Wilfred Benítez


Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez Rosa, better known as Wilfred Benitez, is a 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. He is widely considered one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time. He is also remembered for 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.

Early history

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 were all 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. 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

On March 6, 1976, at age 17, with his high school classmates in attendance, he faced Lineal 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. Benítez retained the championship three times, and then moved up to the welterweight division.

Moving up

Benítez challenged Lineal 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, Benítez fought Sugar Ray Leonard in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 30, 1979.

Fighting Sugar Ray Leonard

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.

Moving up again

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 Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Benítez won a fifteen-round unanimous decision. His next defense was against Roberto Durán, whom Benítez defeated at Caesars 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.

Career decline

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

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
62LossScott PapasodoraUD10Sep 18, 1990Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
61Win53–7–1Sam WilsonUD10Aug 24, 1990Regency Hotel, Denver, Colorado, U.S.
60Loss52–7–1Pat LawlorSD10May 23, 1990Amigos Indoor Soccer Stadium, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
59Win52–6–1Ariel CondeKO7, 1:47Mar 8, 1990Americana Motel, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
58Loss51–6–1Carlos HerreraTKO7 Nov 28, 1986Salta, Argentina
57Win51–5–1Harry DanielsUD10Sep 17, 1986Fifth Regiment Armory, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
56Win50–5–1Paul WhittakerUD10Jul 1, 1986Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
55Loss49–5–1Matthew HiltonKO9, 2:59Feb 15, 1986Paul Sauvé Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
54Win49–4–1Kevin MoleyUD10Aug 21, 1985Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
53Win48–4–1Danny ChapmanRTD7, 3:00Jul 6, 1985Washington Convention Center, Washington D.C., U.S.
52Win47–4–1Mauricio BravoTKO2 Mar 30, 1985Oranjestad, Aruba
51Loss46–4–1Davey MooreTKO2, 1:18Jul 14, 1984Stade Louis II, Monte Carlo, Monaco
50Win46–3–1Stacy McSwainUD10Feb 11, 1984Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
49Loss45–3–1Mustafa HamshoUD12Jul 16, 1983Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
48Win45–2–1Tony CerdaUD10May 18, 1983Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
47Loss44–2–1Thomas HearnsMD15Dec 3, 1982Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.Lost WBC light middleweight title;
For vacant The Ring light middleweight title
46Win44–1–1Roberto DuránUD15Jan 30, 1982Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBC light middleweight title
45Win43–1–1Carlos SantosUD15Nov 14, 1981Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBC light middleweight title
44Win42–1–1Maurice HopeKO12, 1:56May 23, 1981Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.Won WBC light middleweight title
43Win41–1–1Pete RanzanyUD10Dec 12, 1980Sacramento, California, U.S.
42Win40–1–1Tony ChiaveriniTKO8 Aug 1, 1980Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
41Win39–1–1Johnny TurnerTKO9, 2:57Mar 16, 1980Jai-Alai Fronton, Miami, Florida, U.S.
40Loss38–1–1Sugar Ray LeonardTKO15, 2:54Nov 30, 1979Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.Lost WBC and The Ring welterweight titles
39Win38–0–1Harold WestonUD15Mar 25, 1979Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto RicoRetained WBC and The Ring welterweight titles
38Win37–0–1Carlos PalominoSD15Jan 14, 1979Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto RicoWon WBC and The Ring welterweight titles
37Win36–0–1Vernon LewisUD10Dec 8, 1978Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
36Win35–0–1Randy ShieldsRTD6, 3:00Aug 25, 1978Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
35Win34–0–1Bruce CurryMD10Feb 4, 1978Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
34Win33–0–1Bruce CurrySD10Nov 18, 1977Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
33Win32–0–1Ray Chavez GuerreroTKO15, 1:41Aug 3, 1977Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
32Win31–0–1Easy Boy LakeTKO1, 2:48Jul 1, 1977Lionel Roberts Park, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
31Win30–0–1Roberto GonzalezKO1Jun 2, 1977Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
30Win29–0–1Melvin DennisUD8Mar 6, 1977Correctional Facility Prison, Marion, Ohio, U.S.
29Draw28–0–1Harold WestonPTS10Feb 2, 1977New York City, New York, U.S.
28Win28–0Tony PetronelliTKO3, 0:53Oct 16, 1976Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico Retained WBA and The Ring light welterweight titles
27Win27–0Emiliano VillaUD15May 31, 1976San Juan, Puerto RicoRetained WBA and The Ring light welterweight titles
26Win26–0Antonio CervantesSD15Mar 6, 1976Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto RicoWon WBA and The Ring light welterweight titles
25Win25–0Chris FernandezPTS10Dec 13, 1975San Juan, Puerto Rico
24Win24–0Omar Ruben RealecioTKO6 Oct 20, 1975Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
23Win23–0Marcelino AliciaTKO2 Sep 1, 1975San Juan, Puerto Rico
22Win22–0Young WoodallKO4Aug 19, 1975Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
21Win21–0Eyue JeudyKO4Aug 1, 1975Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
20Win20–0Jim HenryTKO8Jun 28, 1975Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
19Win19–0Angel Robinson GarciaPTS10Jun 9, 1975Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
18Win18–0Santos SolisSD10May 5, 1975San Juan, Puerto Rico
17Win17–0Wilbur SealesTKO4Mar 31, 1975San Juan, Puerto Rico
16Win16–0Santiago RosaKO4Feb 8, 1975San Juan, Puerto Rico
15Win15–0Francisco RodriguezTKO7Jan 4, 1975San Juan, Puerto Rico
14Win14–0Lawrence HafeyUD8Dec 2, 1974Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
13Win13–0Terry SummerhaysTKO6, 1:51Oct 25, 1974Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
12Win12–0Al HughesTKO5, 2:06Sep 16, 1974Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.
11Win11–0Easy Boy LakeTKO5Aug 31, 1974Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
10Win10–0Carlos CrispinTKO3Jun 26, 1974Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
9Win9–0Ives St JeanKO1Jun 21, 1974Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
8Win8–0Easy Boy LakeKO5May 11, 1974Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
7Win7–0Juan DislaTKO3 Apr 30, 1974Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
6Win6–0Victor MangualPTS8Apr 1, 1974San Juan, Puerto Rico
5Win5–0Roberto FlandersKO4Feb 18, 1974San Juan, Puerto Rico
4Win4–0Joe YorkKO2Jan 26, 1974Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
3Win3–0Hector AmadisKO4Jan 7, 1974San Juan, Puerto Rico
2Win2–0Jesse TorresKO2Nov 30, 1973Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
1Win1–0Hiram SantiagoKO1Nov 22, 1973San Juan, Puerto Rico

Titles in boxing

Major world titles

''The Ring'' magazine titles

The Ring light welterweight champion The Ring welterweight champion

Retirement and illness

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.
In 1997, Benítez was moved to a public nursing home for medical reasons by his mother Clara, a licensed nurse.
In 2002, Sugar Ray Leonard visited Benítez, who by this time had forgotten his identity. 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."
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.

Support, recovery and public appearance

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.
During 2012, Benítez was honored with a statue in Puerto Rico.
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.
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.

Awards and recognitions