When Salvador Sanchez, seeded six, met Danny Lopez (just missed out) in 1980, he was not particularly well known, nor had he done much to build a reputation that would have made him well known, despite his riding a thirteen fight winning streak. His opposition, though perhaps not quite soft, had been questionable and he had yet to win a fight over a distance longer than ten rounds. Nor was there great surprise when Sanchez made the early running against Lopez – after all, almost everyone did. What surprised was that, come the championship rounds, he was still battering Lopez around the ring, a superb defense barracked by an excellent chin allowing him to throw concise, compact punches without fear of reprisals. Happily standing toe-to-toe with the champion, Sanchez stopped Lopez in the thirteenth round, hammering him into submission like so much of the limited competition he feasted on throughout the early part of his career. As the 1980s dawned, so did the title reign of Sal Sanchez, and it was to be a brilliant one. His first defense was perhaps his toughest, against the #2 contender Ruben Castillo. Castillo and Sanchez were almost identical physically, the same age, the same height and of course the same weight; the only significant difference was Sanchez’s advantage in reach. Castillo was then unbeaten outside of a knockout loss to Alexis Arguello, in which he had gathered invaluable experience against a rangier fighter; he applied this against Sanchez, feinting and circling to draw Sanchez across him before throwing the left. It’s beautiful to watch and brought Castillo many of the early rounds; Sanchez made a wonderful adjustment, introducing a shepherding jab and patiently holding his line while applying pressure. Nevertheless, I didn’t see Sanchez ahead until the eleventh in what is my favorite of his performances; in the championship rounds, he assumed control, winning three of the last four. In his second defense he stopped Danny Lopez for a second time and then matched the huge Ghanaian Pat Ford, a giant of a featherweight who towered over Sanchez. To say the Mexican was troubled in this fight is an understatement and he needed his customary late rally to pull out the decision, winning twelve through fifteen on my card against a game, awkward opponent. This fight confirmed Sanchez over the distance. He proved it over and again in what were glory days for the featherweight title. He scored a dominant fifteen round decision over the excellent Juan Laporte, ranked #3, stopped #6 Roberto Castanon in ten, crushed the legendary Wilfredo Gomez in eight, staging two more defenses before his legendary contest with Azumah Nelson, a fifteenth round knockout over an opponent he had perhaps taken a little lightly. Sanchez was repeatedly troubled through this glorious title run which makes me wonder about his future had he not been tragically killed in a car crash in 1982. He had the generalship, stamina, jaw and punch selection to trouble just about anyone but that slow start he was often guilty of may have hurt him against a fighter like Pedroza, or some lesser contender. But maybe, just maybe, his ability to think on his feet, to adjust across the ring, would have bought his way out of trouble against all of them. This content is protected The man Terry McGovern (Seeded 11) could never beat, Young Corbett II. They met twice for the title, first in 1901. The champion was seen, at that time, as near invincible but no less a personage than George Dixon was unsure. The faded master had been defeated by McGovern in 1900, but had also lost to Corbett the year after. That fight had been compounded savagery, both men emerging bloody and exhausted, Corbett the winner. Dixon was not convinced that McGovern had the beating of Corbett, though he stopped short of picking the Coloradan challenger. Those interested in such things may have run across the often spun legend that Corbett stopped outside the champion’s changing room door to roar insults and that this somehow coerced McGovern into fighting toe-to-toe. This is nonsense. McGovern’s only wish was to fight toe-to-toe and burn his opponent alongside him in that furnace. Rather, Corbett’s insults showed McGovern that he was not intimidated. Many were. Corbett’s steady nerve and McGovern’s viciousness produced a bitter and violent confrontation that lasted just two rounds. The second was legendary, ebbing and flowing moment by moment. Corbett ended the affair with a right uppercut to the jaw that left McGovern, never beaten until that point except by disqualification, senseless for fifteen seconds. The world had a new champion. The two fought a rematch in 1903. McGovern was still two years from commitment to Stamford Hill Sanatorium but an addiction to the racetrack and what the newspapers gently referred to as “domestic troubles” beset him. Nevertheless, such was McGovern’s reputation that he remained the betting favorite. In a “rough and desperate fight” he was beaten once more and once more the finishing punch was a Corbett right uppercut, this time in the eleventh. In a hellish finish, McGovern was pinned in “the northwest corner, with his hands down, eyes staring, apparently sightless.” McGovern contended the count; there seems little doubt he was the beaten man. This content is protected Who will win under the following rules? 15 round fight. 1950s referee. 8oz boxing gloves. 10 points must. Cast your vote and explain yourself in a post below! You have 3 days.
Sal Sanchez for my money is the best Mexican FW in the history of great Mexican FW fighters. Young Corbett, outside of beating McGovern didn't do an awful lot impress me in his career tbh. I see it as he just having McGoverns number. Either way I wouldn't face either man over Sanchez. The guy was just relentlessly brilliant.
Sal for me. The thing about him is he never seemed to get flustered in the ring. He had the same demeanor even after making adjustments. Cool as a cucumber. He takes this decision.
Sanchez is just too versatile and well rounded for Corbett here. Corbett was able to beat McGovern at his own game, a hugely impressive feat, but he wouldn't be able to draw Sanchez into a firefight. Sanchez by TKO around the 14th round.
Corbett also beat Hanlon, Dixon, Santry, Gardner. He carried his title claim from 126 to 130, and was undoubtedly an elite fighter.
He did but Dixon was after McGovern had already smashed him. Same with Gardner. He was an elite of the era, without question,but outside of the McGovern wins he doesn't overly impress me. Still, those victories over McGovern in themselves are impressive.
Salvador Sanchez cleanly outboxed YCII to reach the quarter finals in a consummate performance and something of a left-handed clinic. YCII rushed and rushed Sanchez but was repeatedly met with counter-uppercuts and fleet footwork in front of a jab-left-hook combination that left YCII a swollen, blood filled mask. Peace broke out around round 11, with YCII threatening but no longer rushing and Sanchez controlling him utterly with his jab. Probably the Mexican could have scored the stoppage but YCII remained dangerous and Sanchez winning every round; two official cards saw the fight 13-2 with the third scoring it 12-3.
