD 7 (10), Template:Small Jul 6, 1985 Template:Small
52 Template:Yes2Win 47–4–1 Mauricio Bravo TKO 2 (10) Mar 30, 1985 Template:Small
51 Template:No2Loss 46–4–1 Davey Moore TKO 2 (10), Template:Small Jul 14, 1984 Template:Small
50 Template:Yes2Win 46–3–1 Stacy McSwain UD 10 Feb 11, 1984 Template:Small
49 Template:No2Loss 45–3–1 Mustafa Hamsho UD 12 Jul 16, 1983 Template:Small
48 Template:Yes2Win 45–2–1 Tony Cerda UD 10 May 18, 1983 Template:Small
47 Template:No2Loss 44–2–1 Thomas Hearns MD 15 Dec 3, 1982 Template:Small Template:Small
46 Template:Yes2Win 44–1–1 Roberto Durán UD 15 Jan 30, 1982 Template:Small Template:Small
45 Template:Yes2Win 43–1–1 Carlos Santos UD 15 Nov 14, 1981 Template:Small Template:Small
44 Template:Yes2Win 42–1–1 Maurice Hope KO 12 (15), Template:Small May 23, 1981 Template:Small Template:Small
43 Template:Yes2Win 41–1–1 Pete Ranzany UD 10 Dec 12, 1980 Template:Small
42 Template:Yes2Win 40–1–1 Tony Chiaverini TKO 8 (10) Aug 1, 1980 Template:Small
41 Template:Yes2Win 39–1–1 Johnny Turner TKO 9 (10), Template:Small Mar 16, 1980 Template:Small
40 Template:No2Loss 38–1–1 Sugar Ray Leonard TKO 15 (15), Template:Small Nov 30, 1979 Template:Small Template:Small
39 Template:Yes2Win 38–0–1 Harold Weston UD 15 Mar 25, 1979 Template:Small Template:Small
38 Template:Yes2Win 37–0–1 Carlos Palomino SD 15 Jan 14, 1979 Template:Small Template:Small
37 Template:Yes2Win 36–0–1 Vernon Lewis UD 10 Dec 8, 1978 Template:Small
36 Template:Yes2Win 35–0–1 Randy Shields RTD 6 (10), Template:Small Aug 25, 1978 Template:Small
35 Template:Yes2Win 34–0–1 Bruce Curry MD 10 Feb 4, 1978 Template:Small
34 Template:Yes2Win 33–0–1 Bruce Curry SD 10 Nov 18, 1977 Template:Small
33 Template:Yes2Win 32–0–1 Ray Chavez Guerrero TKO 15 (15), Template:Small Aug 3, 1977 Template:Small
32 Template:Yes2Win 31–0–1 Easy Boy Lake TKO 1 (10), Template:Small Jul 1, 1977 Template:Small
31 Template:Yes2Win 30–0–1 Roberto Gonzalez KO 1 Jun 2, 1977 Template:Small
30 Template:Yes2Win 29–0–1 Melvin Dennis UD 8 Mar 6, 1977 Template:Small
29 Template:DrawDraw 28–0–1 Harold Weston PTS 10 Feb 2, 1977 Template:Small
28 Template:Yes2Win 28–0 Tony Petronelli TKO 3 (15), Template:Small Oct 16, 1976 Template:Small Template:Small
27 Template:Yes2Win 27–0 Emiliano Villa UD 15 May 31, 1976 Template:Small Template:Small
26 Template:Yes2Win 26–0 Antonio Cervantes SD 15 Mar 6, 1976 Template:Small Template:Small
25 Template:Yes2Win 25–0 Chris Fernandez PTS 10 Dec 13, 1975 Template:Small
24 Template:Yes2Win 24–0 Omar Ruben Realecio TKO 6 (10) Oct 20, 1975 Template:Small
23 Template:Yes2Win 23–0 Marcelino Alicia TKO 2 (10) Sep 1, 1975 Template:Small
22 Template:Yes2Win 22–0 Young Woodall KO 4 Aug 19, 1975 Template:Small
21 Template:Yes2Win 21–0 Eyue Jeudy KO 4 Aug 1, 1975 Template:Small
20 Template:Yes2Win 20–0 Jim Henry TKO 8 Jun 28, 1975 Template:Small
19 Template:Yes2Win 19–0 Angel Robinson Garcia PTS 10 Jun 9, 1975 Template:Small
18 Template:Yes2Win 18–0 Santos Solis SD 10 May 5, 1975 Template:Small
17 Template:Yes2Win 17–0 Wilbur Seales TKO 4 Mar 31, 1975 Template:Small
16 Template:Yes2Win 16–0 Santiago Rosa KO 4 Feb 8, 1975 Template:Small
15 Template:Yes2Win 15–0 Francisco Rodriguez TKO 7 Jan 4, 1975 Template:Small
14 Template:Yes2Win 14–0 Lawrence Hafey UD 8 Dec 2, 1974 Template:Small
13 Template:Yes2Win 13–0 Terry Summerhays TKO 6 (8), Template:Small Oct 25, 1974 Template:Small
12 Template:Yes2Win 12–0 Al Hughes TKO 5 (8), Template:Small Sep 16, 1974 Template:Small
11 Template:Yes2Win 11–0 Easy Boy Lake TKO 5 Aug 31, 1974 Template:Small
10 Template:Yes2Win 10–0 Carlos Crispin TKO 3 Jun 26, 1974 Template:Small
9 Template:Yes2Win 9–0 Ives St Jean KO 1 Jun 21, 1974 Template:Small
8 Template:Yes2Win 8–0 Easy Boy Lake KO 5 May 11, 1974 Template:Small
7 Template:Yes2Win 7–0 Juan Disla TKO 3 (10) Apr 30, 1974 Template:Small
6 Template:Yes2Win 6–0 Victor Mangual PTS 8 Apr 1, 1974 Template:Small
5 Template:Yes2Win 5–0 Roberto Flanders KO 4 Feb 18, 1974 Template:Small
4 Template:Yes2Win 4–0 Joe York KO 2 Jan 26, 1974 Template:Small
3 Template:Yes2Win 3–0 Hector Amadis KO 4 Jan 7, 1974 Template:Small
2 Template:Yes2Win 2–0 Jesse Torres KO 2 Nov 30, 1973 Template:Small
1 Template:Yes2Win 1–0 Hiram Santiago KO 1 Nov 22, 1973 Template:Small

Titles in boxing

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Major world titles

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The Ring magazine titles

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Retirement and illness

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After retiring from boxing in late 1990, Benítez returned to Puerto Rico, where he lived with his mother Clara on a $200 a month pension provided by the World Boxing Council. Since 1989, Benítez has suffered from an incurable, degenerative brain condition caused by the blows that he took in the ring.<ref name="Chicago_Tribune_June_2018">Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1997, Benítez was moved to a public nursing home for medical reasons by his mother Clara, a licensed nurse.<ref>Too Many Beatings; The Boxer's Disease Haunts Wilfred Benitez and His Family - The New York Times. Nytimes.com (1997-11-12). Retrieved on 2017-07-14.</ref>

In 2002, Sugar Ray Leonard visited Benítez, who by this time had forgotten his identity.<ref name="30 despues">Template:Cite book</ref> During the visit, their fight was shown on television. Consequently, Benítez remembered the event and said to Leonard, "Ray, I did not train for that fight."<ref name="30 despues"/>

In 2004, Benítez was diagnosed with diabetes, adding further complications to his worsening health. When his mother died in the summer of 2008, his sister Yvonne Benítez, took over his care.

In 2018, after Hurricane Maria destroyed his home and made it difficult for Benítez to receive therapy, an old friend and boxing mate, Luis Mateo, helped Benítez and his sister move to Chicago. It was their hope that in Chicago, Benítez would receive better health care.<ref name="Chicago_Tribune_June_2018" />

Support, recovery and public appearance

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Ring 10, a non-profit organization that helps impoverished former fighters, provides a monthly stipend to Benítez and established "The Wilfred Benítez Fund" to raise more money to aid the fallen champion.<ref>Boxing 101, "Ring 10 Veterans Boxing Foundation: A Beta Bomb of Brotherhood, Part 1 - Our Suffering Champions", June 26, 2012</ref>

During 2012, Benítez was honored with a statue in Puerto Rico.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On November 27, 2012, a smiling and healthy looking Benítez attended the funeral of Hector Camacho in Puerto Rico, arriving in a wheelchair. Benítez arrived accompanied by boxers Félix Trinidad, Wilfredo Gómez, and Alfredo Escalera. Surprising the mourners, Benítez rose to his feet for a boxing pose in front of Camacho's coffin.<ref>Hector Macho Camacho Memorial Service In Puerto Rico Photos and Images. Getty Images. Retrieved on 2017-07-14.</ref>

With the emotional and financial assistance of former Benitez sparring partner Luis Mateo and Chicago's Puerto Rican community, on June 1, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Wilfred Benitez, age 59, and his sister Yvonne Benitez, arrived in Chicago, Illinois, where he spent the first week in the hospital, then was moved to an apartment on Chicago's West Side. Donations from the Chicago Puerto Rican community helped pay for the plane tickets, and continue ongoing to provide expense money for the apartment, food, and other necessities, according to Mateo and Yvonne Benitez. Wilfred appears in overall better health, good spirits, has gained weight, tries to talk, and is more alert since his arrival in the mainland United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Awards and recognitions

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See also

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References

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