BoxRec

Salvador Sanchez was scheduled to fight at the end of 1982 against Alexis Arguello what would had been the outcome. I beleive Sanchez by decision . What then against Aaron Pryor at the lightweight division? I'm sure Pryor will come down to the lightweight division for the money to face Sanchez. Sanchez was a big featherweight. 5'7 and is the only fighter i have seen fighting 15 rounds with his mouth always closed and his face clean. I beleive maybe he could had won both fights by decision. He was not a puncher by throw a lot of punches and never got tired. He says he could box 30 rounds. Again watch his fights and he always had his mouth closed.

I could see him beating the great Alexis Arguello. By 1982, Arguello was still good, but fading. He was already a ring veteran of 14 years in the ring with at least 85 bouts! He had to slip a little bit by then. But one punch by Arguello and the great Salvador Sanchez could be sleeping

I don't know about facing the great Aaron Pryor, though. Salvador probably won't be the favorite in this fight. Two great complete fighters going at it. But I think the Cincinnati Hawk would take him late in the fight in a marvelous and terrific contest.

There was a thread on this a while back, I'd be interested to see what Mr Duce can dig up with regards to the fight being talked about.

Arguello had the Pryor fight scheduled before Sanchez's death; it was made clear in both Pryor/Kameda and Arguello/Rooney that if each won (Pryor and Arguello) they would fight.

Nile4000 wrote:Alexis stops Salvador late.There is no guarantee Salvador has a lot of sucess after he leaves lightweight, and guys like Kenty, Davis jr, and Mancini would probably have his number.And Rosario and Camacho would be waiting in the wings, and he would want no part of those jokers.

You mean after he leaves featherweight?
Sanchez was actually scheduled to fight Laporte. No way he'd have fought Arguello in 82. And after Pryor I, even if Sal hadn't died, given the demand for a Pryor rematch, they wouldn't have fought in 83, either. Alexis was basically done after Pryor II and retired until 85. Point is that Sanchez's death isn't the reason that he and Arguello failed to fight.

It's doubtful Sanchez would have fought Pryor either. Pryor would most likely not go down in weight to lightweight. By the time Sanchez would have bulked up to 140, Pryor would have been gone.

Remember that In that era of boxing (pre-steroids), a good small fighter going up on weight going to the next division, rarely beat a good bigger boxer. That did not happened in boxing in those days.
If Sanchez (featherweight) 126 lbs goes up in weight to Jr lightweight 130 lbs in those days the fighter lost speed and power. His punches no longer hurt bigger boxers.
Asking Salvador Sanchez to go up two divisions in weight all the way to lightweight 135 lbs to fight the great Alexis Arguello, I think is to much to ask. Arguello by decision. Asking to fight the HAWK who was a big Jr welterweight always having problems to make the Jr Welterweights and going into the fight as a Welterweight or Jr middleweight is out of the question.

Ambling Alp II wrote:It's doubtful Sanchez would have fought Pryor either. Pryor would most likely not go down in weight to lightweight. By the time Sanchez would have bulked up to 140, Pryor would have been gone.

Agreed.

Based on the Pat Ford fight in which he gave Sanchez a lot of problems, I have to go with Arguello. Arguello's size and boxing ability would have presently a big challenge for Sanchez. I pick Arguello by UD.

Pryor is out of the question for me.

Better would have been Pedroza vs Sanchez.

Borinken25 wrote:Based on the Pat Ford fight in which he gave Sanchez a lot of problems, I have to go with Arguello. Arguello's size and boxing ability would have presently a big challenge for Sanchez. I pick Arguello by UD.

Pryor is out of the question for me.

Better would have been Pedroza vs Sanchez.

I'd lean towards Eusebio.

Aaron Pryor is probably my favourite boxer of all time and I think he could have beaten Ray Leonard in his prime, he was non-stop action but deceptively cunning with it, he beat Thomas Hearns in the amateurs. I don't believe Sanchez against Pryor would not have been feasible, nor would Pryor going down to lightweight...

I highly doubt he could've beaten prime SRL. Shame he didn't move up to welterweight to make a run at him.

I don't buy it myself. At around the time King was claiming Arguello had a contract signed to fight Sanchez, Arguello was a week away from moving up in weight to fight Kevin Rooney in preparation for Pryor later in the year (October was the initial date they were looking at, if I recall correctly.)

Hairy Arse wrote:I don't buy it myself. At around the time King was claiming Arguello had a contract signed to fight Sanchez, Arguello was a week away from moving up in weight to fight Kevin Rooney in preparation for Pryor later in the year (October was the initial date they were looking at, if I recall correctly.)

It was made crystal clear on the Pryor/Kameda telecast that if Pryor won he'd fight Arguello. He won. They even had Arguello at ringside, and Arguello and Pryor were talking after the fight.

Sanchez was an idol of mine (I had an oil painting portrait of him done, an artist in the Lake District used to advertise in Boxing News in the late 80's). Salvador would have had a marvelous fight with Alexis and the skill and tactics would have been fantastic to see. Salvador needed the 'right' style to shine against though and did struggle badly on occasion, (Pat Ford, Azumah Nelson). Alexis was a proven and heavy hitter and there is a little evidence that Salvador did not have the same dedication as he did on the way up. Alexis would have pipped a great bout on points; if Pryor had moved down a lot would depend on how strong he remained; a 70% Prior in his prime would have done Salvador, tough and game as he was.

Rover wrote:I highly doubt he could've beaten prime SRL. Shame he didn't move up to welterweight to make a run at him.

Maybe SRL did have too much for Pryor, we'll never know, but Leonard did attend Pryor's fights with a view to building interest in a match between them but never pursued it afterwards. I'm not making any judgements, like I say we'll never know, but given the calculated way that he took on Hagler at just the right time and how canny he was in which fights he went for, maybe he just didn't fancy taking on Pryor...

Neil Gee wrote:

Rover wrote:I highly doubt he could've beaten prime SRL. Shame he didn't move up to welterweight to make a run at him.

Maybe SRL did have too much for Pryor, we'll never know, but Leonard did attend Pryor's fights with a view to building interest in a match between them but never pursued it afterwards. I'm not making any judgements, like I say we'll never know, but given the calculated way that he took on Hagler at just the right time and how canny he was in which fights he went for, maybe he just didn't fancy taking on Pryor...

He was busy pursuing Hearns. Aside from that (after he won), the main interest was in a Hagler fight. And Leonard didn't need to pursue Pryor. Other way around, and he didn't even move up.

Pryor was neither as big a name, nor in the same weight division. It would have been odd for Leonard to miss the likes of Hearns and Duran, or moving up to take on Kalule, to chase a fight with him.

SamWise72 wrote:Pryor was neither as big a name, nor in the same weight division. It would have been odd for Leonard to miss the likes of Hearns and Duran, or moving up to take on Kalule, to chase a fight with him.

Didn't Leonard sign the Kalule fight while Pryor was recovering from his gunshot wound to the forearm he'd gotten in a fight with his girlfriend? He took about 7 months off between Hart and Blackmore.

Ray Leonard would have beaten Aaron, he was too much of everything and a lot tougher than people remember; Pryor would have given Palomino and Duran hell though, over 15 it would have been great.

Pryor in reality was a lightweight so he blows out Sanchez and in turn is blown out by Leonard. Against Duran at 140 he would have put up a good showing but still loses by UD. Sanchez also loses a close one to Arguello (IMO he'd peaked and going up in weight would have sped up his decline. His legend today is bigger than what he would have achieved at the higher weights)

To me, the only chance the great Salvador Sanchez has against a fight vs the great Alexis Arguello is that by the time of the fight, Arguello slows down a notch. By 1982, Arguello slowed down somewhat, but still, his punching power would have been probably too much for Sal to handle. No matter what kind of chin Sal had.