40 Years Ago: A Teen-Ager Becomes Champion at 17

[elmersalsa]

On this month, a teen age lad, whupped a grown man for the crown in San Juan, Puerto Rico to become the youngest fighter ever to win a world title. The great Wilfred Benitez, 17, schooled and gave WBA Jr. Welterweight Champion, Antonio Cervantes (Kid Pambele) of Colombia a boxing lesson.

A grown man was beaten by a boy. It was Benitez' finest hour.

[Rexob]

Never to be repeated amazing achievement shot to pieces by 24 though.

[PredatorHayds]

Great fighter. Peaked way to soon.

[tiny_acres]

I know I'm going to sound old but it feels like just the other day that it happened
Damn I've been watching boxing way too long

[elmersalsa]

When I was a boy, I never knew about The Radar beating Kid Pambele. I never understood the magnitude of a 17 year old boxer beating a grown man and established champion. I knew about it when Benitez was going to fight the great Sugar Ray Leonard in '79. I saw clips of the fight with Cervantes and I asked myself, "Wow!, did he beat Kid Pambele?"

I knew of Benitez for the first time when he beat champion Carlos Palomino of Los Angeles. The fight was outdoors at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A great fight that Benitez won without a doubt.

But, now, I understand the importance and magnitude of a teen ager becoming world champion at any sport. Especially, in a dangerous and brutal sport like boxing. Even now, I understand the importance of the great Mike Tyson when he won the heavyweight championship at only 20 years old! That's an amazing feat for anyone of that young age.

Seventeen or twenty years old is TOO YOUNG to be champion in boxing, ain't it?