Wilfred Benitez is perhaps the most underappreciated fighter in boxing history.The Puerto Rican puncher rose through the ranks in what is widely considered to be the greatest era of lower-weight boxing from the late 70s and the mid-80s. At the helm of this golden era were the so-called ‘Four Kings’, a quartet of world-class boxers who competed in and around the middleweight division.The stellar group was made up of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, and Thomas Hearns.And while Benitez beat Duran and gave Leonard and Hearns a run for their money, his name has been swept up by his elite company.Some, such as boxing historian Ben Doughty, have made a case for Benitez to be branded ‘the fifth king’.But his inability to land a fight with Hagler meant his membership to boxing’s most revered club was ultimately denied.How good was Wilfred Benitez?Regardless, Benitez was a precocious talent of the highest order.‘El Radar’ turned over as a professional at 15 years old, with the help of a fake ID, and won his first 25 fights en route to landing a world title shot against lineal and WBA super lightweight champion Antonio Cervantes in 1976.Showing maturity well beyond his years, the teenager defeated Cervantes via split decision to become the youngest world champion in boxing history at 17 years, five months, and 23 days old.Cervantes, who was in his physical prime at 30 years old, had defended his belt a remarkable 10 times and was being lined up as a potential dance partner for Duran.He would eventually regain his belt when Benitez moved up in weight, but the fight with Panamanian never came to fruition.GettyBenitez gave Leonard a run for his money in 1979[/caption]In 1979, Benitez became a two-weight world champion at just 20 years old when he overcame Mexico’s Carlos Palomino for the WBC and lineal welterweight titles.After defending his crown against Harold Weston, he ran into Olympic gold medallist and fellow undefeated fighter Leonard, who was challenging for his first world title.Leonard decked Benitez with a flush jab in the third round, but the champion rallied in the second half of the fight to level the scores.Heading into the 15th and final frame, it felt as though the result rested on the last three minutes.And with seconds left on the clock, Leonard seized the initiative by dropping and stopping Benitez.The defeat prompted the youngster to move back down in weight, where he snatched the WBC super lightweight strap from Maurice Hope inside the distance.GettyBenitez lost a majority decision to Hearns in 1982[/caption]One defence later, he was matched up with Duran, fresh off his iconic duels with Leonard.It was in this fight that Benitez proved himself to be a true boxing great by mystifying the rugged veteran with his impenetrable defence and lightning-fast hands, all while holding his feet.A lack of discipline cost Wilfred BenitezUnlike many of Benitez’s fights, including his loss to Leonard, the Puerto Rican trained hard for his battle with Duran, and he reaped the rewards.Unfortunately, though, he fell back into his old habits for his next outing against Hearns.According to his father and trainer, Gregorio Benitez, Wilfred only banked three weeks of training for Hearns, and he paid the price with a majority decision loss.Benitez’s lack of commitment began to catch up with him towards the back end of his career, and by 25 years old, he was a spent force.Wilfred Benitez's career achievements WBA Super Lightweight Champion – March 1976 – November 1976WBC Welterweight Champion – January 1979 – November 1979WBC Light Middleweight Champion – May 1981 – December 1982Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996Boxing’s youngest ever world champion – 17 years, five months, and 23 days old.A year after his defeat to Hearns, he was stunned by the unheralded Mustafa Hamsho and then knocked out inside two rounds by Davey Moore – a fighter who had proved no match for Duran 17 months after Benitez’s masterclass.“He’s still a young man, but he’s an old fighter,” Moore said of Benitez. “He didn’t show much opposition.”By 1986, the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission had revoked Benitez’s license, citing neurological decline as the reason.Three years later, doctors confirmed the pugilist’s symptoms were consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma.Despite this, Benitez returned to the ring in 1990 to fight four times, trading wins and losses with low-level opponents before being forced to hang up his gloves for good.Fast forward to the present day, and the ailing boxer is now fully reliant on his sister, with his condition leaving him unable to take care of himself.A sad reminder of the significant risks that boxing entails.