Salvador "Sal" Sánchez Narváez (January 26, 1959 – August 12, 1982) was a Mexican professional boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de México. Sanchez was the WBC and The Ring featherweight champion from 1980 to 1982. Many of his contemporaries as well as boxing writers believe that had it not been for his premature death, Sánchez could have gone on to become the greatest featherweight boxer of all time. Sánchez died on August 12, 1982, in a car accident while driving from Querétaro to San Luis Potosí.[2] He is also the uncle of Salvador Sánchez II.[3]

Salvador Sánchez
Born
Salvador Sánchez Narváez

(1959-01-26)January 26, 1959
DiedAugust 12, 1982(1982-08-12) (aged 23)
Querétaro, Mexico
Other namesThe Invincible Eagle
The Champ
Chava
Mr. Pulmones (Mr. Lungs)
Iron Lung
Statistics
Weight(s)Bantamweight Featherweight
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)[1]
Reach67+12 in (171 cm)[1]
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights46
Wins44
Wins by KO32
Losses1
Draws1

In 1991, Sánchez was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The Ring magazine named both him, and Sugar Ray Leonard, as Fighter of the Year in 1981. In 2002, he was named the 24th greatest fighter of the past 80 years by The Ring magazine.[4] In 2003, The Ring rated Sánchez number 88 on the list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.[5] Sánchez was voted as the #3 featherweight of the 20th century by the Associated Press.[6]

Early life

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Sanchez was born to father Felipe Sanchez[7] and to mother María Luisa Narvaez.[8]


Professional career

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Sánchez started his professional career at the age of 16, as a teenager (after a brief amateur career consisting of reportedly 4 amateur bouts) he started piling up wins against tough Mexican opposition. His first fight of note came in his 19th professional fight against the Mexican bantamweight champion Antonio Becerra. Becerra proved too experienced for the young Sánchez, the bout ended in a split decision defeat for Sánchez.

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 the 21-year-old Sánchez, who knocked out the defending champion in 13 rounds in Phoenix, Arizona, United States on February 2, 1980. Sánchez defended his title for the first time with a 15-round unanimous decision against Ruben Castillo (47–1). 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 Sánchez defeated Lopez by 14th-round TKO. In his next fight, he defeated Patrick Ford (15–0) .

On December 13, 1980, Sánchez defeated future champion Juan Laporte by unanimous decision. Sánchez then defended his title against Roberto Castanon (43–1–0) and scored a win over Nicky Perez (50–3–0). Then undefeated World Jr Featherweight champion Wilfredo Gómez (32–0–1) 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 was an unknown to the casual boxing fan no more. He became a household name all over the United States that night.

In his next fight, he defeated Olympic medalist Pat Cowdell by split decision. His defense vs unheralded Jorge "Rocky" Garcia was the second fight featuring two featherweights ever to be televised by HBO, the first having been his contest with Cowdell. 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.

On July 21, 1982, Sánchez faced future champion Azumah Nelson at Madison Square Garden. Nelson, a late substitute for mandatory challenger Mario Miranda, was unknown at the time 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.[9]

Sánchez proved a dominant featherweight champion. He held title defense victories over the next three fighters (LaPorte, Gomez, and Nelson) who won the WBC title after his death. He went 4–0, all by knockout, against fellow members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame (Danny Lopez twice-KO 13, KO 14-Wilfredo Gomez-KO 8-and Azumah Nelson-KO 15) and defeated four future or former world champions (Lopez, Gomez, LaPorte and Nelson).

Death

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Three weeks after his victory over Nelson, as he was training for a rematch with Laporte set for September, Sanchez crashed on the early morning of August 12, 1982, while driving his Porsche 928 sports car along the federal highway between Querétaro and San Luis Potosí, dying instantly.[10] At the time of his death, there were talks about a bout with Colombian Mario Miranda, a rematch with Gómez or a challenge of world lightweight champion Alexis Argüello. The latter was already off the table. There had been negotiations between the Sánchez and Argüello camps but they broke off when Argüello chose to campaign as a junior welterweight. Salvador Sánchez finished his career 44–1–1. Sánchez was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991.

Acting

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Sánchez appeared as himself, albeit as a Junior Lightweight world champion, in the 1983 film The Last Fight, released after his death. The movie was dedicated to him. In it, Sánchez shared scenes with Rubén Blades, who played a challenger to Sánchez's title.[11]

Personal life

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Sánchez had a wife, María Teresa, and two sons, Cristián Salvador and Omar.[12] He also had a nephew, Salvador Sánchez II, who was a professional boxer.

Professional boxing record

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46 fights 44 wins 1 loss
By knockout 32 0
By decision 12 1
Draws 1
No Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
46 Win 44–1–1 Azumah Nelson TKO 15 (15), 1:49 Jul 21, 1982 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBC and The Ring featherweight titles
45 Win 43–1–1 Jorge Garcia UD 15 May 8, 1982 Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas, U.S. Retained WBC and The Ring featherweight titles
44 Win 42–1–1 Pat Cowdell SD 15 Dec 12, 1981 Astrodome, Houston, Texas, U.S. Retained WBC and The Ring featherweight titles
43 Win 41–1–1 Wilfredo Gómez TKO 8 (15), 2:09 Aug 21, 1981 Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBC and The Ring featherweight titles
42 Win 40–1–1 Nicky Perez UD 10 Jul 11, 1981 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
41 Win 39–1–1 Roberto Castañón TKO 10 (15), 1:09 Mar 22, 1981 Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBC and The Ring featherweight titles
40 Win 38–1–1 Juan Laporte UD 15 Dec 13, 1980 County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas, U.S. Retained WBC and The Ring featherweight titles
39 Win 37–1–1 Patrick Ford MD 15 Sep 13, 1980 Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Retained WBC and The Ring featherweight titles
38 Win 36–1–1 Danny Lopez TKO 14 (15), 1:42 Jun 21, 1980 Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBC and The Ring featherweight titles
37 Win 35–1–1 Ruben Castillo UD 15 Apr 12, 1980 Civic Auditorium, Tucson, Arizona, U.S. Retained WBC and The Ring featherweight titles
36 Win 34–1–1 Danny Lopez TKO 13 (15), 0:51 Feb 2, 1980 Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. Won WBC and The Ring featherweight titles
35 Win 33–1–1 Rafael Gandarilla TKO 5 (10) Dec 15, 1979 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
34 Win 32–1–1 Richard Rozelle KO 3 (10), 1:55 Sep 15, 1979 Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
33 Win 31–1–1 Félix Trinidad Sr. TKO 5 (10) Aug 7, 1979 Summit, Houston, Texas, U.S.
32 Win 30–1–1 Rosalio Muro KO 3 (10) Jul 22, 1979 San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
31 Win 29–1–1 Fel Clemente UD 12 Jun 17, 1979 Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
30 Win 28–1–1 Salvador Torres TKO 7 (10) May 19, 1979 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
29 Win 27–1–1 James Martinez UD 10 Mar 13, 1979 San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
28 Win 26–1–1 Carlos Mimila KO 3 (10) Feb 3, 1979 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
27 Win 25–1–1 José Santana TKO 2 (10) Dec 16, 1978 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
26 Win 24–1–1 Edwin Alarcon TKO 9 (10) Nov 21, 1978 San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
25 Win 23–1–1 Francisco Ponce KO 2 (10) Sep 26, 1978 Houston, Texas, U.S.
24 Win 22–1–1 Hector Cortez TKO 7 (10) Aug 13, 1978 Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
23 Win 21–1–1 José Sánchez UD 10 Jul 1, 1978 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
22 Draw 20–1–1 Juan Escobar MD 10 Mar 15, 1978 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
21 Win 20–1 Eliseo Cosme PTS 10 Dec 5, 1977 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
20 Win 19–1 José Luis Soto PTS 10 Nov 11, 1977 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
19 Loss 18–1 Antonio Becerra SD 12 Sep 9, 1977 Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico For vacant Mexico bantamweight title
18 Win 18–0 Rosalio Badillo TKO 5 (10) May 21, 1977 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
17 Win 17–0 Daniel Felizardo KO 5 (10) Mar 12, 1977 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
16 Win 16–0 Raúl López TKO 10 (10) Feb 5, 1977 Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
15 Win 15–0 Antonio Leon TKO 10 (10) Dec 25, 1976 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
14 Win 14–0 Saul Montana TKO 9 (10) Oct 31, 1976 Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico
13 Win 13–0 Joel Valdez TKO 9 (10) Aug 11, 1976 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
12 Win 12–0 Pedro Sandoval TKO 9 (10) Jul 5, 1976 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
11 Win 11–0 Fidel Trejo KO 6 (10) May 26, 1976 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
10 Win 10–0 Jose Chavez TKO 7 (10) Apr 24, 1976 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
9 Win 9–0 Serafin Isidro Pacheco TKO 4 (8) Mar 31, 1976 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
8 Win 8–0 Javier Solis TKO 7 (8) Feb 25, 1976 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
7 Win 7–0 Juan Granados TKO 3 (8) Jan 24, 1976 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
6 Win 6–0 Fidel Trejo UD 8 Dec 11, 1975 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
5 Win 5–0 Candido Sandoval TKO 7 (8) Nov 25, 1975 Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
4 Win 4–0 Cesar Lopez KO 4 (6) Oct 19, 1975 Misantla, Veracruz, Mexico
3 Win 3–0 Victor Martinez KO 2 (6) Aug 10, 1975 Misantla, Veracruz, Mexico
2 Win 2–0 Miguel Ortiz KO 3 (4) May 25, 1975 Misantla, Varacruz, Mexico
1 Win 1–0 Al Gardeno KO 3 (4) May 4, 1975 Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico

Trivia

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In the movie 21, Ben Campbell, played by Jim Sturgess, introduces himself to a girl as Salvador Sánchez.[13]

Folk Rock band Sun Kil Moon recorded an eponymous song about Sanchez on their 2003 album Ghosts of the Great Highway.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Don King Sports and Entertainment Network tale of the tape prior to the Azumah Nelson fight.
  2. ^ Luevanos, Fernando (2006-10-04). "Mexicano Salvador Sánchez". Box Rec. Archived from the original on 2015-01-04. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  3. ^ Seckbach, Elie (2009-10-04). "Sánchez like Sánchez". Fan House. Archived from the original on 2009-11-22. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  4. ^ "About.com: Boxing". Boxing.about.com. Archived from the original on 2017-01-08. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
  5. ^ Eisele, Andrew (2003). "Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers". About.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  6. ^ "AP Fighters of the Century List". Retrieved 2012-12-18.
  7. ^ "37 aniversario luctuoso de Salvador Sánchez". 12 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Salvador Sanchez is remembered forever". 12 August 2019.
  9. ^ "IBHOF / Azumah Nelson". Archived from the original on 2008-10-22. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  10. ^ "The Daily Reporter - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  11. ^ "Salvador Sanchez Legacy".
  12. ^ "Salvador Sanchez-Wilfredo Gomez: Battle of the Little Giants 40 years later". 20 August 2021.
  13. ^ Chavez, Kellvin (20 November 2007). "Reader's Review: 21 - Movie News - Latest Movie Reviews and trailers". Latino Review. Archived from the original on 2007-11-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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Sporting positions
World boxing titles
Preceded by WBC featherweight champion
February 2, 1980 – August 12, 1982
Vacant upon death
Vacant
Title next held by
Juan Laporte
The Ring featherweight champion
February 2, 1980 – August 12, 1982
Vacant upon death
Vacant
Title next held by
Eusebio Pedroza
Records
Preceded by Latest born world champion to die
August 12 – December 3, 1982
Succeeded by