On Friday, November 30, 1979 Wilfred Benitez made the second defense of his WBC welterweight crown. ABC tv broadcast the bout along with the middleweight championship between Vito Antuofermo and Marvin Hagler. The two fought to a close, controversial draw with Vito keeping is belt.
By the time the two welterweights climbed into the ring, the capacity crowd at the Caesar’s Palace Sports Pavilion was at a fever pitch. The two met at ring center, and stood nose to nose in anticipation of what was certain to be a tough battle.
The first few rounds showed how evenly matched to two boxers were, with Benitez’s defensive skills very evident. The tide of the bout quickly turned when Leonard put Wilfred on the seat of his pants in the third. Rising quickly, the action remained brisk and competitive for most of the 15 round distance. Leonard would later say “It was like looking into a mirror fighting him because he was so slick!” Ray had been the more effective and crisper puncher throughout however and was clearly ahead on points. When he dropped Wilfred with just 15 seconds left in the last round, Benitez arose wobbly and the ref stopped the contest. Sugar Ray Leonard was the new champion of the world, and his future was nothing if not bright.
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