I rate Salvador Sanchez as a top 3 ATG featherweight, and a top 30 all time P4P boxer IMO. He was 44-1-1 with 32 ko's at 23 years old. He beat Puerto Rico's greatest and one of Africa's greatest among other respectable hall of famers. He beat a wide variety of styles, including ones he didn’t match up well against. Sanchez was an elite boxer/puncher who could counter beautifully with tremendous combination punching ability. He had dazzling footwork (literally floating in the ring) with an iron jaw too. Like Joe Louis and SRL, he was incredibly clutch and would always would find a way to win. Sanchez looked sensational in his most important fights. Very high ring IQ. Freakish stamina, I mean he actually got better as the fight went on..had some incredible finishes. No one in history could outwork this man, he would match or surpass any pace set. If you wanted to bring the fight toe to toe, he could slug with anyone. He’s really a special generational talent, with an incredible resume. On film he looks as great as you can be.
Yeah, at 23 he beat two all time greats and two other champs. We use the phrase "pounder per pound." I think if you can look at fighters "year for year," very few accomplished so much so quickly.
you look at his resume and go “wow” then you watch him fight and you go “ok this man was truly a superstar”
Splendid fighter. Both resume — as sadly brief as his was — and eye test he checks all the boxes. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see more of what he could do. I don’t think he’s on par with Saddler or Pep (head to head he might have been but his resume is just too short) but he’s on the next tier among feathers IMO.
No argument here on his greatness. Expected him to box Pedroza's head off and then defend the unified title for years afterwards. Never thought much of his death beyond the basic tragedy of someone living too fast (and driving too fast) and dying young until I read a recent article on the details surrounding the accident. Shady circumstances.
He was a great fighter of that there is no doubt.when I think of him I think of the word sangfroid, he was always calm and relaxed. How great ? His resume when looked at closely is not that overwhelming.A smug Gomez didn't start training until Don King phoned him while he was on a cruise seriously overweight and told him he better get back in the gym .Gomez panicked and begged for a postponement but didn't get it,down to him.Nelson was still pretty green and he gave Sanchez all he wanted.A split decison win over Pat Cowdell isn't tremendous. Ford and Laporte had 16 fights each when they challenged him.Lopez was a tremendous "wing them from the fences "banger but no boxer with a poruous defence and his own resume is pretty shallow quality wise. Sanchez hasa bit of the James Dean/Marilyn Monroe aura about him, the "what if " factor tragically dying so young I'm presuming you have Pep and Saddler above him? Would he have beaten Canzoneri LaBarba Arguello Pacquiano Marquez Barrera I'm not sure. Eusebio Pedroza may have beaten Sanchez we will never know. If he had would Sanchez still be your number 3 all time feather?
