Early history

Benitez turned pro at 15, a young prodigy who was managed by his father Gregorio Benitez, was a member of one of Puerto Rico's boxing families, his brothers Frankie and Gregory Benitez having also been top contenders in the 1970s. The Benitez 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, Benitez often traveled to the Virgin Islands and New York 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 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 Benitez's favor.

Benitez retained the championship three times, and then moved up to the welterweight division. Benítez challenged WBC World Champion Carlos Palomino in San Juan. On January 14, 1979, Benitez won a fifteen-round split decision to become a world champion in a second weight division. After outpointing Harold Weston Jr. in his first defense (avenging an earlier draw), Benitez fought Sugar Ray Leonard in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 30, 1979. It was a scientific fight by both fighters, who demonstrated their defensive skills throughout the bout. Benitez suffered a third-round knockdown and a cut on his forehead, which was opened by an accidental head butt in round six. Leonard put Benitez down again in the fifteenth round and the referee stopped the fight with six seconds left in round fifteen.

After that loss, Benitez 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. Ironically, the fight was fought 3,000 miles away from Puerto Rico, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Benitez won a fifteen-round unanimous decision. His next defense was against Roberto Durán, whom Benitez 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, Benitez lost the belt to another boxing legend, Thomas Hearns, by a fifteen-round majority decision.

Career decline

Benitez'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. On November 28, 1986, with his health declining, he went to Salta, Argentina to fight middleweight Carlos Herrera. Benitez was stopped in seven rounds. But that wasn't the worst part of the trip. His money for the fight was stolen by the fight's promoter, along with his documents and passport, and he was stranded in Argentina for one year. After much government huddling and talks, he was finally able to fly back home to Puerto Rico in 1988.

Two years later, Benitez 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

53 Wins (31 knockouts, 22 decisions), 8 Losses (4 knockouts, 4 decisions), 1 Draw
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss		Scott Papasodora	UD	10	18/09/1990	Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win		"Uncle" Sam Wilson	UD	10	24/08/1990	Regency Hotel, Denver, Colorado, United States
Loss		Pat "The King" Lawlor	PTS	10	23/05/1990	Tucson, Arizona, United States
Win		Ariel Conde	KO	7	08/03/1990	Americana Motel, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Loss		Carlos Maria del Valle Herrera	TKO	7	28/11/1986	Salta, Argentina	Benitez was stranded one year in Argentina after the fight
Win		Harry "Heatwave" Daniels	UD	10	17/09/1986	Fifth Regiment Armory, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Win		Paul "Forest" Whittaker	UD	10	01/07/1986	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Loss		Matthew Hilton	KO	9	15/02/1986	Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win		Kevin Moley	UD	10	21/08/1985	Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States
Win		Danny "Thunderhand" Chapman	RTD	7	06/07/1985	Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Win		Mauricio Bravo	TKO	2	30/03/1985	Oranjestad, Aruba
Loss		Davey "Bronx" Moore	TKO	2	14/07/1984	Stade Louis II, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Win		Stacy McSwain	UD	10	11/02/1984	Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, United States
Loss		Mustafa Hamsho	UD	12	16/07/1983	Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas, United States
Win		Tony Cerda	UD	10	18/05/1983	Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas, United States
Loss		Tommy Hearns	MD	15	03/12/1982	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Win		Roberto Duran	UD	15	30/01/1982	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, United States
Win		Carlos Santos	UD	15	14/11/1981	Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, United States
Win		Maurice Hope	TKO	12	23/05/1981	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, United States
Win		Pete Ranzany	UD	10	12/12/1980	Sacramento, California, United States
Win		Tony Chiaverini	TKO	8	01/08/1980	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, United States
Win		Johnny Turner	TKO	9	16/03/1980	Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, Florida, United States
Loss		Sugar Ray Leonard	TKO	15	30/11/1979	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, United States
Win		Harold "The Artist" Weston	UD	15	25/03/1979	Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Carlos Palomino	SD	15	14/01/1979	Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Vernon Lewis	UD	10	08/12/1978	Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States
Win		Randy Shields	RTD	6	25/08/1978	Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States
Win		Bruce Curry	MD	10	04/02/1978	Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States
Win		Bruce Curry	SD	10	18/11/1977	Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States
Win		Ray Chavez Guerrero	TKO	15	03/08/1977	Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States
Win		Easy Boy Lake	TKO	1	01/07/1977	Lionel Roberts Stadium, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Win		Roberto "Speed Racer" Gonzalez	KO	1	02/06/1977	Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Win		Melvin Dennis	UD	8	06/03/1977	Correctional Facility Prison, Marion, Ohio, United States
Draw		Harold Weston	PTS	10	02/02/1977	New York City, United States
Win		Tony Petronelli	TKO	3	16/10/1976	Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Emiliano Villa	UD	15	31/05/1976	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Antonio Cervantes	SD	15	06/03/1976	Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Chris Fernandez	PTS	10	13/12/1975	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Omar Ruben Realecio	TKO	6	20/10/1975	Felt Forum, New York City, United States
Win		Marcelino Alicia	TKO	2	01/09/1975	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Young Woodall	KO	4	19/08/1975	Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Win		Eyue Jeudy	KO	4	01/08/1975	Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Win		Jim "John" Henry	TKO	8	28/06/1975	Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Angel Robinson Garcia	PTS	10	09/06/1975	Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Santos Solis	PTS	10	05/05/1975	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Wilbur Seales	TKO	4	31/03/1975	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Santiago Rosa	KO	4	08/02/1975	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Francisco "El Presidente" Rodriguez	TKO	7	04/01/1975	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Lawrence Hafey	UD	8	02/12/1974	Felt Forum, New York City, United States
Win		Terry Summerhays	TKO	6	25/10/1974	Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States
Win		Al Hughes	TKO	5	16/09/1974	Felt Forum, New York City, United States
Win		Easy Boy Lake	TKO	5	31/08/1974	Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Win		Carlos Crispin	TKO	3	26/06/1974	Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Ives St Jean	KO	1	21/06/1974	Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Win		Easy Boy Lake	KO	5	11/05/1974	Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Win		Juan Disla	TKO	3	30/04/1974	Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Victor Mangual	PTS	8	01/04/1974	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Roberto Flanders	TKO	4	18/02/1974	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Joe York	KO	2	26/01/1974	Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Win		Hector Amadis	KO	4	07/01/1974	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
Win		Jesse Torres	KO	2	30/11/1973	Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
Win		Hiram Santiago	KO	1	22/11/1973	San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States

Retirement and illness

After retiring from boxing, Benitez returned to Puerto Rico, where he lived with his mother Clara on a $200 a month pension provided by the World Boxing Council. Benitez now suffers from an incurable, degenerative brain condition caused by the blows he took in the ring.

In 1997, Wilfredo was moved permanently to a public run 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, Benitez was diagnosed with diabetes. His mother died in the summer of 2008.

Support, recovery, and public appearance

Ring 10, a non-profit organization that helps impoverished former fighters, provides a monthly stipend to Benitez and established "The Wilfred Benitez Fund" to raise more money to aid the fallen champion.

During 2012, Benitez 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 Felix Trinidad, Wilfredo Gomez, and Alfredo Escalera. Surprising the mourners, Benitez rose to his feet for a boxing pose in front of Camacho's coffin.

Awards and recognitions

Benítez was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994.

Sporting positions
Preceded by Antonio Cervantes	WBA Light Welterweight Champion 6 March 1976-1977 Stripped	Succeeded by Antonio Cervantes
Preceded by Carlos Palomino	WBC Welterweight Champion 14 January 1979 - 30 November 1979	Succeeded by Sugar Ray Leonard
Preceded by Maurice Hope	WBC Light Middleweight boxing champion 23 May 1981- 3 December 1982	Succeeded by Thomas Hearns

Puerto Ricans in the International Boxing Hall of Fame

Number	Name	Year inducted	Notes
1	Carlos Ortíz	1991	World Jr. Welterweight Champion 1959 June 12- 1960, September 1, WBA Lightweight Champion 1962 Apr 21 - 1965 Apr 10, WBC Lightweight Champion 1963 Apr 7 - 1965 Apr 10, WBC Lightweight Champion 1965 Nov 13 - 1968 Jun 29.
2	Wilfred Benítez	1994	The youngest world champion in boxing history. WBA Light Welterweight Champion 1976 Mar 6 - 1977, WBC Welterweight Champion 1979 Jan 14 - 1979 Nov 30, WBC Light Middleweight Champion.
3	Wilfredo Gómez	1995	WBC Super Bantamweight Champion 1977 May 21 - 1983, WBC Featherweight Champion 1984 Mar 31 - 1984 Dec 8, WBA Super Featherweight Champion 1985 May 19 - 1986 May 24.
4	José "Chegui" Torres	1997	Won a silver medal in the junior middleweight at the 1956 Olympic Games. Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion 1965 Mar 30 - 1966 Dec 16
5	Sixto Escobar	2002	Puerto Rico's first boxing champion. World Bantamweight Champion 15 Nov 1935- 23 Sep 1937, World Bantamweight Champion 20 Feb 1938- Oct 1939
6	Edwin Rosario	2006	Ranks #36 on the list of "100 Greatest Punchers of All Time." according to Ring Magazine. WBC Lightweight Champion 1983 May 1 - 1984 Nov 3, WBA Lightweight Champion 1986 Sep 26 - 1987 Nov 21, WBA Lightweight Champion 199 Jul 9 - 1990 Apr 4, WBA Light Welterweight Champion 1991 Jun 14 - 1992 Apr 10.
7	Pedro Montañez	2007	92 wins out of 103 fights. Never held a title.
8	Joe Cortez	2011	The first Puerto Rican boxing referee to be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame
9	Herbert "Cocoa Kid" Hardwick	2012	Member of boxing's "Black Murderers' Row". World Colored Welterweight Championship - June 11, 1937 to August 22, 1938; World Colored Middleweight Championship - January 11, 1940 until the title went extinct in the 1940s; World Colored Middleweight Championship - January 15, 1943 until the title went extinct in the 1940s
10	Félix "Tito" Trinidad	2014	Captured the IBF welterweight crown in his 20th pro bout. Won the WBA light middleweight title from David Reid in March 2000 and later that year unified titles with a 12th-round knockout against IBF champ Fernando Vargas. In 2001 became a three-division champion.
11	Héctor "Macho" Camacho	2016	First boxer to be recognized as a septuple champion in history. WBC Super Featherweight Championship - August 7, 1983 - 1984, WBC Lightweight Championship - August 10, 1985 - 1987, WBO Light Welterweight Champion - March 6, 1989 - February 23, 1991, WBO Light Welterweight Champion - May 18, 1991-1992.

= Indicates the person is no longer alive

Non boxing related awards

Key to the City

• Carolina, Puerto Rico (1984)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]