Sanchez lost his life today, August 12.
Posted: 12 Aug 2008, 10:03
Salvador Sanchez died 26 years ago today, on a lonely mountain road north of Mexico City, at the tender age of 23, although he looked and fought much older.
The flat-nosed, square-jawed, bushy-haired, ice-cool Mexican had already racked up nine defences of his WBC featherweight title and was on the cusp of greatness - true greatness - when fate intervened. Oh yes, the best years still lay ahead for the man who never wasted a punch, sneered at any landed in return and 'owned' the 15th round like few others. There were to be classics, surely, with Alexis Arguello, Julio Cesar Chavez, Azumah Nelson (again) and even Hector Camacho, the chance to go unbeaten throughout the 1980s, as Chavez would do, the chance to prove himelf the best fighter Mexico has ever produced...
It was not to be.
Funny, Eusebio Pedroza, that feisty, well-travelled Panamanian who later lost to Barry McGuigan, was never even considered as an opponent for Sanchez during their consecutive reigns (Pedroza as WBA champ). Pedroza and Sanchez were probably too busy racing each other to the next defence to square up themselves. After Sanchez ended the frightening, thrill-a-second reign of "Little Red" Lopez on a breathtaking stoppage in February 1980, and repeated the feat just a few months later, it was Wilfredo Gomez, Ruben Castillo, Patrick Ford, Pat Cowdell, Juan Laporte, Roberto Castanon, Jorge Garcia and Nelson, seemingly weeks apart, who challenged the precocious champ. Pushovers? His 10 opponents after winning the title (one non-title) possessed a combined record of 300-14-1.
So what was a man of such legendary prolificacy, discipline and dedication doing out in his Porsche in the early hours of August 12? He was already preparing for a rematch with Laporte in Madison Square Garden on September 15, 1982, scene of his fabulous display against the then unknown Nelson in the July. Married, with two young boys, he may have been dashing back to training camp before his absence was noticed, and was known to enjoy the company of women. He was driving so fast, his car hit the back of a moving lorry and still crushed him instantly.
Only his gold ring could be recognised.
The flat-nosed, square-jawed, bushy-haired, ice-cool Mexican had already racked up nine defences of his WBC featherweight title and was on the cusp of greatness - true greatness - when fate intervened. Oh yes, the best years still lay ahead for the man who never wasted a punch, sneered at any landed in return and 'owned' the 15th round like few others. There were to be classics, surely, with Alexis Arguello, Julio Cesar Chavez, Azumah Nelson (again) and even Hector Camacho, the chance to go unbeaten throughout the 1980s, as Chavez would do, the chance to prove himelf the best fighter Mexico has ever produced...
It was not to be.
Funny, Eusebio Pedroza, that feisty, well-travelled Panamanian who later lost to Barry McGuigan, was never even considered as an opponent for Sanchez during their consecutive reigns (Pedroza as WBA champ). Pedroza and Sanchez were probably too busy racing each other to the next defence to square up themselves. After Sanchez ended the frightening, thrill-a-second reign of "Little Red" Lopez on a breathtaking stoppage in February 1980, and repeated the feat just a few months later, it was Wilfredo Gomez, Ruben Castillo, Patrick Ford, Pat Cowdell, Juan Laporte, Roberto Castanon, Jorge Garcia and Nelson, seemingly weeks apart, who challenged the precocious champ. Pushovers? His 10 opponents after winning the title (one non-title) possessed a combined record of 300-14-1.
So what was a man of such legendary prolificacy, discipline and dedication doing out in his Porsche in the early hours of August 12? He was already preparing for a rematch with Laporte in Madison Square Garden on September 15, 1982, scene of his fabulous display against the then unknown Nelson in the July. Married, with two young boys, he may have been dashing back to training camp before his absence was noticed, and was known to enjoy the company of women. He was driving so fast, his car hit the back of a moving lorry and still crushed him instantly.
Only his gold ring could be recognised.
