Salvador Sanchez - Championship Profile (Video)

I can't think of a greater loss to boxing in his prime. Perhaps Marcel Cerdan but he was already in his 30's. Stanley Ketchel was young but its hard to assess how great he was due to poor film quality.

Sanchez was amazing. Brilliant footwork, defense, combinations, etc.

Sanchez-Arguello is one of my all time fantasy match ups.

Great video and commentary Rumsfeld.

 

Eusebio Pedroza vs. Salvador Sanchez would have been legendary featherweight battle. I'd probably favor Pedroza from the footage I've seen.

 

Definitely one of boxing's greatest losses. Sanchez was astonishingly self-assured, cool, and patient (not just for his age). He had a great style and could only have gotten better as his ring experience grew.

I've always thought he would have been a pound for pound top 10 ATG and multiple title holder had he lived.

RIP

 

Just watched this one. Hence why I bumped the other thread, but I really do need to make a point of watching the rest of Sanchez's title reign. Everything he did was sooooooo smooth and natural, it's awesome to watch.

Great vid, Rummy. I think this is my favourite YouTube channel.

 

I’ll have to check out the video a little later today but I always wondered with that tall frame how far up in weight he could have gone effectively. Lightweight isn’t out of the question although I’m not sure he would carry enough power to make that leap — probably would have also been great at 130 though.

 

He rarely exhibited the over-anxious behaviors of even fighters much older than him. His performance against Gomez is masterful, in its own way Boxing as Art.

I put no limits as to what he could have done.

 

Yeah, Sanchez was awesome. His peak performance was, IMO, vs Little Red. He was as perfect as any counter-puncher has ever been those two nights. His patience and stoic face is iconic.

I do find him overrated. I think he was second best to Pedroza, and had they fought eachother, El Alacrán walks away the winner. I also don't think he had the frame to move up too far with overwhelming success. He'd obviously beat the average SFW or LW, but I highly doubt he'd beat any ATGs there. Especially as they get longer, since he had big trouble with the freakish dimensions of Pat Ford.

 

That would have been an extremely cool fight to see, George. Pedroza was no joke, whatsoever.

 

As I note all the time, I am not convinced at all that Sanchez had a tremendous amount of time left in the game anyway. All talk of a medical career aside (which he more than hinted at) one must remember that he trained and performed at a super-high limit and turned pro at 15. A fighter's only got so many years in him, regardless of actual physical age. He honed himself to a razor's edge to the point that I think it's unrealistic to expect him or anyone to maintain that level ad nauseum. People get distracted or tired and they slip, be it mentally or physically or whatever. No one can do that forever. And let's be honest, a big part of why he was as good as he was had to do with the kind of condition he was in, and how focused he was able to keep himself. The distractions of family and new career goals (medicine or whatever) are a real thing. I give him a couple more years at the top, but no more than that. Further, I think it's completely offbase to say that he "had his whole career in front of him." By 1982 it would have been largely in the rearview mirror even had he lived. He'd had a long series of tough, taxing extended efforts behind him at that time.

I agree that Pedroza would have been tough on him but it should be equally noted that Pedroza never faced anyone as good as HIM either. That styles thing works both ways.

As soon as I can get to a computer with speakers I look forward to watching this video.

 

Excellent video.

 

Then my work here is done!

 

Not a word there that I would disagree with. He burned bright at a level that couldn't be sustained.

His fateful drive on the day he died was apparently the first time he had ever broken training camp and there was talk that he was visiting a mistress. Obviously neither single issue would be much of a big deal for any fighter but it was a sign of a crack. Prior to that, in his brilliant championship career, he had maintained ultra discipline. His performances weren't just about talent but also utter dedication and focus and everything coming together on the night.

Pedroza and Arguello would have been incredible wins and made him all time top 10-20 P4P for me, but I can't see him getting past both men. That's no sleight though. He fought regularly against top opposition; it would have been nigh on impossible to maintain that without a loss. And even if he'd lived, he had been going to the well a lot. Look how quickly he was getting back in the ring after Nelson to fight Laporte. That's a tough schedule against tough men.

Brilliant fighter. Terrible loss but not the loss to boxing that is cited - and I realise how heartless that sounds. Burt he doesn't get inflated glory because he died young. The glory he gets is richly deserved and was earned 100% in the ring.

 

Good post!