Nov. 30, 1979: Benitez vs Leonard

Perhaps few people at the time realized it, but the title match between Wilfred “Radar” Benitez and Sugar Ray Leonard at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas constituted an extremely rare phenomena: a contest between truly gifted ring sophisticates. Prodigies like Benitez and Leonard are rare to begin with, and an even more unique circumstance it is, something akin to Halley’s Comet, to have two such virtuosos competing at the same time, in their primes and in the same division.

Before the bell, a staredown for the ages.

Benitez vs Leonard represented a dream match for those enthralled by boxing guile, the cerebral side of the sport, the use of the rapier that is defense and precision counter-punching, feinting and footwork, as opposed to the blunt hammer that is mere raw aggression and punching power. Sadly, the space-time continuum means a contest between Joe Gans and Benny Leonard, or Willie Pep and Pernell Whitaker, can never take place. Instead we have Benitez vs Leonard, a very special and very rare confrontation between two brilliant craftsmen of the ring.

Like prodigies in other sports — say, Federer in tennis or Jordan in basketball — Benitez and Leonard possessed such command over their bodies and reflexes that they performed as if under a different set of constraints. A prime Federer made it seem as if the tennis ball slowed down for him, allowing extra time to direct his shots. And watching a prime Jordan slam-dunk the ball, it almost appears gravity bends slightly, giving him that extra second of airtime. For Benitez and Leonard, their equivalent otherworldly advantage was being able to visualize their opponents’ punches in advance, presciently, and in a split second decide on a plan of action to both avoid being hit and to counter effectively.

Benitez down in round three.
Benitez down in round three.

Benitez, while only 21 years of age, entered the ring as the WBC welterweight champion but also as a three-to-one underdog. He had taken the belt from Carlos Palomino in January of that same year, but astonishingly, this title was his second. Three years before that, he had become the youngest boxer to ever win a world championship, a record that still stands, when at the tender age of seventeen he decisioned tough veteran Antonio Cervantes.

They called young Wilfred “The Bible of Boxing,” or more fittingly “El Radar,” for his uncanny ability to anticipate and avoid punches. He wasn’t a runner; he stood his ground, using upper body movement to make his opponents miss before countering with precision. If he wanted to, he could fight at a distance behind the jab, but he wasn’t afraid to trade on the inside, where he would flurry with abandon.

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A clash of heads left its mark on the champion.

Leonard, the Olympic gold medalist, media darling and hawker of 7Up, stepped through the ropes with a record of 25-0. Underneath the Madison Avenue veneer was a boxer of tremendous natural gifts – astonishing hand speed, excellent mobility, cobra-like reflexes and terrific power. He had been guided brilliantly by Angelo Dundee; instead of a series of no-hope stiffs, his record comprised wins over such capable pugilists as Adolfo Viruet, Fernand Marcotte, Floyd Mayweather and Pete Ranzany. This was Leonard’s first attempt at a world title and the eyes of the nation were watching, the fight broadcast live on ABC in primetime, with Howard Cosell providing the ringside commentary.

“My ambition is not to be just a good fighter,” said Leonard before the match. “I want to be something great, something special.” But first he had to overcome the tricky puzzle that was Benitez.

The bout, following one of the greatest stare-downs in boxing history, proved highly tactical, a duel between Leonard’s left hand and Benitez’s right lead. The early rounds belonged to the challenger. In the opening stanza Ray rocked Benitez with a left hook, and in the third a flush jab put the champ on the seat of his pants.

But the knockdown seemed to wake up the champion. In the fourth he found the range for his right hand while making the challenger miss, and suddenly Ray could not find his man. While Leonard’s aggressiveness allowed him to steal rounds, Benitez was the one slipping shots and countering. In the sixth they clashed heads, opening a cut on Wilfred’s forehead. In Leonard’s corner, Dundee pleaded with Ray to neglect the elusive target that was Benitez’s head and instead attack the body.

"Radar" Benitez schooled Roberto Duran
A tactical duel between ring virtuosos.

“Go downstairs!” the veteran trainer shouted. “You can’t stand in front of him and hit him with a right hand. Forget the right hand!”

In the ninth, Leonard forced Benitez to the ropes and connected with a flurry of punches and in the eleventh he stung his man with the hook. Still, he could not assert himself the way he had in his previous fights. It was in the late going that Leonard finally opened up a sizable lead. And while the fight was already a classic, round fifteen proved an especially thrilling finale. Benitez, sensing he needed a knockout to win, took the fight to Ray, attacking with a series of left hooks. The challenger responded in kind and for two solid minutes it was toe-to-toe warfare, both men connecting and the crowd going berserk.

With six seconds left, Padilla stops the fight.
Padilla signals the end with just six seconds on the clock.

Then, with the final bell approaching, Leonard struck with a hard left and the champion hit the canvas for the second time. Wilfred rose, the cocky smile of defiance he showed earlier now a grin of resignation, and more fatigued then hurt, retreated to the ropes as Leonard attacked. Moments later the referee stopped the fight and Howard Cosell rejoiced: Sugar Ray Leonard had claimed his first world championship.

On the undercard of Benitez vs Leonard, Marvin Hagler had challenged for the middleweight title, the judges somehow scoring his fifteen round clinic against Vito Antuofermo a draw. Earlier the same day, Thomas Hearns had decisioned tough Mike Colbert, knocking him down three times. Within months, both Hagler and Hearns would capture world titles, while Roberto Duran would defeat Leonard to win his second world title. The era of “The Four Kings” had begun.

Benitez vs Leonard
An historic victory.

And perhaps its most significant supporting cast member was Wilfred Benitez, who would best Duran before losing to Hearns. Leonard, however, refused to grant him a rematch. This no doubt had much to do with the competitiveness of their bout and the fact Ray had never confronted such a naturally gifted boxer. “It was though I was looking into a mirror,” marveled the new champion at the post-fight press conference. “No one, I mean no one, can make me miss punches like that.”

"El Radar's" greatest triumph: dominating Duran in 1983.
“El Radar’s” greatest triumph: dominating Duran in 1982.

In fact, only two men would defeat Benitez while he was in his prime: Hearns and Leonard, this despite the fact that, incredibly, the Puerto Rican rarely trained with proper consistency and focus. Who knows what Benitez might have accomplished had he possessed more than a modicum of self-discipline and truly dedicated himself to his craft. Instead the youngest world champion of all-time would become one of boxing’s saddest stories, while Leonard went on to become one of its brightest stars.            

— Robert Portis 

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7 thoughts on “Nov. 30, 1979: Benitez vs Leonard

  • August 21, 2016 at 10:42 pm
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    I was ten-years-old when I saw this fight. Feels like yesterday. 15 rounds. Benitez, only 21 but looked like a master of the ring. Sad to know and see the condition he is in today, but what a legend.

    Reply
  • January 10, 2021 at 11:48 pm
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    Two great fights, both for championships. And what few, if any of today’s fans know,or appreciate; they were shown live on TV for the price of just two hours worth of electricity!!

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  • January 11, 2021 at 10:11 am
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    Leonard vs Benitez. Hagler vs Antuofermo. Two great fights, both for championships, and few, if any of today’s boxing fans can appreciate that they were shown live on TV for the price of about two hours of electricity. Boxing was a mainstay of weekend programming on the 3 major networks (ABC,CBS, NBC) since their inception, and I was privileged to watch the rise and fall of many great fighters in the comfort of my home, before Cable and PPV ruined it all. Boxing is in a poor state today and it may never recover. It’s plagued with an alphabet soup of titles and their corrupt organizations, greedy promoters, and cherry picking prima-donnas.

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    • January 25, 2021 at 11:22 am
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      Yes, great fights but Leonard butted Benitez to win. I fought Vito in 1975 and lost a ten round decision.

      Reply
  • February 3, 2021 at 8:59 am
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    This is one of the finest articles I’ve read in many a moon. Robert Portis presents that event in captivating manner thanks, in large part, to his exquisite gift as a writer. Thank you , Mr. Portis, for taking the time to craft such a compelling piece.

    Reply
  • January 8, 2022 at 5:07 pm
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    Leonard was too big for Benitez. Can see from opening round.

    Great fight.

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  • October 17, 2023 at 10:47 pm
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    Benitez was champ and gave Leonard a title shot. The head butt left Benitez fighting half the match with blood running into his eyes. Who knows how the fight would have gone without the butt. Benitez showed great courage by fighting so hard and well under those conditions. Leonard benefited from the butt even though it was unintentional and showed no class by ducking Benitez and not giving him a rematch.

    Reply

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