Good matchup. I would expect Chocolate to dazzle Saddler at first; feinting, shifting, dancing, hitting fast and effectively with little return fire. Chocolate was quick and innovative, and he'd show Saddler moves which he wouldn't know how to deal with. Saddler would be chasing unsuccessfully for the first five or six rounds, before Chocolate - never one to like training - would start slowing ever so slightly. And that tiny slip would create opportunities for Saddler, who would start ignoring Chocolate's punches and heading for the knockout. He'd get it too, I think - the Kid wasn't fragile, but he wasn't in the Gavilan or Napoles league in terms of Cuban durability either, and Saddler was Saddler; debilitating, damaging, devastating. He'd land more often as the fight wore on, eventually stopping Chocolate around the fourteenth. I must point out that Chocolate was actually a very good hitter when taking the front foot - but here he'll be forced on the retreat. And Saddler had a chin of stone. In terms of innovators, inventors of styles and moderators of methods, Chocolate was a real keystone. He should be classed with Benny Leonard and Willie Pep as a true originator of new techniques.
The Cuban Bon Bon,had great ability,but was a bit fragile mentally I think,I dont see him beating a monster like Saddler,if Kid Berg ,and Battalino could beat him ,Saddler definitely would imo.
I agree with the assessments so far. I've been thinking this one through for a while, so in one longwinded swoop of a post, my thoughts: Saddler will be Saddler, no matter what obstacle is placed in front of him. Sandy always did everything in his power to sway the chance of victory in his favor, and 103 times in a career spanning over 150 fights, it happened before the final bell. The mechanics behind his freakish power can be paralleled to those that allowed tall and rangy men such as Bob Foser and Alexis Arguello to operate with such force; it was all about the torque generated from the legs and hip, and Saddler knew this well. Whether it be the crushing left hook that left Tomas Beatos nose broken or the furious uppercuts to the ribs that aimed to lift his man off the canvas, Saddler was nasty when pressing the action. This goes without mentioning the wrestling, thumbing, elbows, and other dirty tactics in Saddlers ever growing bag of tricks designed to physically break fighters down. Hell, simply lasting fifteen rounds against this man was a testament to ones endurance and will. Many will point to the Pep-Saddler series as a blueprint for this match up, but the concept is flawed upon further consideration. Forget the fact that the two available bouts in the Pep-Saddler rivalry are foul infested matches that arent the best gauges as to how these two men meshed in the ring; Pep and Chocolate were simply different breeds of stylists. Pep was an innovative wonder who combined athleticism and a brilliant fighting mind together all in one unorthodox package. Circling, ducking, switching stances, and popping off crisp combinations at inconceivable angles in smooth blends; however the most incredible part about it was, he could do all right at an opponents front door. But following a plane crash which was supposed to cripple him for life, his legs didnt possess the same strength of his youth. Against a fighter like Saddler, Pep wasn't able to perform the same vanishing acts inside the perimeter as he had in the past, and it became his downfall all but once in their four fights. Chocolate on the other hand was more of a minimalist (then again, who wasnt compared to Pep) but still relied just as much on finesse and ring moxie throughout his career. His reflexes were sharper than that of the post plane crash Pep, and his superior jab made his long range game all the more effective. The biggest difference between the two however was their offensive mindset; while Pep kept opponents weary with stinging flurries, Chocolate would switch gears completely and unleash his arsenal. His right cross and uppercut were among the best punches in an already impressive repertoire, and as he showed against Tony Canzoneri (I), The Cuban Bon Bon wasnt one to melt in the heat of warfare. Nonetheless, the determining factor in this fight rests on Chocolates ability to stay out of Saddlers range and box his way to the decision, a feat almost accomplished by Flash Elorde (although he was a southpaw). One technical flaw that becomes apparent when watching Chocolate though is his tendency to keep his left hand low; however, his sharp reflexes often let him get away with it, such as in the aforementioned Canzoneri fight where Chocolate repeatedly dodged Tonys fastball right hand and responded with sharp counters. In the end however, Saddler, awkward and stalking, would simply take Chocolate into deep waters in the late rounds, after trailing early to his opponents flash and eye catching ability, and drown him. Saddler was a tremendously strong fighter for his slender frame (without compromising being able to fight tall) and would overpower the smaller man after slowing him down with his trademark body punching, namely those deliberate shots to the liver and kidneys. Its not as though Saddler couldnt jab with his man either; his left hand was sharp as he was a converted southpaw. Saddler by late TKO, possibly behind on the cards.
