Quote Originally Posted by generalbulldog View Post
Wilfredo Benitez beating Cervantes for the lineal 140 crown at 17! He was still a boy and not yet a developed man yet. The youngest in history to achieve this feat. In fact I can only name 2 other guys in boxing history that became lineal champs at their division in their teen years. One is Canzoneri and the other Pacquiao. I'm pretty sure there may be 1 or 2 more but I'm not sure.
It's a pretty goddamned short list.
Benitez at 17
Pipino Cuevas at 18
Manny at 18
Tony Canzoneri at 19 (though he got a draw at 18 for the bantam crown IIRC)
Lionel Rose at 19
Ben Villaflor at 19

Those guys all won lineal/undisputed crowns

Hiroki Ioka at 18 won the first 105 title if you want to count him.

I think that's it. 135 years of boxing as we now know it and it's been done only 6-7 times.