Home > Wilfred Benitez

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 OlympicOlympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. The Olympic Games or Olympics are an international multi-sport event taking place every fourth year. Originally held in ancient Greece, they were revived by a French nobleman, Pierre Fredy, Baron de Coub champion named Sugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray Leonard (born May 17, 1956) is an American who is a former boxer. Born Ray Charles Leonard after the singing legend Ray Charles, Leonard later adopted the nickname used by Sugar Ray Robinson. Leonard won gold at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montr made him move up to Welterweight. He and world champion Carlos PalominoCarlos Palomino (born August 10, 1949) is a Mexican former boxer who was a world champion and also a college degree holder. Palomino is also an actor who has been featured in a few movies. He achieved a considerable amount of fame during the 1970s, specia, who hailed from MexicoThis article is about the country Mexico. For other meanings, see Mexico (disambiguation The United Mexican States or Mexico ( Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos or Mexico regarding the use of the variant spelling Mejico see section The name below) is a co but lived in Los AngelesThis article is about the city in California. For other uses of 'Los Angeles' see Los Angeles (disambiguation The City of Los Angeles widely known by its abbreviation L. is a large coastal metropolis in Southern California in the western United States., signed up for a title fight, which again was fought in San Juan, under the auspices of Goya Rice and BacardiBacardi is the world's largest privately held, family-owned spirits company; a producer of rums. The company sells in excess of 240 million bottles per year in 170 countries. The business is the fourth largest spirits company in the world: sales in 2000 w. 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 and 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.

His next fight became a historic bout because when he met future world champ Carlos Santos of Ceiba, Puerto Rico , it became the first world championship fight between two Puerto Ricans in boxing history. Ironically, the fight was fought 3,000 miles away from Puerto Rico, in Las Vegas' Caesars Palace hotel, and Benitez won a 15 round unanimous decision. Then came Roberto Duran, beaten in the same hotel in 1982, but at the Carnival of Champions in New Orleans, Benitez had to give up his belt to that other boxing legend, Thomas Hearns, after a fight that featured knockdowns from both fighters, losing a 15 round unanimous decision.

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.

In 2004, Benitez was diagnosed with Diabetes.

Benitez is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame since 1996.