How many prime Feathers beat prime Sanchez?

I could watch Sanchez throw his left hook all day

 

Definitely. It's the kind of fight that only 15 rounds could produce. The shifts in momentum and Sanchez coming on again after Nelson started to take the initiative away from Sanchez... just classic stuff.

 

I'm a huge fan of his and don't believe you're overrating him either. Great thread btw.

 

I'd pick a prime, seasoned Azumah Nelson to beat him.

 

Pedroza was generally a harder target than Sanchez, using smooth movement, slips and a tight guard to avoid more shots than Chava was inclined to do. He could work in close, using tactics fair and foul, and could dominate at range using a quick jab that could instantly be turned it a nasty hook. Yes, he was stopped at bantamweight, but his durability improved dramatically at feather-and he wouldn't be facing a particularly concussive puncher in Sanchez. Facing a guy who tended to struggle against counter punchers, I think Pedroza enjoys a lot of success.

As for Salvidar, he faced Winstone x3, Famechon and Legra, all of whom could box and counter quite effectively. Saldivar handled them quite well and I think could make things miserable for a guy who sometimes started slow out of then gate and wasn't unhittable, even at his best.

 

Top 10 but probably not top 5. I think he is a bonafide ATG but mildly overrated due to his early demise. There, i said it. I think over the full course of history there are probably guys he might struggle with stylistically. Scary character against guys that want to pressure him.

 

Not a silly claim either. Nelson too was one helluva fighter.

 

Great great fight but that was a pre prime Nelson to me and he only took the fight on a week or so notice. Not to take anything away from Sanchez it just is what it is

 

I'm with John and Drew. Sanchez was a stone cold ATG but definitely not quite the perfect all-rounder Suzie is making him out to be (while being dismissive of Saldivar,Pedroza and Marcel, three ATGs themselves). Like Drew says, he was a natural counterpuncher who liked his opponent to come to him and leave openings and was slightly susceptible to really good fighters who didn't. Not inept or incapable, but it visibly bothered him- it's there to see on film. He had a hard time with Cowdell although I felt he won but he really had a tough time with Ford and Castillo; both fights could've easily gone against him. I've watched the Ford fight twice now and scored it a draw on one occasion and to Ford by a point on the other. Likewise I scored the Castillo fight a draw.

Re: Pedroza supposedly struggling with fighters who Sanchez beat, he had a tougher time with the more seasoned version of Laporte, who was green when Sal beat him. But Pedroza completely dismantled Ford and made him look insignificant where Sanchez had fits with him.

Saldivar beat plenty of top counter punchers very convincingly, he was a specialist at hunting down moving targets over 15 rounds. He legitimately beat Laguna ffs and completely took apart a highly-skilled, hard-hitting HOF counter -puncher in the form of Ramos. As well as hunting down Winstone x3, Fammo, Seki, Legra, Rojas, Luis etc. He had the same tendency as Sanchez and Pedroza too to pick up his pace in the championship rounds to a frightening degree, being like a Tasmanian devil from 12 through 15. His straight left was one of the atg punches at feather and would've been a significant weapon against Sal, as was his right hook to the body, and he was a fearsome combination puncher who wasn't easy to catch clean coming in. Him against Sanchez is one of the all time matchups at the weight seeing how Sal excelled against aggressive fighters.

Marcel held his own with Duran and outboxed Arguello over 15 as well as outclassing the excellent Gomez twice and the very good Shibata despite what the cards said at the end. He dealt with fighters of all styles including elite counter punchers and had a really smooth, slick, fluid bouncy style. Great movement, punch slipping ability, fast hands, the works. Hugely underrated great fighter.

 

I'm not trying to be dismissive of Sanchez, the man was truly great and I thoroughly enjoy watching him fight, especially beating up that oik Gomez like an old slipper. His counter punching talent, poise and android-like stamina/durabilty were something to behold. I just don't think that he was the unbeatable ubermensch that his staunchest supporters do or that his comfort zone as a fighter should always be explained away as him fighting down to his opposition as is often the case (though he was slightly guilty of this at times, in fairness).

 

I agree. He would have beaten Pedroza.

 

If the Sanchez v Arquello at Superfeather had come off, then Sanchez's star would even greater if he had won, but his last 2 fights showed he was slightly vulnerable in certain situations.

"He's (Sanchez) already signed to fight Arguello. Arguello has also signed but he's doing what he always does, reneging on contracts." -Promoter Don King, on a proposed Arguello v Sanchez jr. lightweight title bout

1981-12-12 : Salvador Sanchez 126 lbs beat Pat Cowdell 125½ lbs by SD in round 15 of 15

• Location: Astrodome, Houston, Texas, USA
• Referee: Steve Crosson
• Judge: Dick Cole 146-140
• Judge: James Jen Kin 148-137
• Judge: Bob McMillon 144-145

• WBC Featherweight Title
• Weights: Sanchez 126; Cowdell 125½
  
  

1982-07-21 : Azumah Nelson 124 lbs lost to Salvador Sanchez 126 lbs by TKO at 1:49 in round 15 of 15

• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA
• Referee: Tony Perez
• Judge: Tony Castellano 131-135
• Judge: Al Reid 133-132
• Judge: Artie Aidala 131-134

• WBC Featherweight Title
• Time: 1:49
• Weights: Sanchez 126; Nelson 124

• Unofficial AP scorecard (after 14 completed rounds) 133-132 Sanchez
• After this bout promoter Don King announced the Salvador Sanchez v Juan LaPorte rematch for September 15th in Madison Square Garden.

Knockdowns: Nelson down once in the 7th; once in the 15th.

In a very entertaining fight with both fighters landing plenty of leather, Azumah Nelson puts on a very unexpected, entertaining slugfest. It is a war from the start with both fighters fighting at range but letting their fists fly. Nelson is hurt repeatedly with left hooks to the head, but Nelson is landing more round by round. Sanchez broke through Nelson's rampage hurt and dropped nelson with a crushing left hook. Nelson was down in the 7th round but got up (not really a surprise) and returned to the way he was fighting before the knockdown. It was virtually a phone booth fight from there on with both fighters landing plenty of hard shots. With both fighters tired going into the 15th round, Sanchez comes out with his (like) 5th wind and hurts Nelson badly with a hard right and another devestating left hook and Nelson staggers badly just before falling into a corner. Nelson rises, still hurt, and Sanchez seizes the opportunity. He goes right after him, lands a couple more serious blows and Nelson staggers more just before the referee jumps in to call a halt at the 1:47 mark of the fifteenth and final round. Sanchez showed his greatness by stopping a young and aggressive Azumah Nelson, even though Sanchez was going to win on the scorecards.

Sanchez dies shortly after this fight in an automobile accident on August 12th, 1982. In his career, he beat two future Hall-of-Famers: Wilfredo Gomez, and Azumah Nelson. He took on great opposition in beating Danny Lopez (twice), Juan Laporte (who gave Julio Cesar Chavez many problems), Ruben Castillo, Patrick Ford, and Roberto Castanon. He was a great fighter, an even better champion, and a very devestating puncher. It is good to remember Salvador "Chava" Sanchez for what he did do, even if he could've done a lot more.

Post fight comments

• "He was a very strong fighter with a lot of heart. He came to take my title. I wanted to finish him off earlier but he was too strong." -Salvador Sanchez

• "If Azumah had had a few more fights he would have won. Next time you'll see a different Azumah Nelson." -John Kermah, Nelson's manager

• "He's (Sanchez) already signed to fight Arguello. Arguello has also signed but he's doing what he always does, reneging on contracts." -Promoter Don King, on a proposed Arguello v Sanchez jr. lightweight title bout.

 

Beautifully said.

I do myself think Sanchez would have eased past Pedroza but it's an intriguing matchup.

 

I believe this to be a great post. Thanks TR. Always felt nobody was unbeatable as well. But I don't really believe that he fought down to his opposition. I feel that he was very relaxed and composed in the ring and only amped it up when necessary.

 

Yeah, maybe I’m fallen in love with him too much but when I watch him on film I see a special talent. And his resume at only 23 years old is unbelievable. I think we saw enough of him to be able to rate him highly, but I also think had his career continued he would have beaten Arguello and eventually gone down as a 10 top p4p fighter of all time