Mexico boasts an extraordinary catalogue of legendary boxers, but Hall of Fame inductee James Toney has confidently picked out one name as the greatest fighter to hail from the nation.
Since the days of Battling Shaw and Alberto ‘Baby’ Arizmendi, fight fans around the globe have developed a respect for Mexican boxers, largely due to the guts, stubbornness and fan-friendly style that is adopted by combatants from the nation.
The appreciation of Mexican fighters has come through sporting success as well as this excitement, with stars such as Julio César Chávez, Ricardo ‘Finito’ Lopez and Rubén Olivares dominating their respective eras.
Yet, when Toney was asked of his opinion as to whom the greatest Mexican fighter of all time may be, ‘Lights Out’ offered an alternate candidate, naming one of boxing’s biggest ‘what ifs’, Salvador Sanchez, as his solitary pick, in an interview with ESNEWS.
“The greatest Mexican fighter of all time is one of my favourite fighters, Salvador Sanchez. Salvador is the greatest Mexican fighter of all time, period.”
Toney’s decision can be understood, as ‘Sal’ won the WBC featherweight world title in 1980 and defended it on nine occasions, defeating superstars such as Danny Lopez, Wilfredo Gomez and Azumah Nelson during that reign.
However, at the age of 23 years old, Sanchez tragically passed in a car accident. His career ended with a record of 44-1-1 despite his young age, with many fans believing that he would have gone on to cement himself as one of boxing’s very best.
