Chava Sánchez, given a reprieve by fate - where's the ceiling?

Sanchez was craving a move up. He had Arguello in his sights. I don't think that would have ended well. I have a feeling he would have struggled a little as he moved north. Nelson would have been one helluva danger at various points too.

So i see him moving up pronto. Politics killed off any chance of a Pedroza fight. It was never in the planning. There was talk he would skip straight to Alexis.

In short i really don't see him hugely enhancing his legacy. Not at all.

 

Wasn't the Patrick Ford vs Sanchez fight a warning signal too??????

FYI:
http://guyana.hoop.la/topic/former-international-boxer-patrick-ford-dies-in-new-york

 

I think the image of Sanchez is now so hallowed that I don't really like to think of him losing and particularly to fighters he had already beaten (Gomez and Nelson). I all honesty, if they'd rematched at 126, I'm pretty sure Sanchez would have beaten Gomez, but the 1984 Nelson against Sanchez would have been a hell of a tough opponent to overcome. Nelson was pretty good in rematches too so that's the one I think he might lose. So, here's my fantasy take on Sanchez's next few years if he'd lived:

After the Nelson fight, Sanchez is considering his options. He wants to face lightweight champion Alexis Arguello, but Arguello has signed to fight Aaron Pryor in an attempt to become the first world champion at 4 weights. So Sanchez bides his time and makes another defense of his WBC title in November 1982. But then disaster strikes as Arguello is beaten that same month, by ko to Pryor. With the Arguello fight indefinitely suspended, Sanchez weighs up his other options. A rematch with Gomez is a possible money spinner but then Gomez wages a 14 round war with bantamweight champion Lupe Pintor in December. Gomez looks likely to be out of action for some time.

Thoughts now turn for the first time to a featherweight unification match against WBA champ, Eusebio Pedroza. The fight is set for April 1983. In a difficult to score and controversially close clash, Sanchez gets the nod via split decision to become unified and undisputed featherweight and further cements his reputation as one of the greatest featherweights in history. Sanchez is 24 and peaking.

Rather than meet Gomez or Nelson in rematches, Sanchez relinquishes his titles and moves up to super featherweight. The move is well-timed. The WBC super featherweight title has just been vacated and Sanchez is matched with a young Puerto Rican upstart called Hector Camacho. It is August 1983. Sanchez enters the ring as an overwhelming favourite but Camacho surprises him with his incredible speed and also seems to have the edge in power. Sanchez adjusts as the fight goes on but Camacho is just too quick and outpoints Sanchez in a huge upset.

Sanchez takes some time out to consider his next move. After briefly considering retirement, he returns to the ring in early 1984 and wins a 10 rounder. He is now ready for a rematch with Camacho. Unfortunately, Camacho can no longer make weight and moves up to lightweight. The WBC title is vacant again and Sanchez is matched with a young fellow Mexican, Julio Cesar Chavez. In another close fight, the underdog Chavez gets the nod. Sanchez is still only 25, but he is starting to look tired. The move up to super featherweight has not been successful, so Sanchez decides to move one division higher, to lightweight.

Sanchez has a tune up win and then meets newly crowned WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Ramirez. Sanchez outboxes Ramirez to take the title. He is now in place to avenge his defeat by Hector Camacho. In another close, competitive fight, Sanchez turns the tables on Camacho.

Having restored his reputation, Sanchez agrees to meet another Puerto Rican, Edwin Rosario. Rosario is a fighter that can blow hot and cold but on this night, in June 1986, Rosario is on fire and hands a first stoppage defeat to Salvador Sanchez. Sanchez is still only 27 years old but is no longer what he was. Sanchez announces his retirement after the Rosario fight.

 

There was talk about Sanchez - Arguello before Sanchez died. From memory Sanchez himself had shown interest. Arguello could have still made 135 easily, which is where the fight would have been.

It would have been a 9 pound jump. Duran jumped two divisions to beat SRL even given he spent some time there acclimatizing. Sanchez would have surely had a warm up or two and Arguello may have hung around waiting given it would be a big fight. Probably more likely he would have rematched Pryor tho given that was his goal title wise.

 

Still young and at the height of his career, Sanchez nevertheless is already thinking of retirement. ''I'd like to step down undefeated at the end of 1983,'' said Sanchez, who has a wife, Teresa, and two children, 15-month-old Cristian Salvador and 3-month-old Omar. ''I've already distinguished myself in boxing. Now I'd like to distinguish myself in life. I want to carry on studying and become a doctor.''

But he retains one strong ambition in boxing - to move up two divisions and take the world lightweight crown from Alexis Arguello of Nicaragua. ''Alexis is a great champion and he's still very dangerous,'' Sanchez noted. ''The problem is that Alexis also wants to go up a division and I can't go above lightweight without losing strength.''

 

Good to see the memory hasn't let me down in this one -

https://www.thefightcity.com/sanche...exis-arguello-wilfredo-gomez-don-king-mexico/

 

Yeah, given that Arguello fought Pryor, up at 140, just 3 or 4 months after Sanchez's death, I don't think that fight was going to happen. I recall reading that Juan Laporte was preparing for a rematch with Sanchez when he died. Sanchez wins that. The WBA-WBC didn't play together well in that time period. I don't see Sanchez-Pedroza happening. Rematch with Nelson is possible. I think Sanchez would win that again. Gomez wasn't the same fighter at 126 and would've gotten stopped again. 130 - Chacon would have been interesting. Good fight. I'd go Sanchez on a clear decision. Limon would get picked apart. Navarette, interesting for awhile. Boza was too easy to hit. Mayweather would keep it interesting with that jab. Maybe like the Ford fight a bit. Sanchez would take it down the stretch. The one at 130 that's a nightmare matchup I think is Camacho. I think Sanchez would be trailing heading into the championship rounds. Can't recall Camacho going 15 rounds. He'd have to hold on. Always thought that would be Sanchez's toughest fight by far at 130, unless he hung around for Chavez.