The thing,after all these years,that I remember about him was the beard.Clemente Sanchez had a beard,He fell into the category of Mexican fighters, of that time, that had their brief moment in the sun...Romeo Anaya,Chango Carmona,Chucho Castillo to name three off the top of my head.
Sanchez never fought in the United States.Perhaps,if he'd held onto his title longer he would have waged battle in the Olympic Auditorium or the Forum in Los Angeles. In fact the only time he fought outside of Mexico is when he won the title in Japan from Kuniaka Shibata.
I remember going to the Auditorio in Tijuana to watch Vicente Saldivar defend his feather title against the Japanese fighter. The promoters thought it would be a walkover for Saldivar. So instead of using the larger capacity bullring as a venue, the fight took place in the smaller Auditorio.
Saldivar seemed indestructible at the time.Often he'd start slowly,but by the mid rounds he'd keep coming forward and eventually wear his rival down.Shibata brought moderate credentials with him .He was fighting in Mexico. It seemed like a lock for the champion.But I'll never forget that night,and neither will all the aficianados present. Vicente never got it going.In fact he ran out of juice as the the rounds wound down, His reserve strength never was brought forth.HIs tank was dry.The belt changed hands in the 12th.Not to take anything away from Shibata.He was in excellent condition like so many of the other good Asian fighters of that period.
So when Clemente Sanchez was offered a shot at the Japanese's crown, he had to journey across the Pacific. Like Shibata's resume before he fought Saldivar,there wasn't anyone of much significance on the Mexican's victory list. It was de je vu,except it was from the Japanese side of the outlook.
Well in round three Sanchez threw the most perfect right cross of his career onto the chin of the champion.Shibata abetted the outcome by running into the punch. Down he went. The referee counted sayonara over him,and just like that, Clemente Sanchez went home to Mexico a hero.
But fame and fortune was short lived for Clemente.The great Cuban fighter Jose Legra(then residing in Spain since Castro said no mas to pro boxing in Cuba) traveled to Monterrey Mexico,Sanchez's stomping grounds to try to win the" corona". I saw the fight on closed circuit TV in Tijuana. Sanchez was over the featherweight limit at the weigh in. Legra could have made the weight in his street clothes. Sanchez was then stripped of his title before the opening bell sounded. Legra was in top form. He was something beautiful to watch. Reminded me a lot of Luis Rodriguez,his compatriot. Jose was on his toes, moving at different angles,letting his hands go at will.I quit counting after the tenth time Sanchez tasted the canvas.
Sanchez then drifted off into obscurity fighting in tank towns in Mexico like La Paz,Reynosa,and Rio Bravo. He was shot to death at the age of 41 in a traffic beef.
But I'll always remember the beard. It was something different.He looked good wearing it. I can't remember another Mexican fighter with whiskers.They say if a fighter has a good "chin", he has a" tough beard." That night when he put it his title on the line with Jose Legra,my cat could have licked the hair off Clemente's face.
Clemente Sanchez
