Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight divisions at the age of seventeen, he is best remembered as a skilled and aggressive fighter with exceptional defensive abilities, along with his fights with Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard.

Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996, he is considered among the best Puerto Rican boxers of all time, sharing the honor with Félix Trinidad, Wilfredo Gómez, Carlos Ortiz, Héctor Camacho, Edwin Rosario and Miguel Cotto.^[1]

Benítez turned pro at 15, a young prodigy who was managed by his father Gregorio Benítez, was a member of one of Puerto Rico's boxing families. His brothers Frankie and Gregory Benítez having also been top contenders in the 1970s. The Benítez troop was largely directed by their mother, Clara Benítez. Young Wilfred was nicknamed "The Radar" for his uncanny ability to foresee and dodge his opponent's blows.^[2] He grew up going to a neighborhood boxing gym in New York, where he learned from watching his brothers and other local, renowned fighters practice their skills.

During the early stages of his professional career, Benítez often traveled to the Netherlands Antilles and New York City for fights. He divided his fights between those locations and Puerto Rico. The proximity of those two locations to Puerto Rico helped him start to become a household name in the island while building an international following at the same time. His speed, combined with punching power and surprising ring maturity for a 16-year-old, were enough to make him a world-ranked boxer by both the WBA and WBC, then boxing's only world-title recognizing organizations.

On March 6, 1976, at age 17, with his high school classmates in attendance, he faced Lineal^[3] and WBA Light Welterweight champion Antonio Cervantes. Known as Kid Pambele, the champion was 30 years old, had a record of 74-9-3 with 35 KO's, and had made 10 title defenses. The result was a fifteen-round split decision in Benítez's favor.^[4] Benítez retained the championship three times, and then moved up to the welterweight division.

After retiring from boxing in late 1990, Benítez returned to Puerto Rico, where he lived with his mother Clara on a $200 a month pension provided by the World Boxing Council. Since 1989, Benítez has suffered from an incurable, degenerative brain condition caused by the blows that he took in the ring.^[8]

In 1997, Benítez was moved to a public nursing home for medical reasons by his mother Clara, a licensed nurse.^[9]

In 2002, Sugar Ray Leonard visited Benítez, who by this time had forgotten his identity.^[10] During the visit, their fight was shown on television. Consequently, Benítez remembered the event and said to Leonard, "Ray, I did not train for that fight."^[10]

In 2004, Benítez was diagnosed with diabetes, adding further complications to his worsening health. When his mother died in the summer of 2008, his sister Yvonne Benítez, took over his care.

In 2018, after Hurricane Maria destroyed his home and made it difficult for Benítez to receive therapy, an old friend and boxing mate, Luis Mateo, helped Benítez and his sister move to Chicago. It was their hope that in Chicago, Benítez would receive better health care.^[8]

Ring 10, a non-profit organization that helps impoverished former fighters, provides a monthly stipend to Benítez and established "The Wilfred Benítez Fund" to raise more money to aid the fallen champion.^[11]

During 2012, Benítez was honored with a statue in Puerto Rico.^[12]

On November 27, 2012, a smiling and healthy looking Benítez attended the funeral of Hector Camacho in Puerto Rico, arriving in a wheelchair. Benítez arrived accompanied by boxers Félix Trinidad, Wilfredo Gómez, and Alfredo Escalera. Surprising the mourners, Benítez rose to his feet for a boxing pose in front of Camacho's coffin.^[13]

With the emotional and financial assistance of former Benitez sparring partner Luis Mateo and Chicago's Puerto Rican community, on June 1, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Wilfred Benitez, age 59, and his sister Yvonne Benitez, arrived in Chicago, Illinois, where he spent the first week in the hospital, then was moved to an apartment on Chicago's West Side. Donations from the Chicago Puerto Rican community helped pay for the plane tickets, and continue ongoing to provide expense money for the apartment, food, and other necessities, according to Mateo and Yvonne Benitez. Wilfred appears in overall better health, good spirits, has gained weight, tries to talk, and is more alert since his arrival in the mainland United States.^[14]

• Benítez was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996.
• Key to the City Carolina, Puerto Rico (1984)

• List of world light-welterweight boxing champions
• List of world welterweight boxing champions
• List of world light-middleweight boxing champions
• List of boxing triple champions
• List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions
• Sports in Puerto Rico
• Afro–Puerto Ricans