Remembering Wilfred 'El Radar' Benitez – The record-breaking fifth King of boxing’s golden era

In a disciplined and gritty performance, Xander Zayas outboxed rugged Mexican Jorge Garcia to take a lopsided unanimous decision victory and claim the vacant WBO junior middleweight belt at the weekend.

In doing so the Puerto Rican became the youngest active world title holder in men's boxing right now, at just the tender age of 22.

Puerto Rico - it seems - has a new idol. A fighter to root for and a fighter not lacking in confidence given the moment they placed the belt around his waist he publicly called out to WBC junior-middleweight ruler Sebastian Fundora. “Fundora, I’m ready for December” he boomed to the camera. 

However, 22 is getting on a bit when compared to the youngest world champion in the history of the old fight game.

That accolade belongs to another Puerto Rican - Wilfred 'El Radar' Benitez - who was just 17 years and 176 days when he won a split decision against Antonio Cervantes back in March 1976 to annex the WBA, Ring & lineal junior-welterweight titles.

With the visible decline of Muhammad Ali in the late 1970s and early 1980s, boxing looked like it might be in trouble. Instead, the welterweight and middleweight divisions stepped up to give us a golden era. An era dominated by the Four Kings: Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard.

This quartet revitalised the sport at a crucial period in the 1980s, putting on some incredible fights and bringing out the very best in each other.  

To many boxing fans though, Benitez was the uncrowned fifth king, a frankly outrageous talent who would ultimately win championships in three weight divisions but whose career would carry and Asterix against it. The great ‘what if’? 

Benitez was nicknamed ‘El Radar’ for his supernatural ability to anticipate and dodge his opponent’s heavy blows. Yet it was a career that peaked early. They say the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. This was never truer in the case of poor Benitez. In 1979 he was king of the world. By 1986, it was pretty much all over.

Yet what a fighter he was in his pomp. A masterful ring mechanic with a fleet-footed style and one of the best counter-punchers of them all. He was 25-0 when he faced Cervantes - known as Kid Pambele – and won a war over 15 rounds. 

If you’ve not seen it, check out the fight on YouTube. He throws a jab double left hook in that last round that has to be seen to be believed. The cherubic smile when the decision is announced is unmistakable. It’s pure joy. At 17, he has just become the youngest world champion in boxing history — a record that will never be broken given that 18 is now the minimum age for a professional fighter to contest a world title fight.

Yet the warning signs of what was around the corner appeared quickly.

Less than a year after that historic world title victory, he had left the 140 division behind and ended up drawing with Harold Weston, a bang average welterweight who was 21-6-4 going in. Rumours abound that young Benitez was being seduced outside the ring by wine, women and song. 

He was back to his brilliant counter-punching best in his next big fight however against Carlos Palomino, the WBC welterweight champion, Benitez was simply majestic that night. After half a dozen rounds that were nip and tuck, Benitez’s sublime skills saw him pull away to win a 15-round decision. It was a decision not without controversy, however. 

Though El Radar looked a clear winner, the announcement was split, with judge Zack Clayton somehow scored 146-142 for Palomino. Thankfully common sensed prevailed and the other scores from Jay Edson and Harry Gibbs were 148-143 and 146-143 for Benitez. An under-fire Clayton would later blame the sun for affecting his view of the action.

The undefeated 20‐year‐old Benitez was now a two-weight world champion, and the drums began to beat for a showdown with another boxing prodigy, Sugar Ray Leonard. 

The pair met on November 30, 1979, for the WBC and The Ring welterweight titles. Benitez earned a career high $1.2 million, while Sugar Ray walked away with a cool $1 million, making it the richest non-heavyweight fight in boxing history at the time.

In a curious sub-plot, Benitez's eccentric father and trainer Gregorio had written an article for The Ring magazine titled ‘Why Benitez Will Lose His Title’ in a piece which claimed his son was not training hard enough for the fight. 

In arguably the last great fight of the 1970s, Benitez had his moments before being stopped by Leonard in the final stanza. In his autobiography, The Big Fight: My Life in and out of the Ring, Sugar Ray Leonard related a story about visiting Benitez in a nursing home in Puerto Rico many years after their careers had ended. Benitez was a shell of the man he once was by that stage of his life but as they watched their epic 1979 battle together Benitez made it clear to SRL as they sat and watched that he did not train for their fight.  

In 1981 the Puerto Rican would beat Britain’s Maurice Hope by KO to win the WBC junior-middleweight title. This victory made Benitez the youngest boxer in history to win titles in three weight classes at the age of 22. This is another insane record unlikely to ever be beaten. And there would be one more golden night. 

Benitez and Duran met at Caesars Palace in January 1982. El Radar vs. Hands of Stone. Latin pride and the WBC junior-middleweight title were on the line, and many were shocked to see Benitez ditch his elusive tactics of boxing on the back foot and instead go toe-to-toe with the Panamanian legend.

Top Rank

It was another fight that went the full 15 rounds, and another were the scores did not seem to reflect the action.  Officially Benitez won 145-141, 144-141, 143-142, but the truth is the Puerto Rican put on a masterclass that night in Sin City, and Duran was only given two rounds by fabled American trainer Eddie Futch.

“I wanted to beat him at his fight, to show him I was the champion,” Benitez explained afterwards. The card was billed as The New Beginning, but it was the beginning of the end for poor Benitez. He would box another of the Four Kings next in Thomas ‘The Hit Man’ Hearns - losing his belt via majority decision – and while he would box on for almost another eight years the glory years were gone.   

These days he cannot speak. He cannot walk and receives 24/7 care. There’s a terrible irony that this man was the best defensive boxer of his era. A man whose movements and reflexes gave Duran nightmares.

There's a quote from the movie A Bronx Tale. “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.” Plenty of boxing analysts who were around at the time consider Benitez to be one of the biggest wastes of talent in boxing history, as his natural ability was not matched by the necessary dedication and hard work.

When the fame and money came, the young phenom was distracted by partying, drinking, and women. This lifestyle, combined with his early success, led to a clear decline in his motivation and focus when it came to training.

When you talk about the sport’s greatest defensive artists, a young Benitez must be in any conversation along with Nicolino Locche, Willie Pep, Pernell Whitaker and Floyd Mayweather Jnr. Can you imagine if Benitez had Floyd’s discipline and work ethic? Forget about it. 

This game tames tigers, but you cannot take away the fact that El Radar was one of boxings most underrated champions, and one of the most naturally gifted fighters ever. If young Zayas achieves even half of what his fellow Puerto Rican once did, he will end up having some career. 

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