Does anyone think Benitez's youngest ever champion record will ever be broken? It seems highly unlikely to me.
I actually find it very likely. There will always be teen stars, and considering that the level of the sport has sunken and that there is a shitload of title belts (like four simultaneous WBA belts) and their number is only going to grow, on paper someone will definitely surpass the record
It’s possible so long as the youngster is fighting a champion that isn’t all that good. Benitez beating an ATG fighter like Antonio Cervantes at age 17 is something that can’t be surpassed.
Agreed. If it happened if it would have to be a set up against some paper title holder. Highly doubt we'll ever again see a 17-year-old beat an ATG in the middle of that ATG's prime.
I think it's more likely that Tyson's youngest heavyweight record falls before Benitez's record. Some teenage heavyweight prospect gets lined up to beat a paper title holder at heavy. But even Mike's record is secure for awhile IMO.
Nowadays most prime time prospects don't even turn pro until 18-20. And even if they turn pro younger than that, the current mode is to develop them for 4-5 years before going for a title shot. That's what makes Benitez's record so unlikely to beat.
Yeah that's my line of thinking. At the rate most prospects are moved these days, you'd have to be turning pro at about 13 or 14 which would be largely viewed as ludicrous and unacceptable in this day and age. The fact that Benitez broke the record 47 years ago on Monday just gone speaks for itself. There's more chance of a frog growing dreadlocks.
In the highly unlikely scenario it does get broken, Benitez will always be the best 17-year-old. He didn't end up the best fighter of all time, but he and Harada are damn sure the best teenagers of all time.
Yeah, he was one of the sport's great natural phenoms. His condition nowadays though is a cautionary tale against dads allowing their children (operative word) to take punches for years vs fully grown men as a learning curve. Another reason why it won't happen.
Exactly what I was thinking. If an exceptional talent comes along that is good enough to win a title at 17, fighters are so protected nowadays that the fight would only get made when there is a perfect opportunity to take on (cherry pick) an opponent who they're 99% certain to beat. If there were to be a 17 year old actually good enough to possibly beat somebody the stature of Cervantes they wouldn't take the risk. I can't really say i'd blame them either. Even so I think that such a fighter would be past their best by their mid 20's even with clean living outside the ring.
If you spend the time looking, you will find sources that say that Benitez was actually 21 when he won the title, and that the age discrepancy goes back to some age related shenanigans during his amateur days.
Wouldn't surprise me. That was apparently was quite common for quite some time with baseball players. (or maybe still is?) Not heard much about such things in boxing as have never had much interest in the amateurs.
We'll give El Radar the benefit of the doubt; however, if it were true then it would explain why he burned out quickly. Perhaps he was nearing 30 when he washed up instead of being in his mid-20s.
nah, with more caution and research about brain health i'm leaning to it not even being allowed in the future
Not really sure how much much they can really do other than more closely monitoring athletes and being on the lookout for symptoms. With boxing, you don't exactly have to be, well a brain surgeon to know that getting repeatedly punched can't be good for brain health.
raise the age limit to become a pro, or even amateur btw if this limit is already 18 then how is it now possible to top Benitez?
Very likely. The WBA announced steps to get rid of the interim champs and come up with something more sensible. Not sure if they did, but regardless the only champion of the WBA would be the top champion. The Japanese, especially, like to have their talented teens get world title shots with few pro fights. I'd guess a Jap teenager >bantamweight breaks the record.
I remember an American Amateur turning pro last year and he was like 17. I can't remember his name though, but he was defo 17.
Dusty Harrison was 17 a decade ago. This guy made his debut at 17 in 2019: At only 16 years old, Xander Zayas is the youngest fighter ever to sign a pro contract with Top Rank. An 11-time Puerto Rican and U.S. national champion, Zayas will make his pro debut as a welterweight in September.
