Salvador Sánchez

Infobox_Boxer
name = Salvador Sanchez
nationality = flagicon|Mexico Mexican
realname = Salvador Sánchez Narvaez


nickname = Chava, Sal
height = 5 ft. 7 in. (168 cm.)
weight = Featherweight
birth_date = January 26, 1959
birth_place = Santiago Tianguistenco, Mexico
death_date = death date and age|1982|8|12|1959|1|26|mf=y
style = Orthodox
total =46
wins = 44
KO = 32
losses = 1
draws = 1
no contests = 0

Salvador Sánchez Narvaez (January 26, 1959 - August 12, 1982) was a Mexican boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de México.

Career

Sánchez started his career very young, as a teenager, and he started piling up wins against tough Mexican opposition. His first fight of note came against the Mexican bantamweight champion Antonio Becerra, and Becerra proved far too experienced for the young Sánchez, dropping him in the first round, en route to a 12 round split decision. This would turn out to be Sánchez's last knockdown and loss suffered during his career.

Sánchez kept on fighting and moved to the Featherweight division. Soon he had beaten people like the Puerto Rican featherweight champion Felix Trinidad Sr., on his way to securing a title shot at world champion Danny "Little Red" Lopez, a popular TV fighter of the late 1970s who was an impressive fighter and had won some spectacular fights against the likes of former world champion David Kotei (twice), Juan Malvares and Mike Ayala. Confident and hard to beat, Lopez was beaten by 19 year old Sánchez, who knocked out the defending champion in 13 rounds in Phoenix, Arizona. Thinking it was just a case of 'beginner's luck' (as it was Sánchez's first world title fight ever) Lopez looked for a rematch and this he got, in Las Vegas. This time he lasted one more round.

After defeating Juan Laporte, Sánchez embarked on a string of defenses against men like Patrick Ford and Roberto Castanon, retaining his title each time. Then World Jr Featherweight champion Wilfredo Gómez went up in weight and challenged Sánchez. Sánchez retained the crown by a knockout in round eight on August 21, 1981 in Las Vegas, and Gómez had to return to the Jr. Featherweight division.

With that victory, Salvador Sánchez was an unknown to the casual boxing fan no more. He became a household name all over America that night.

Two fights later, his defense vs unheralded Jorge "Rocky" Garcia was the first fight featuring two featherweights ever to be televised by HBO. He beat Garcia punch after punch, but the challenger gave honor to his nickname, an unknown fighter who lasts the distance with the world champion.

Then came Azumah Nelson at Madison Square Garden. He was unknown however, and was expected to only go a few rounds with the champ. It was an intense battle, with Sánchez managing to drop his young charge in the 7th round. After that they engaged in violent exchange after violent exchange. In the 15th, Sánchez broke out finally, connecting with a serious combination that dropped the challenger almost outside the ring. Referee Tony Perez had to stop the fight seconds later. Azumah Nelson went on to have a glittering career and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004 [http://www.ibhof.com/nelson.htm]

Death

As he was training for a rematch with Laporte set for September, he crashed on the early morning of August 12, 1982 while driving his Porsche 928 sports car, dying instantly. At the time of his death, there were talks about a rematch with Gómez or a challenge of world lightweight champion Alexis Argüello.

Sánchez was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 1991.

See also

* List of WBC world champions
* Salvador Sanchez vs. Juan Laporte
* Salvador Sánchez vs. Wilfredo Gómez

External links

*
* [http://www.ibhof.com/sanchez.htm Salvador Sánchez page] at the International Boxing Hall of Fame
* http://www.antekprizering.com/ringnovember1981.jpeg

*Seconds Out Article: [http://www.secondsout.com/legends/legends_31498.asp]
*Grave Site: [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6954]