Inspired by the thread on the late champ by The Morlocks, let’s suppose Sal Sanchez had lived and, furthermore, elected to move up in weight. He certainly seemed to have the frame to do it — a long (for a featherweight) 5-foot-6 with a 68-inch reach. I think there was some belief that he was starting to struggle to make 127 — we didn’t know at the time of his last fight that Azumah Nelson was going to become what he would later become, so blaming that tough go on the rigors of making weight would have made sense at that time. I don’t think a unification with Eusebio Pedroza was ever in the offing. Not enough money to make it attractive enough for either to make the fight. So I figure by some point in 1983 Sanchez moves up to 130. And he probably tops out (at least as a championship-level guy) at lightweight. My figuring is he goes to 130 early in 1983, where he might be able to challenge Bobby Chacon. Next would be a bigger-money fight with Hector Camacho. If he gets through those two, he probably is enticed to move up to 135 to face Ray Mancini in a PPV-level bout. I’m not 100 percent sure that he can hold off the naturally bigger, stronger Boom Boom, but if he does he probably isn’t able to hold onto that belt for too long. Maybe he stays around and gets a crack at the IBF title and beats a Jimmy Paul or a Greg Haugen ... then loses to Camacho in a rematch or perhaps Edwin Rosario to end his days as a champion. What do you think?
It's difficult because he was a surgeon. I doubt a bigger guy putting a pace on him would bother him at all, he was faster and would look faster against bigger guys other then perhaps Camacho who I'd favor to beat him. He might top out right there. But I think i;d favor him over Chacon and Mancini who were big but easily hit.
I will let others analyze the details, and just say that if anyone had the indefinable quality of "greatness," it was Salvador. Beaten PfP the hardest puncher in boxing in Wifredo Gomez, another guy that would go on to become an ATG in Nelson, and a couple of other champs that I can think of in Little Red Lopez and Juan Laporte. Dead at 23. Life is not fair, and this was cruel not only to the man, but his fans and fans of the sport. I believe he could have done anything he decided to do. RIP.
Rematch with Nelson. If he takes that and he should. Pedroza I lean towards Pedroza. If he does happen to take that then Arguello. I favor Arguello. Adleast that's the order I would have liked in a perfect world. Sprinkle in some fights with top 10 guys in between.
Could see Salvador moving up to beat a Sammy Serrano, or maybe Bobby Chacon, but not a Hector Camacho, Edwin Rosario, Howard Davis jr, or Hilmer Kenty type fighter. Boom Boom Mancini would take him as well.
Hank Armstrong jumped from FWt. to beat Barney Ross who was a smallish WW. Got to project what Sanchez might have done. Thinking abt it.
Maybe Sanchez should have gone north a few pounds and tested the Superfeatherweight waters taking on Alfredo "Snakeman" Escalera in a non-title bout in San Juan in the late 70's, before the AArquello 2nd fight in which the Snakeman still had something left, but ended up taking a bad beating which basically finished his career. We may have had a better feel how good Sanchez would have been at higher weights. Sanchez: height 5′ 6″ / 168cm reach 68″ / 173cm "Snakeman" Escalera height 5′ 8″ / 173cm reach 70½″ / 179cm
There's a good chance Sanchez loses his rematch with Juan LaPorte, moves up in weight in 1983 and just does "okay" in a division with Roger Mayweather, Hector Camacho and an up-and-coming Julio Cesar Chavez. He never looked better than he did against Gomez in 1981, but his fights after that weren't impressive against lesser guys. He was going 15 rounds in every fight. Pat Cowdell took him to a split decision. Nelson was a complete novice and was ahead on one of the cards going into the last round. He was supposed to be in training for a rematch with LaPorte but died in a car wreck at 3:30 a.m. racing back to his training camp. I remember when he died, boxing people were already talking about how he hadn't looked as good in recent fights as he used to. I doubt he would've gotten better moving up. He wasn't a particularly hard puncher. He just battered people with an accumulation of shots. I don't see him beating guys at 130 like Hector Camacho in 1983 (Hector was amazing at that time) or Julio Cesar Chavez in 1984. Like I said, I don't even know if he beats LaPorte in the rematch. LaPorte had improved since their first meeting two years earlier, having destroyed Rocky Lockridge and he fought Pedroza on even terms. And Sanchez in 1982 wasn't fighting like Sanchez in 1980. He hadn't looked as sharp in 1982 and was skipping out on training camp when he died. I think we saw Sanchez at his best. Then he died. And we never saw him at his worst. And that's good. Leave it at that. In answer to the question posed, if he'd lived, I doubt he'd be held in the same high regard he is now. As is the case with all boxers, the losses would've hurt his standing.
People were saying Sanchez didn't look good in 82 because he had so much trouble with Nelson, who was really an unknown quantity. In retrospect, there was nothing subpar about Sanchez's performance against Nelson at all because Nelson really was that good.
Arguello-Sanchez would've been nice to see. But by the time Sanchez died, Salvador was a featherweight and Arguello was challenging Pryor THREE divisions above him. Arguello never made the lightweight limit after 1982, let alone going down to 130 again. That boat had sailed.
Knowing what we now know about Nelson, the name is great to have on his record. But Nelson only had 13 fights. He wasn't Azumah Nelson yet. In fact, he wasn't ready for another title shot for several years after that. He also didn't stand out against Pat Cowdell (who was really only Euro-level) or Rocky Garcia (who wasn't anyone). None of those performances generated any rave reviews.
Not sure what fight Bob McMillon was watching, but the official decision was Sanchez only winning by "split decision" over Cowdell in Texas. 1981-12-12 : Salvador Sanchez 126 lbs beat Pat Cowdell 125½ lbs by This content is protected in round 15 of 15 Location: Astrodome, Houston, Texas, USA Referee: Steve Crosson Judge: Dick Cole 146-140 Judge: James Jen Kin 148-137 Judge: Bob McMillon 144-145 WBC Featherweight Title Weights: Sanchez 126; Cowdell 125½
Has fighting in Texan always been such a corruption mired sham? They seem to have their own kind of unique brand of bull**** going on down there.
