Hard fight to pick. Both were awesome at thier bests, in there own rights. I'd prob go with Curry by close decision, only because I think he'd score a KD or two over El Radar. I certainly wouldnt put it past Benitez to win though. Good matchup! Its a shame both of them burnt out quickly.
I would take Curry. They were both excellent boxers...with Benitez more defensive minded and Curry more offensive minded. But the difference for me is I think Curry could hurt Benitez and I don't see Benitez hurting Curry. I see it similar to Leonard-Benitez, with Benitez giving CUrry fits at times, but ending with a win for Curry in a good fight.
Benitez. 9 & 6 if the judges knew what they were looking at. I sigh at some of those shoulder rolls & feints off the ropes. Just weren't appreciated in scoring the way they truly should have been, & had been, in days before Benitez's time.
I agree, only I dont think Curry handles him as easily as Ray did. Curry was fast, but not nearly as fast as Leonard, nor as fluid. And he didnt attack the body like Leonard either. I really cant remember any rounds that Benitez won off of Ray. He made Ray miss alot, but thats about it. Overall he had trouble getting off due to Leonard's insane handspeed. With Curry, I definitely see El Radar winning his share of rounds, but in the end I think Curry takes a close decision by viture of scoring a KD.
Benitez was badly hindered by a cut in his fight with Leonard. He was also extremely under-done for the fight. Extremely. Benitez wanted a rematch. Leonard didn't.
There didn't seem to be much reason for a rematch. Leonard won with room to spare and was on his way to the bigger fight with Duran. Benitez was an excellent fighter, but a notch below the likes of Leonard or Hearns.
When you fight the champ, you should always entertain the idea of a rematch if he wants one. That's called fair business (not something Leonard, one of the most manipulative negotiators of the last thirty years, ever cared to familiarise himself with). I did think the cut & Benitez's own severely lacking pre-fight camp were factors in the unusually-wide points disparity. Leonard can't be held accountable for Benitez being under-done, but the cut should have been a factor in Leonard's decision to take a return fight. Benitez will never be considered Leonard's equal, but the fight was not indicative of how close a match would be between the two at their peaks. History has made a point of sweeping Benitez aside & badly, badly under-rating him, because he doesn't fit the neat little, "Fab Four" package. That's why his tremendous victory over Duran is so criminally swept under the rug. Really, anytime a champion fights you & you beat him, you should at least consider the rematch. Leonard jumped at Duran when he was the champ who lost. He should've cleared the air with Benitez with a second fight.
Typical Leonard. No way he was rematching anyone unless they beat HIM. He should have fought immediate rematches with Benitez, Hearns and Hagler. Just my opinion.
Hearns, and Hagler yes. But like BWJ said, there was no reason to rematch Benitez. I dunno why some talk as if the fight was close, or even competitive. Benitez at the MOST won 2 rounds. The fight wasnt even close going into the 15th. I think he was intimidated by Ray's handpseed, and he wasnt used to being in with a guy who was faster then himself. He didnt let his hands go enough, and whenever he did Ray would beat him to the punch. I might be the biggest Benitez fan on this forum, but I dont think El Radar would EVER beat Leonard.
Well, if you remember the fight then you will recall that it was closer until the headbutt and the cut. But the other thing, if you actually watch the fight, is how much credit Ray got for punches that clearly missed. Benitez made Leonard miss more than anyone he fought. But don't take my word for it, Ray himself said something along the lines of it was like fighting a mirror image of himself. The fight was much closer and harder fought than the result or most people's memories will show. And I 100% agree with Ramonza about Benitez deserving inclusion with Leonard, Hearns, Duran and Hagler. Hell, he beat Duran. He gave Hearns everything he wanted and fought very well with Leonard.
Me either. And if the fight was close or controversial, then sure...I would say Benitez should have gotten an immediate rematch. But it wasn't all that close of a fight. That's not to say that it wasn't competitive, because it was, but Leonard was clearly winning the fight at the time of the stoppage. And the cries of Benitez fans that he was underprepared ring hollow. The whole "Well...a focused and prepared Benitez would have blah, blah, blah..." was old in the 80's and hasn't become more of an excuse now. And even IF Benitez was underprepared...and again..that's IF...that's his own friggin' fault and Leonard was under no obligation to give Benitez a rematch because of it. And I have never, ever hated a fighter more than I did Ray Leonard (I was a huge Hearns fan at that time). But that doesn't stop me from acknowledging what a great fighter he was. Unfortunately, it's become fashionable among some fans, for whatever reason, to try to diminish Leonard...probably because their favorite fighters couldn't beat him. Benitez was a great fighter, but a notch or so below the likes of Leonard or Hearns. Both fighters won clearly over Benitez. He just didn't have the offense to threaten either fighter and both had the skills to get to him despite his excellent defense. But there is no shame in being almost as good as those two fighters. And, BTW...this topic is not about Leonard or Hearns...it's about Curry and Benitez, so let's try to stay on topic and not ruin it by getting into an endless discussion about how much folks dislike Leonard.
Hearns beat Benitez by a wide margin! That was a boring ass fight btw! Probably the only boring fight of Tommy's career.
There is no if about Benitez's preparation for the fight with Leonard. He was badly under-done. Now, as I said previously, that shouldn't be a factor for Leonard in considering a rematch. That wasn't his fault, was beyond his control, & good luck to him. The butt, however, stays with me as a determining factor. I didn't think Leonard-Benitez was especially close...but that was a big part of it. That, & Trplsec mad a valid point --- it isn't until after the cut occurs that Leonard takes legitimate command. As for Leonard getting credit for punches with which he missed, welcome to the sad story of Benitez's life --- every fight out, he had to contend with that. Maybe the fight with Benitez should've come about again, & maybe it should not have, but Leonard showed right there what kind of man he was, on a certain level --- a state of mind which would reveal itself in later career exploits, too. Completely bypassing a man who had given him a fight, & who had asked for a return bout. Benitez isn't in the, "Fab Four," not for lack of ability, but (at least partly) because he is not part of the popular crowd of that time. Hearns beat Benitez by a wide margin? No way, no how. Absolutely not. I thought Benitez, in fact, deserved a draw. Hearns was probably the more likely victor, & he did have to contend with a broken hand, but the fight was close all the way. Very close. Fights like that (& the Duran embarrassment) are not to be spoken of. They are an inconvenience, as is Benitez's whole existence to the revisionist writers & hawkers of a great era in Boxing.
The Majority Decision was a fair reflection of the fight's nature. I had it even, from memory, but if pushed to give it to one man or another, I would have said Hearns. I disagree completely that he was a wide victor, though.
All I can say is Benitez preparation and discipline was really bad. That's no secret. I'm a huge fan of his talent and we will never know how good he could have been if he pushed his gift to the limits.
Mental make-up is a much a part of a fighter (or any athlete) as his physical attributes. Wishing that Benitez was a more focused fighter is like wishing another fighter had a better chin, or faster hands, or a longer reach, or the ability to make adjustments when losing. Benitez was what he was...and he obviously didn't have the ability to become more focused if he was unable to do so on a regular basis and especially for the biggest fight of his career.
That's a fair enough statement. Mental make-up does, however, have room for drastic & rapid changes. A chin cannot suddenly improve ten-fold, nor can your hitting power --- but, under the right circumstances, will & focus can, so I understand Hex's lament. Your point is certainly a fair one, nonetheless.
I think sometimes fans of a particular fighter get too hopeful that the unfocused fighter will suddenly learn to get focused, but 99% of the time, it's just not part of the fighter's makeup. Which is why those fighters that exhibit poor focus and lack of motivation tend to stay that way for the duration of their careers. Remember Greg Page? He had great natural skills, but a complete lack of focus and motivation as well. Despite that he managed to be a top contender and even a short time alphabet champ...but the potential was there for so much more. So much that Larry Holmes gave up his WBC belt to avoid fighting him. I was never a fan of Page, but I used to watch him on TV all the time and think what an awesome heavy he could be if he was dedicated to the sport. But he never showed up in shape...and he was in his worst shape in some of his most important fights. Years later when thinking about fighters like Page and Benitez....I finally realized that it just wasn't in these fighters to go the extra mile and nothing was going to change that. So if a fighter frustrates you and you find yourself thinking...man if he could just focus himself, etc...don't torture yourself...it's most likely not going to happen.
It isn't likely to happen, no. Benitez fulfilled that potential, though --- in spurts. That's what prompts the likes of Hex to write what they do. If you've ever been close to someone who undergoes a huge overnight change in mentality, for instance too, you will find yourself wondering about this watching certain boxers, for whom the stakes are so much higher than normal people. Benitez got up & made something of himself, unlike many other potentially-dangerous fighters. What was most frustrating of all for fans like myself was knowing he was not only theoretically, but literally, capable of doing so. That, & the fact he was never going to be a part of the, "in-crowd," of the day. The networks & writers froze him out the minute they decided on a Fab Four. No amount of realised potential was going to change that, though he must've thrilled the detractors when he cut his own throat relatively early in his career.
I don't know about this conspriracy theory you are floating here. And to be honest, you (and Hex) are obviously such big Benitez fans I have a hard time not taking your comments regarding him with a good sized grain of salt. I was a fan then too, and I remember Benitez being HIGHLY respected by both the fans and the media. He was highly praised for handling Duran the way he did and also for his KO of Maurice Hope...and he was no less than a pick-em going into the Hearns fight. I think what really hurt Benitez was his fizzling out at such an early age. His time at the top ended with the loss to Hearns in 1982 and he never looked like a special fighter again as he began the spiral downward with more and more losses and uninspired performances.
