One of many perennial frustrations of being a boxing fan is that so most of the most intriguing and significant match-ups merely by no means occur. It’s a disgrace Jack Dempsey by no means confronted Harry Wills, or that Sugar Ray Robinson and Charley Burley by no means locked-up. Why didn’t Ray Leonard or Thomas Hearns ever sling leather-based with Aaron Pryor? How may they not make Lennox Lewis vs Riddick Bowe? The record goes on and on. However each from time to time boxing manages to place collectively the proper match-up, a confrontation on the proper time between two supreme abilities. Such was the case with Sanchez vs Gomez, an historic battle between actually nice champions.
After all, as all severe battle followers know, any conflict involving prime abilities from Mexico and Puerto Rico is a must-watch occasion, however this specific duel wanted no historic context to amplify its significance. Wilfredo “Bazooka” Gomez and Salvador “Chava” Sanchez have been two of the very best within the sport, pound-for-pound; each weren’t simply champions, however future Corridor of Famers. That mentioned, the decades-old rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico had solely intensified since Wilfredo’s career-defining victory over the nice Carlos Zarate in 1978.
Mexican battle followers appeared to Sanchez to precise revenge, however the odds-makers figured Gomez a stable favourite. “The Battle of the Little Giants” they known as it, they usually may have stuffed any stadium they wished in Mexico Metropolis, San Juan or Los Angeles. As a substitute, Sanchez vs Gomez happened, like so many different nice fights of the eighties, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, whereas hundreds of thousands of Hispanics mobbed closed-circuit tv shops to observe what was, for them, the Superbowl of boxing for 1981.
For a number of years Wilfredo Gomez had been one of many sport’s greatest fighters, dominating the super-bantamweight division and within the course of placing collectively a tremendous 32 bout knockout streak. However Mexicans had religion within the expertise of Sanchez. Whereas not as confirmed a champion as Gomez, he had impressed everybody together with his toughness, his wonderful counter-punching expertise, and his coolness below stress. The 21-year-old rose from obscurity to defeat Danny “Little Purple” Lopez and had gone on to defend his title six instances, within the course of turning into a recent new star within the sport.
However Gomez appeared to view Sanchez as an unworthy champion and embraced the function of cocky macho man, taunting Sanchez at each alternative, questioning his manhood and promising everybody a brief night time. The stoic Sanchez coolly ignored the baiting and went about ensuring he was in the very best form of his life. For some purpose, Gomez didn’t do the identical. On the weigh-in “Bazooka” was 4 kilos over the restrict and needed to go to the sauna for some time earlier than lastly making weight. It’s attainable the competition was determined proper then and there.
Or possibly it was within the very first minute of the battle when Gomez compelled Sanchez right into a blistering alternate on the ropes. Bazooka landed a pointy proper hand however Sanchez countered together with his personal proper that not solely despatched Gomez to the canvas however fractured his left cheekbone. Badly dazed, the challenger beat the rely however then absorbed a vicious pounding for the remainder of the spherical, nearly taking place a second time earlier than the bell mercifully sounded.
Towards a boxer pretty much as good as Sanchez, this was as unhealthy a begin as one may think about, however Gomez confirmed unimaginable coronary heart by battling again, even profitable a number of rounds together with his aggressiveness. It was thrilling, fast-paced motion all the way in which, with Gomez urgent and Sanchez countering, each males touchdown huge pictures. In contrast to all of Wilfredo’s earlier opponents, Sanchez took Bazooka’s greatest punches with out ever buckling, whereas Gomez appeared susceptible, his legs wobbling at instances and his face quickly sporting large, purple swellings round each eyes.
By the beginning of the eighth, Gomez knew he was working out of time. His eyes have been slits about to shut and once they did, the battle could be stopped. And so, like a determined gambler going all in on the final hand, he charged out, throwing wild, imply punches, hoping for a miracle. The artful Sanchez noticed his alternative and landed a sequence of vicious counter left hooks to each head and physique after which, simply as Gomez shifted to anticipate extra hooks, the champion compelled him to the ropes and, with grim willpower and exquisite timing, landed one depraved proper hand after one other.
The ultimate proper was a thunderous blow, buckling the challenger’s legs and rendering Gomez helpless, and a follow-up flurry put him down for a second time. Demonstrating superb braveness, the sport challenger climbed to his ft however the referee took a protracted take a look at Gomez after which signaled that the battle was over. Seconds later resounding chants of “Me-hi-co! Me-hi-co!” echoed by means of Caesars Palace as a jubilant Sanchez was lifted up and carried concerning the ring.
So disrespectful earlier than the bout, Wilfredo Gomez sang a distinct tune after it, admitting he had underestimated the Mexican sharp-shooter with the iron chin. He prayed for a rematch, however all hopes of avenging his first defeat vanished when lower than a yr later, Sanchez, after scoring wins over three extra challengers together with future champion Azumah Nelson, slammed his Porsche right into a truck on a slender Mexican highway. For years after, an everyday customer to Salvador’s grave within the city of Santiago Tianguistenco was none aside from the nice Puerto Rican champion whose identify will likely be perpetually linked with that of his legendary conqueror. — Michael Carbert
