Prime Salvador Sanchez 1981 vs Prime Barry McGuigan 1985 126 lbs 15 rounds

Our wee Barry might have gone the distance but that is about as good as it gets for him in my mind.

His legend has faded a bit just due to time but I remember growing up. Legend over here. Pretty sure I had a Barry McGuigan boxing game for atari or something.

 

This!

 

I wonder how many of the posters here who have been dismissive of McGuigan actually remember him or saw him fight live. As a couple of people have already pointed out, he gets massively under rated on this site.
For a brief period from 1984 / 85, before Barney Eastwood burned him out, Barry had all the attributes of a great Fighter. He was a tremendous mover, was quick, brave and punched holes in opponents. Good opponents. Barry also had exceptional reach and an excellent jab.
A lot of people are going to point to the Steve Cruz fight in making the point that McGuigan couldn't have lived with Sanchez but by then Barry was killing himself getting down to 9 Stone. He had also trained and sparred in preparation for an Argentinian slugger called Sosa, not a southpaw cutie like Cruz.
Just as McGuigan is sold criminally short, this site views Sanchez as a James Dean or Kurt Cobain like figure. His tragic and untimely death has allowed people to believe he was invulnerable. At 23, yes, he was already great with his relaxed style and wicked punch. Some of the names on his record are incredible.
As to the argument that Barry's style makes him sacrificial against a brilliant counter puncher like Sanchez, Have a look at the re-match with Little Red Lopez or his last fight against a very green Azumah Nelson. Neck and neck in both fights when he pulled it out of the fire. Against Nelson in the 15th.
Sanchez probably did have the talent, smarts and power to beat Barry but don't forget, a left hook to the liver takes you down, regardless of how tough or talented you are.
Sanchez's record suggests he may well have had the beating of McGuigan but no one will ever convince me it would have been easy.

 

Sanchez UD or late tko

 

He was good but Sanchez was a cut above.

McGuigan caught Pedroza at the perfect time.

Prime Sanchez was too versatile for Barry.

 

Pedroza was clearly way past his peak by then

I watched Pedroza get dropped by Gerald Hayes and staggered by past prime and blown up in weight Jorge Lujan in 84-early 85. He was primed to be taken.

 

A lot of good points made here, and I too think he's underplayed a bit. I think part of the reason for that is just how short his days at the top were. In effect, I'm not even sure we're not OVER-rating him somewhat.

Laporte fought as if he was portioned only a dozen punches a round, a perfect foil for a busy pressure fighter like Barry. Pedroza had looked bad for the better part of a year and a half, even getting decked by Gerald Hayes in a non-title fight. He was ready to be taken. Barry was good, had a lot of things going for him, but I can't envision anything Barry might do that would upend Sanchez.

 

Damn. Got there before me.

 

The Pedroza who beat Ford would have done a number on Barry.

 

Thank God someone else said it. The constant pressure of Barry was damn fun to watch, and clearly effective, but he wasn't quick enough to avoid getting hit hard vs an old Pedroza... a prime one would match his workrate and punish McGuigan on the way in, on the inside and at long range.

It'd be as brutal as what this one would be.

 

Barry was a very good fighter...and he came into the ring with the weight of an entire country on his shoulders. Actually two countries. People remember the Cruz fight where it was 105F and his corner didn't give him any water ffs.

Sanchez is like James Dean or Jim Morrison...died young and left a good looking corpse.

Nevertheless Sal wins a great action packed 15 rounder...that assumes Barry's corner brings a couple water bottles to the fight.

 

Salvador by 13th round stoppage.