How does the "Big 4" of the 2000's featherweights fare against Sal? I've always thought Sanchez would have thrashed MAB and Morales. Neither one of those guys was ever known for defense, and neither one had enough firepower to really bother Sanchez. Marquez vs Sanchez is a more interesting matchup, but I can't help but think Sanchez having a much better chin than Marquez gives him the edge in exchanges and he wins. Pac vs Sanchez: NOWWWWW we're talking! The Pac of 126 was a whirlwind offensive fighter. Sanchez had never seen handspeed and power like Pac possessed. HOWEVER, Manny was also more open and one dimensional at 126, and would be open for Sanchez counters. I think the outcome depends on how Sanchez handles Manny's speed, power, and angles. Thoughts?
Sal probably goes 3/4. Manny was still pretty raw as a featherweight but that would be a great matchup regardless of who anybody thinks wins. If they fought in the same era undoubtedly they would have rematched. (and probably the other 3 as well) Although Morales and Barrera weren't exactly known for being all that difficult to hit, Sanchez was no defensive wizard himself. Because he wasn't a stereotypical Mexican fighter his defensive skills tend to get overrated a bit.
Yeah, Sanchez damn sure wasn't a defensive genius. But he had a better chin than MAB/Morales. He also had more pop than Morales/MAB, and was quicker.
I'd favor Sanchez over each fighter listed prime for prime. What I'd actually like to see is Sanchez fighting them one after another, like Foreman did with the Toronto Five
Morales had a good chin. So did MAB. So it is not as if either one was Chinny. All four of these would've been absolutely top notch fights. No doubt about it. Each guy's particular strengths give Sanchez trouble. Jmm's counter punching. Morales's punching power and volume. Mab's body punching and like jmm, his countering Pac's speed, power and left-handed stance. I think jmm has the best chance of the four. The pac from 126 is too predictable imo and gets timed like he did against jmm (and without the knockdowns). Mab I think gets out-boxed. And morales gets chewed up in exchanges too much. But all four obviously are super competitive. And none are foregone conclusions as to the winner
Sanchez vs MAB is basically a foregone conclusion. There's no scenario I can envision where Barrera beats Sanchez. For the record, I'd also pick Pedroza with confidence to beat MAB and Morales.
