Only three weeks earlier, Sánchez had stopped Azumah Nelson in the 15th round at Madison Square Garden. Nelson gave him a difficult fight before Sánchez took control late and finished the future Hall of Famer.
There was little time for Sánchez to enjoy the victory. His next title defense was already scheduled.
Sánchez was set to return to Madison Square Garden on September 15 for a rematch with Juan LaPorte. The two had met in December 1980, with Sánchez winning a 15-round unanimous decision.
The LaPorte fight was more than tentative matchmaking. LaPorte’s manager, Howie Albert, told UPI on the day Sánchez died that they had signed the contract with promoter Don King the previous night. Much bigger fights were also being discussed.
Following the Nelson fight, there was talk of Sánchez moving up two divisions to challenge WBC lightweight champion Alexis Argüello. Contemporary UPI coverage described a Sánchez-Argüello bout as a multimillion-dollar event.
A second meeting with Wilfredo Gómez was another option. Sánchez had handed Gómez his first professional loss in August 1981, stopping the Puerto Rican star in the eighth round in Las Vegas. Gómez had moved up from junior featherweight, attempting to take Sánchez’s title.
Those fights made Sánchez’s death especially difficult to comprehend. He had already defeated Danny Lopez twice, Gómez, LaPorte and Nelson while still several years away from what normally would have been considered a fighter’s physical prime. His career ended with a record of 44-1-1 with 32 knockouts.
Sánchez never got the opportunity to find out how far he could go. LaPorte eventually won the vacant WBC featherweight title after his death, while Nelson later became one of the greatest fighters of his generation. A fight with Argüello never happened.
Forty-four years later, Sánchez’s career does not require speculation to make it extraordinary. He had already accomplished more by 23 than most champions manage in an entire career. What he might have done next is the part boxing never got to see.
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