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I would have picked Saddler but he lost to Flash Elorde in their first meeting (a non-title fight) and then was losing on all the judges' cards when their second fight (World Featherweight title fight) was stopped because of severe cuts ("accidental butts") on Elorde's eyebrows although he (Saddler) was declared TKO 13 winner. Elorde is not even in my shortlist of all-time Featherweight greats. It can be argued though that Sanddler was at the tail-end of a sterling career when he met Elorde and retired (as champ) a year after the second meeting due to failing eyesight. Still....
I would have chosen Pep but he lost more times to Saddler than won. I think he won only once in four encounters against Sandy.
I would have chosen Homecide/Hammerin Hank but he had few Featherweight fights and the fighter that is most recognizable to me that he fought at Featherweight was Baby Arizmendi to whom he lost in two meetings. Alton Black is also another name that I recognize, but barely so. The only reason why I recognize Black's name is that he had fought Armstrong twice and lost twice in a bid for what was called the "Western Featherweight Championship". Without Hank, I would not have heard of Alton. It seems that Hank was better at the higher weights whose crowns he wore simultaneously with the Featherweight tiara for a while.
So, I'll take Salvador Sanchez. Though he barely went past Azumah in his last fight (a late rally was what got him the TKO13-- Nelson got winded) and a rematch was in the air when he met his fate in that car crash, what he did before and during the Nelson fight are what convince me. It's sad that he was not granted the chance to be much more convincing. He would have been.
I would have chosen Pep but he lost more times to Saddler than won. I think he won only once in four encounters against Sandy.
I would have chosen Homecide/Hammerin Hank but he had few Featherweight fights and the fighter that is most recognizable to me that he fought at Featherweight was Baby Arizmendi to whom he lost in two meetings. Alton Black is also another name that I recognize, but barely so. The only reason why I recognize Black's name is that he had fought Armstrong twice and lost twice in a bid for what was called the "Western Featherweight Championship". Without Hank, I would not have heard of Alton. It seems that Hank was better at the higher weights whose crowns he wore simultaneously with the Featherweight tiara for a while.
So, I'll take Salvador Sanchez. Though he barely went past Azumah in his last fight (a late rally was what got him the TKO13-- Nelson got winded) and a rematch was in the air when he met his fate in that car crash, what he did before and during the Nelson fight are what convince me. It's sad that he was not granted the chance to be much more convincing. He would have been.
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