Wilfred Benitez was a very impressive and skilled fighter with marvelous defensive skills. Even in his loss to Sugar Ray Leonard he made Leonard a very talented and fast fighter miss time and time again as Benitez seemed to have radar. With Chavez you had a tough fighter who came after you with those brutal body shots and extreme pressure putting up one of the all time greatest fight resume in boxing history. Benitez never lost as a junior welterweight and Chavez may have been at his prime best at this weight. As a welterweight I would give Benitez a slight edge in an exciting fight much like he was as a jr middle vs Duran. Here is a little rundown of each fighter.
Wilfredo Benitez Won: 53 Lost: 8 Draws: 1 Kayo's: 31
Best wins over Palomino, Duran, Cervantes, Weston and Hope
J.C. Chavez Won 107 Lost 6 Draws 2 Kayo's 86
Best wins over M. Taylor, Haughen, Camacho Mayweather, Rosario, Lockridege, and LaPorte.
Chavez is clearly the harder puncher but Benitez is faster and more scientific in his ring approach. Chavez is a dangerous fighter on the inside and Benitez is really good at maing his opponent miss. Chavez would be more capable wearing Benitez down in the late rounds but Benitez is very crafty and smart. I believe that in series of 3 fights that Chavez wins two really close decisions and Benitez the other.
I favor Chavez as he had the will to win. Benitez, though an outstanding fighter, was almost forced to be a boxer by his dad. If Benitez had more of a killer instinct I would bet on him to win, especially at welterweight. I would say Chavez is still a 2-1 favorite and I pick him to win, but don't be surprised with an upset!
A fight between the two at their primes could have conceivably happen at 140 lbs. Chavez was no longer prime and was already very beatable when he ventured into the welterweights in 1998 and was stopped brutally by Oscar de la Hoya who had also earlier inflicted only his second official loss by TKO in wresting his junior welterweight crown in 1996.
Wilfred Benitez was the youngest to win a world title at the age of 17 and he did it by beating the legendary Antonio Kid Pembele Cervantes by split decision in 1976 to crown himself as WBA junior welterweight champion. He would defend the said title twice beating Emiliano Villa on UD and Tony Petronelli by TKO before invading the welterweights and wresting the WBC crown by SD over another legendary titlist Carlos Palomino.
Chavez was at his most vulnerable at 140 lbs. after almost effortlessly dominating 130 lbs. and 135 lbs. He suffered his first career loss at that level dropping a SD to Frankie Randall, a defeat he would avenge later. He would also lose to ODLH, saved from a sure points loss to Meldrick Taylor by a controversial last two ticks TKO win and was gifted by a questionable draw with Pernell Whitaker. But he also had fine wins at 140 over the likes of Roger Mayweather, Hector Camacho, Greg Haugen, Miguel Angel Gonzales.
The Benitez fight would be like his bout with Whitaker where he would be the aggressor throughout but would not be effective as Wilfred would be very hard to pin down and tag cleanly. The youthful Benitez would have a field day pot shooting and countering at every opportunity. It would still be a very difficult fight for Wilfred as Chavez would be as tough, or even tougher and more dangerous than Kid Pambele.
But in a fairly contested and officiated contest, I would take Benitez to win by close decision, perhaps majority or split.
Many here obviously did not see much or never saw Wilfred Benitez in his unbeaten streak at 140 and 147 lbs. until he run into Sugar Ray Leonard. His being a Puerto Rican against a Mexican great, greatest in fact, should not be an issue here. Benitez losses have come only against the very best as Leonard ( last round TKO ) and Tommy Hearns ( majority decision only! ) and at 147 lbs. and above He also handily beat Roberto Duran! You mean Chavez was better than three of the so-called Four Kings of the 80s???
i think chavez would cope with benitez ok . it would be a like the chavez vs camacho fight it's just weather benitez gets to the final bell or not .
i'm a massive chavez fan so i'm not the the most neutral guy to ask
Chavez sr prime or not he destroyed every rican that went his way. He was indeed the Puerto Rican assassin. And he made em look like fools.
I think they were at different weights at their prime.
