If Sanchez Had moved up

[The Surgeon]

What do u think would have happened if Salvador Sanchez had moved up in weight to challenge Alexis Arguello before Alexis moved up once more?

Would Sanchez's Youth and Talent be enough to take Arguello with his Skill and Size?

I hear this fight was mooted but never came to fruition, Alexis moved upward and onward and Salvador was tragically taken at the age of 23......


It makes for a great fight but personally id have to favour the bigger man in Arguello

[jabsRstiff]

Sanchez would have had to perform worlds better than he did in his fights after the Gomez fight, that's for sure.

Arguello wasn't really a boxer, but he also wasn't the face-first slugger that Sanchez ate alive. I think Arguello would start to time Salvador by the middle rounds and would start landing the hardest punches Sanchez had ever been hit with. Sanchez's great skills and defense would keep him from being stopped, but he would come up short against such a great fighter....one who maintained that greatness for many weight classes.

[StarshipTrooper]

I'd favor Arguello but I wouldn't call it a sure thing. Be one hell of a fight though.

Poet

[The Surgeon]

I'd favor Arguello but I wouldn't call it a sure thing. Be one hell of a fight though.

Poet

Thats my feel, Alexis has to be the favourite but u wouldnt wanna put Too much cash on that bet! Sanchez was a hell of a fighter but so was Arguello and he had what 3inch on him in height and 4 or 5 in reach? As they say a good big man usually beats a good little man

[gibo]

Alexis would have knocked sanches out in 9 rounds or less.

[TBear]

I would have favored Arguello as well. Would have been a hell of a fight though!

[Miburo]

Ironically this would have pitted the two fighters most dependent on the 15-round format against each other potentially under rules in which it would have been discontinued.

[Dynamite76]

Arguello by a UD, probably around 10-5, 11-4 in rounds. Sanchez would not have his way at 135 that he had at 126.

[The Old LefHook]

Sanchez conquers all. He has exactly what Arguello cannot handle--roundabout.

[Rusty Tromboni]

One of this forum's great buried treasures. Good find.


I'm pretty confident Sal would have been even better at 130 pounds: more mustard on his punches, and a stronger man.

That being said, even if he's a full-grown Jr. Lw, Arguello was still a Lightweight mascarading as a Jr. Lightweight. His size makes the difference here.

As I recall once reading (maybe Auntie T can help me?) pundits at the time were posed with this same question, and they universally picked Arguello.

Ironically this would have pitted the two fighters most dependent on the 15-round format against each other potentially under rules in which it would have been discontinued.

That's an astute point. Disappointing, too. It really would have robbed us of three amazing rounds.

Of the two, I think Sal would ahve needed the championship rounds more, but it might have exponentially increased Alexis' chance of finishing the fight.

Sanchez conquers all. He has exactly what Arguello cannot handle--roundabout.

I dunno what you mean. But folks at the time were all picking Arguello.

Seriously, the guy had already been talking about moving up to 135 to face Duran. Even if Sal was ready for Junior Lightweight, he wasn't ready for Arguello.

He ate huge punches from power punchers like Gomez and Lopez, but they were not as big as Argeullo.

Sanchez could crowd and bully Arguello. We can't rule that out, but Alexis isn't a guy you run over like the others Sanchez fought. He's on a completely different level.

P4P Sanchez looks better, but Arguello's not a guy you want to fight as the smaller man if you're not willing/able to stay on the move.