If Boxers hadn't passed away so young they would have been even greater than they are remembered

Benny Paret, Davey Moore, James Shuler, and Davey Moore.

 

You just never know: The live fast, die young, leave a good-looking corpse James Dean thing can enhance a reputation because we never see a decline. Like they’re preserved in ice forever.

Salvador Sanchez might be a case of this. He was every bit as good as remembered, but had he not died young we might have seen him lose a unification with Eusebio Pedroza had one ever happened; he might have moved up to 130 and been found wanting against the likes of Bobby Chacon and others, or become just a guy at 135.

Heck, he also might have cleaned out feather, junior light, lightweight and junior welter for all we know. But the point is what we did see of him was greatness in its prime … we just don’t know how long that prime would have lasted or if he would have ended up being a shooting star who flamed out early.

 

Edwin Valero as well, he had unbelievable power, but had he stepped up in weight would he have beaten Marquez, Manny or any other of the assassins around his weight class as they were mooted around before he did heinous crime.

What I remember of him his is a slightly flawed wrecking machine with savage power, but like Sanchez there is more questions than answers for what he might have been.

On people who never made it to the big time before death, Darren Sutherland was one I thought was destined for world titles, and although hardly tested in the pro game, I remember him as one who looked ready made for the world level.

 

Definitely lower, because he loses his career best wins.

You could still have made a good case, for having him in the same group as men like Dempsey or Marciano.

He has still dethroned Liston, and he has still consistently defended against ranked contenders.