Instead of tackling Sanchez lets say Gomez targeted Pedrosa instead.Do you think Gomez could have beaten Pedrosa?
Tough call! Gomez was a great fighter fast & hit very hard. I think he would have to knock out Pedroza early or mid fight. Which is possible, Pedroza had been knocked out early in his career. But he developed a tough chin. If Pedroza survives, he would take over, Pedroza was the master of the late rounds & could pull it out in a fifteen round fight. Or an itchy ref. might even stop it if one of Gomez' notoriously swollen eyes puffs up! Whoever might have won. One thing is for certain, there would be plenty of elbows & low blows in this one! Both fighters had a nasty reputation for this!
I think Pedroza pulls it off in the later rounds for a close UD.The kayo losses he had were at 118, so I doubt seriously if Gomez does any serious damage here.
great fight. gomez drops him early, gives him a beating. mid rounds pedroza rallies with bodyshots. takes control of the fight. stops gomez late.
Pedroza was much stronger as a featherweight than he was at 118. Gomez lost a tremendous amount of superiority when he stepped up into the featherweight ranks. At featherweight, Pedroza would be too tall, too strong, and too tough. Gomez realized that he had no chance to win a featherweight championship with Sanchez and Pedroza blocking the way. So he held himself down at the super bantamweight limit much longer than he would have preferred. (Remember, Wilfredo weighed in at 126 for Sanchez.) At the time of Sal's tragic death, Gomez finally had another lucrative career defining superfight lined up with Lupe Pintor. After prevailing in New Orleans, he vacated his title, to move up and try filling the gaping void left behind by the irreplaceable Sanchez. That Wilfredo didn't opt to issue a challenge Pedroza's way tells you all you need to know of what he thought about his chances against El Alacran. I agree with Gomez that Pedroza would have beaten him. (By mid-round stoppage, if he challenged Pedroza after losing to Sal. By lopsided decision, or championship round stoppage, if he challenged Pedroza first.)
I have to go with Pedroza by UD, badly disfiguring Gomez in the process. I wonder if it might be a bit unfair to say that Gomez lost a lot moving up to featherweight. I've said the same thing myself, but I've wondered about that at times. Look at the guys he fought there; Sanchez, Laporte, and Nelson. No one is knocking those guys out. He just happened to fight three of the sturdiest 126-pounders ever, and two of them are all-time greats. The third just happens to have the best chin in the history of boxing.
Wilfredo would find out he's in over his head against Eusebio.Pedroza toys with Gomez for a 11th round stoppage.
I've never thought Pedroza was as special as people make him out to be, but Gomez wasn't the same force at featherweight as he was at 122. But I think Pedroza would have to mind his manners in this fight. Gomez wasn't squimish about playing rough, and he damn sure would let Pedroza tee of with combinations below the belt without retliation the way Laporte did.
Pedroza was the better featherweight and his jab would win it for him here. Even though he started as a bantam he'd have a decent size advantage here. I say he dissects Gomez down the stretch.
