Would any featherweight of the last 35 years beat Sanchez?

Simple question. My answer would be... probably not.

Pac would figure to have the best chance, but I think he was too raw at 126 for Sal. But he's the best candidate imo.

Sanchez was plain and simple a better fighter than MAB, Marquez, Morales.

Fenech would try hard, but get dismantled. Same with McGuigan.

Esparragoza would out his depth.

And Naz would take a terrible beating.

 

Marquez

 

Surprise. Surprise.

 

If Marquez could counter Pac effectively then Sanchez definitely could. The only issue would be Pac's speed but once he started timing his rushes then I think he'd take over. Plus, Sal had decent enough power to discourage Pac enough. Clear points win for Sanchez.

I think Fenech is made to measure for Sanchez - the coolest fighter under pressure, there's no way Fenech's swarming style overwhelms him and Fenech would be ripe for hard counters. It might look a lot like Fenech's rematch with Nelson.

Naz? No chance - far too open. If Barrera could pick him apart, imagine what Sanchez could do.

I think McGuigan might actually do okay but again, probably a bad style matchup so yeah, another Sal win.

I agree that Sanchez would beat the Mexican trio but I think those would all be good fights, it's just that Sanchez was better.

The three guys in modern featherweight history he most struggles with are Marcel, Arguello and Pedroza... but that's a separate thread.

 

Great breakdown, only I would add Saldivar to that list with Marcel, Arguello, Pedroza.

 

First feeling was that pac blast him, but then, as other said, marquez showed that he could struggle with counterpunchers, and sal was an amazing one.

He's definitely the bigger threat, but I'm not sure hes winning this

 

I went from overrating Sanchez when I was young, then I went through years long phase when I called him overrated.

Been rewatching him all week, and realized that I started to really undersell him.

Sal was truly one the top 5-10 best counterpunchers the sport ever had.

A more talented, more versatile counterpuncher Marquez, because he was way more fluid than the somewhat robotic Marquez. Sal had more creativity and depth to his style than Marquez.

Sal Sanchez would never get schooled by Chris fucking John.

 

Yeah, that's true. For some reason, I was just thinking of the 70s and not earlier. Yes, Saldivar would definitely be a tough, tough fight for Sanchez to win. I wouldn't be betting heavily on either fighter.

 

I've never thought of Marquez as 'robotic', if anything, I think his combinations are incredibly fluid.

 

And nah, Sanchez beats them all IMO. The problem which arises is that the two best featherweights since '86 are both highly aggressive fighters, and so both perfect for Sanchez. Fenech's workrate just presents hundreds of openings for Sanchez and the physicality he brings and panic he causes would do jackshit to perturb Sal. He'd get lit up like a Christmas tree. And the counter-punching clinic which Nelson put on him doesn't give me any courage in him either.

And Pacquiao's loss(es) to Marquez and extremely raw aggression - and, IMO, somewhat shakey chin at 126 - would mean Sanchez could have a field day as Pacquiao came in with his predictable rushes. Once Sal timed the speed, he'd also start to really light Pacquiao up too, I think. I suppose getting dropped and drawing with southpaw Juan Escobar does give Pac a better chance than Fenech, but I tend to think that's just a blip/fluke, rather than something substantial.

 

You can be a fluid combination puncher yet still have a robotic style. Mikkel Kessler is a perfect example.

I just mean that Sal was a lot more creative and free-flowing than Marquez - he gave guys different looks, was a lot more versatile (Marquez couldn't infight, Sal could), and had much better upper body and head-movement than Marquez.

 

To be fair, Marquez would give Sanchez the best fight outta the Mexican trio.

I basically see Sanchez wiping his ass with Barrera and Morales, in all honesty.

There's nothing, not a single thing, that Barrera and Morlaes bring to the table that Sanchez didn't see with Gomez/Nelson.

I consider Gomez and Nelson better fighters than Barrera and Morales anyway.

 

Id pick morales, marquez and Barrera at their best over Nelson who fought sanchez

 

I don't see how Barrera ever holds Nelson off. I really can't see it.

Barrera didn't have the firepower of Sanchez, nor did he have Sal's chin and stamina.

Nelson would force MAB into a war, and Barrera would not win that war.

 

Agreed. Nor have I ever heard anyone claim that JMM was 'schooled' by Chris John. Many people, me included, thought JMM won that fight. Schooled my hole.

MTF

 

Perhaps me characterizing Marquez as "robotic" was a stretch, but what I meant was he was a lot more regimented and straight up than Sal. Sanchez had a lot more creativity and versatility to his style.

Sanchez could go from fighting off the back foot, left hand lowered, walking guys into check hooks and lead rights one round, then the next round he'd have a high guard and fight in a deep crouch attacking. Marquez couldn't do stuff like that. He fought one way, and one way alone.

Sal was much more of a natural, is what I'm getting at. He had a lot more natural ability than the Mex trio of MAB, Marquez, Morales. Marquez had to work harder to see and figure out things that I feel Sanchez just naturally saw.

 

Another thing about Sanchez that I would note is that he was a pretty big, solidly built featherweight, and a naturally strong guy at that. His physical strength was apparent when he was manhandling Gomez.

Had he lived, I see him not only winning titles at 130, but probably having success at 135 as well.

140 would be a stretch.

 

I get what you're saying about Marquez being a bit robotic, at least, when compared to Sanchez

 

When did Pac ever see punches coming from a mile away?

 

All fights when he was more seasoned.

Sanchez was quicker than Marquez, and one of the most accurate punchers ever. No reason to believe he couldn't find the raw Pac

 

Here's a thought - Azumah Nelson a couple of years later. He was great in rematches and we already know how well he did in their first fight. He's got to have a shot.

 

Salvador Sanchez wasn't that much better than Ruben Castillo when they fought, though Ruben was a very good fighter.

 

I don't think it's fair to call Marquez robotic per se, just that he did things by the book. But we have to remember, he did deviate from traditional technique quite a bit, especially in how he widened and shortened his right hand for what he needed. What trainer recommends throwing double uppercuts from the same hand then throwing a straight to the body to finish the combo? Marquez didn't have the same sort of movement which Salvador had, which I think makes him seem 'stiff' in comparison.

Sanchez was a much more fluid fighter, and overall talent. His style had much more flair about it. As a counter-puncher, he seemed more able to 'weave' counters in combination. Look at him with Little Red, just working his cross in over the lead hook and then the left hook to counter the cross. He had the timing to throw combinations which would land in between the opponent's punches and the skill to but get caught himself while doing so - I guess is what I'm trying to say. And his movement was extremely grateful, in all directions. I particularly like when he steps inside with some form of counter, works for a few seconds and then goes straight from a squared up squat, to an upright stance, at range. Marquez couldn't do things like that, and while Marquez's positioning was good, it didn't have the same effectiveness which Sanchez's adaptation on the forearm guard did. The way he shelled up, but still saw things coming AND still let him effectively counter is an extremely underrated part of his game. But make no mistake, Sanchez wasn't very effective going forward IMO. Not at all. Fun to watch, but if he was an effective pressure fighter, I'd have expected him to give Ford the same sort of beating Pedroza gave him.

As for the Mexican trio, I think Marquez may even be the easiest match-up depending on how the other two fight. Marquez became unstuck against other fellows who didn't want to lead, and while Sal could lead, why would he? Surely he'd sit back and let Marquez clumsily come forward like Mayweather did. I suppose it could be come a chess match which would be competitive, but I think Sanchez would boss it from the start tbh. If Barrera fights how he did at 122, or the third Morales fight, I think Sanchez tortures him and eats him alive. It'd be a horrifying beating where Barrera is never the same again. However, if he sticks to the boxer-puncher style he later dwelled to, I can see a more competitive chess match (similar to the Marquez fight, actually) but I think it's likely Sal's drawing just gets Barrera to keep coming forward.

I think Morales has the tools to give Sanchez a hard fight. He's got the height, reach, speed and skill to really give Sanchez a tough fight, but I highly doubt he sticks to the same sort of game-plan he did vs Ayala and Maidana. I think he'd fall into the same traps which Barrera would, and end up pressure Sanchez, playing into Sal's hands.

 

Sanchez was a great talent but his demise gets him unjust godly status. The actual God whupped pacquaio multiple times and was avoided by other hall of fame fighters in their prime

Imagine if the wbogus enforced their mandatory with hamed At that point a younger Barrera and also morales would've been compelled to meet their maker

 

If the WBO tried to enforce the mandatory with Hamed he would have simply vacated. No way would he have given an unknown JMM 25% of the purse and it's ridiculous to think so. Anyway, we already had this discussion not long ago but JMM could have fought Hamed had he accepted the 1M $ purse (more or less what he got for Pac I, when he was far more established, IIRC). He overinflated his worth at the time and it cost him a few years off his career (just like he did after Pac I when, instead of rematching Pac, he went in Indonesia to lose for peanuts).

 

Thank You...

The Whole "Hamed Ducked Marquez" Thing SOUNDS Good, But It's Bullshit...When Hamed Fought Augie Sanchez, That was SUPPOSED to Be JM Marquez...For Whatever Reason, Marquez DIDN'T Take the Fight...

Beyond That, Marquez Went Life and Death w/Juan Diaz of All People, Sooo Let's Not Assume Marquez BEATS Hamed, Had They Fought...







REED

 

juan diaz was a lightweight. hamed was a small featherweight. plus they had totally different styles. not a relevant comparison.