“My father would say, ‘Train’. I would say, ‘No’. But if I train, then I am the best boxer in the world,” said Wilfred Benitez. The former three-time world champion has gone on to send ripples across the boxing realm in his noteworthy career. He represented a knack for boxing prowess through his dedication and commitment to the sport. However, as years passed and he hung his gloves, he seemed to have quite disappeared from the world of boxing.
We speak of the history he created, the legacy he leaves behind, and the strength that he represents. A true trailblazer of his times, Wilfred Benitez deserves all those accolades that he once earned. Today as he turns 65, let’s dive into the story he’s weaved in his formative years.
The Fifth King, Wilfred Benitez
Peurto Rican boxer, Benitez sent a shockwave through the realm of boxing. He became the youngest world champion at 17. He further won the WBA super lightweight championship against Antonio Cervantes in 1976. But this is not where his story begins. It dates back to the year of 1973. Aged just 15, the fighter ventured into the cut-throat world of pro-boxing using a fake ID.
Happy 65th birthday today to HOFer Wilfred Benitez, who has sadly been in declining health for years due #boxing. He was a brilliant 3-division champion, fought the best & was youngest champion ever at 17. Here's his rookie in my collection from 1981 Panini Italian sticker set. pic.twitter.com/JTv8KmO4DM
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) September 12, 2023
However, when it was his turn to defend the WBC welterweight title he snatched from Carlos Palomino, he made sure the world knew he’d arrived and how. His second defense against ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard in 1973 was a turning point in his career. It laid out the trajectory for his further days in the realm. Despite a 15th-round stoppage, he gave tough competition. A resilient Benitez made sure he would not go down without giving Leonard what now seems like his toughest fight ever.
His family is not unfamiliar with the world of pro-boxing. All his elder brothers, Gregorio Jnr, Frankie, and Alphonso were all boxers. However, it was, “El Radar” who spent his formative years with boxing gloves on and eyes filled with dreams of conquering big. However, if not for his parents, who were hard taskmasters, he wouldn’t have been able to scale the towering heights of success. One of his team members said, “He thought because he is Wilfred Benitez he doesn’t have to train. I remember his father saying to him, ‘Who do you think you are fighting? A nobody?”
The Infamous Decline
After his scathing defeat against Leonard, the fighter came back with everything he had to rebuild his streak of victories. In a bid to repair the dent in his boxing record, he went on to score three consecutive victories. Later, he thought it was time for the bigger fish. In a challenge to Maurice Hope for the WBC light middleweight title, the fighter saw what his father described, as “Wilfred’s finest hour”.
#HBD "El Radar," Wilfred Benitez, born September 12, 1958 in New York City. WBA Light Welterweight Champion, 1976-77; WBC Welterweight Champion, 1979; WBC Jr. Middleweight Champion, 1981-82. Youngest world champion of all-time. IBHOF 1994 pic.twitter.com/6xLEMRP5E9
— 1980s Boxing (@80sBoxing) September 12, 2023
Still, at the top of his game, the period that followed saw the downfall of the boxing star. The losses that the 25-year-old fighter suffered afterward made him a shell of the person he used to be. His indulgence in hedonism brought a bad reputation that most fighters would do their best to stay away from.
From 1990 began the process of his cognitive decline from the public eye. With a diagnosis of post-traumatic encephalopathy, the fighter had a tragic end to his fighting career. His financial difficulties doubled with physical and mental deterioration. And finally came the hour of his complete disappearance from the helm. The infamous hall-of-famer now rested in his bed after he suffered a fall in his mother’s living room, pushing him into a coma. Such is the story of a fighter who once displayed to the world his boxing prowess. On his 65th birthday, his story echoes through chambers of boxing history.
What do you think of this dramatic life led by Benitez? Let us know in the comments section below.
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