August 1982. In the city of Santiago Tianguistenco, Mexico, over 20,000 of its citizens, nearly half of its population, gathered for the funeral of one of their own.
Don King had a dilemma. His rising featherweight star, Salvador Sanchez, forced the world to take notice with his detonation of Wilfredo Gomez on August 21, 1981. Gomez was 32-0-1 with all of his victories by knockout when he and Sanchez clashed. Sanchez took Wilfredo’s best shots then separated him from his senses in the eighth round with a straight right hand. But now, with a fight scheduled at Madison Square Garden for July 21, just two weeks away, Sanchez had no opponent.
Mario Miranda, the tough Colombian contender who was supposed to fight Sanchez had injured his ear in a fight on June 20. King had approached Juan LaPorte, Ruben Castillo and Rocky Lockridge, but with little time to prepare, all three turned down the offer. King then turned to Azumah Nelson.
Nelson was a little spark plug of a fighter from Ghana, Africa about whom little was known. He had a record of 13-0 with 10 KOs, only one fight in the US, and there was just a single, short piece of film that Sanchez could study, But Nelson was willing to fight. Problem solved.
Like most boxers, it was 23-year-old Salvador Sanchez’s dream to fight at “the Mecca of boxing,” Madison Square Garden. Joe Louis had fought there. The first two Ali/Frazier fights were there. Roberto Duran’s punches had echoed throughout the famous arena. Now, for the first time, Salvador Sanchez would fight at “The Garden.”
Sanchez, the WBC featherweight champion, climbed through the ropes with a record of 43-1-1 (30). He glared across the ring at his inexperienced opponent. All the hopes of Ghana, Africa glared back.
Round one: Nelson scores with a leaping left hook. Sanchez bounces on the outside firing jabs. Nelson has his gloves high and tight. Both fighters trade one-twos. Sanchez fires a right, Nelson backs off and does an Ali shuffle. Nelson drives Sanchez to the ropes with a hard combination to the body and head.
Round two: Sanchez misses a left-right and Nelson shuffles again. Nelson counters with an angry left-right over Sanchez’s jab. Nelson whips a left hook to Sanchez’s jaw. The fighters exchange vicious shots in the middle of the ring. Nelson wins the exchange. Sanchez starts to box as Nelson continues to stalk.
Round three: A wild exchange to open the round backs Sanchez up. The fighters trade hard body shots. Sanchez doubles a left hook to the body and head. Nelson is smiling. The pace slows slightly as Sanchez ties to create distance.
Round four: Sanchez shoots several jabs to Nelson’s body. Nelson backs Sanchez to the ropes then cranks a left-right-left to Sanchez’s body. Sanchez presses forward with hard combinations as Nelson bobs and weaves wildly around the ring to avoid punishment. Both fighters cut loose with bombs in the middle of the ring. Nelson closes the round with a thudding left hook to Sanchez’s body.
Round five: Nelson’s guard has opened up on top. Nelson rips a combination to the champion’s body. Sanchez jabs, Nelson counters off ropes. The fighters lean on one another, forehead to forehead, trading shot after shot. They exchange uppercuts. Sanchez hurls body shots to Nelson’s ribs.
Round six: Nelson is stalking. Sanchez is on his toes, jabbing, shifting directions and throwing long one-two combinations. Nelson follows Sanchez around the ring. Sanchez pops Nelson on the thighs while the referee, Tony Perez, is behind Nelson. Nelson keeps coming.
Round seven: Nelson throws a right and Sanchez spins Nelson’s head with a hybrid left hook/uppercut that drops the challenger. Nelson beats the count then continues to stalk Sanchez. Sanchez stays on the outside and boxes patiently even though Nelson is standing straight up with his gloves wide.
Wilfredo Gomez walked to the grave, knelt down and grabbed a handful of dirt. Weeping, he massaged the soil that interred his former adversary into the knuckles of each hand. When asked why he did that, he replied, “So that I may have some of his strength.”
Round eight: Nelson throws a right and Sanchez counters with a left hook that staggers the challenger once again. Nelson responds by punching his way out of danger. Sanchez uncorks a stinging one-two. Nelson tries to feint Sanchez. The pace slows. Sanchez boxes to end of round. In his corner, a nearly imperceptible smile creases the champion’s lips.
Round nine: The fighters exchange furiously in the middle of the ring. Sanchez twists Nelson with a left hook. Nelson somehow stays on his feet. Nelson bangs Sanchez to the ropes and unleashes blow after blow to the champion’s body and head. Sanchez lands hard shots to Nelson’s thighs. Nelson bangs Sanchez to the ropes. The challenger, bleeding from the mouth, walks to Sanchez’s corner after the bell. The champion points Nelson to the correct corner. Sanchez wasn’t smiling anymore.
Round ten: Sanchez is circling and jabbing. The champion rips a right to the body then hurls a left hook to Nelson’s head. Nelson is stalking but Sanchez is getting off first.
Round eleven: Nelson wings two left hooks. Sanchez connects with a stiff one-two. The fighters are forehead to forehead as Sanchez torques crippling shots to Nelson’s ribs and the challenger answers to Sanchez’s head. Nelson uncoils a left hook to the head. Sanchez sags momentarily then instantly regains his senses. Sanchez bobs and weaves to survive the round.
Round twelve: Nelson is more energetic and attacks Sanchez from the bell. Nelson slings wild, hard shots. Sanchez is more frugal and more accurate. Sanchez slips on water in his own corner and Nelson cracks him in the jaw with a straight right as Sanchez is on his way up. Sanchez gets on his toes and boxes to complete the round.
Round thirteen: Sanchez comes out boxing. Nelson comes out bombing. Sanchez stops and catches the challenger with an uppercut. Nelson connects with a right. Nelson lands an uppercut. The fighters exchange a whirlwind of punches near the ropes. Nelson staggers Sanchez with a wide right. The fighters trade shots in the middle of the ring. Nelson throws several hard, looping rights to the head. Sanchez staggers Nelson with a hybrid hook/uppercut at the bell. Nelson’s right eye is swelling badly.
Round fourteen: Sanchez is jabbing and throwing hard one-twos. Nelson plods ahead, bobbing and weaving to avoid incoming fire. Nelson is missing wildly and staggering around the ring like a newborn deer. The fighters trade fire after the bell. Nelson’s right eye is nearly closed.
Azumah Nelson also knelt by the grave. Crying bitterly, he prayed for a while then clutched the earth. After rubbing the freshly overturned soil into his own hands, he quietly stood and walked away.
Round fifteen: Nelson drives Sanchez to the ropes with a succession of hard shots. Sanchez doubles Nelson over with a left hook. The challenger’s right cheek immediately swells. There is a wild exchange in the center of the ring. Sanchez cracks Nelson with a left hook. Nelson flaps around like a flag in the wind but miraculously stays on his feet. Sanchez unleashes a vicious left-right-left that sends the challenger staggering then tumbling into his corner. Nelson jumps up to beat the count and staggers toward the champion. Sanchez shoots a right and three left hooks to the defenseless Nelson’s head. The referee jumps in at 1:59 of the round.
Sanchez, elated, jumps onto the ropes and raises his arms in victory.
Before sunrise on the morning of August 13, 1982, WBC world featherweight champion Salvador Sanchez was driving his new, white Porsche on a lonely stretch of Mexican road when he collided with a heavily laden truck. Sanchez died instantly.
Salvador Sanchez
January 26, 1959 - August 13, 1982
