"Just a Monster" Mike Tyson Names The Greatest Mexican Boxer In History

Tyson bypasses Mexican heroes to name Salvador Sánchez as best

Celebrating Salvador Sánchez's unparalleled skills and ring supremacy, Mike Tyson considers him as the best Mexican boxer of all time /

By Mohamed Bahaa

Mexico has traditionally been a boxing powerhouse, turning forth a lot of skill and renowned warriors. Julio César Chávez, a three-division world champion formerly recognized by The Ring magazine as the finest pound-for--pound fighter from 1990 to 1993, is among the most honored names in the sport. With 115 fights under his belt and 107 victories to his name, Chávez had an absolutely remarkable career.

Four-division world champion and present unified super-middleweight titleholder Saul "Canelo" Alvarez also has resonance in the annals of Mexican boxing. Alvarez, who boasts an outstanding record with wins over 48 of his 50 opponents, is scheduled to play Edgar Berlanga in September, so reinforcing his reputation as one of Mexico's best.

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson responded surprisingly when asked by Boxing Junkie which best Mexican boxer of all time. Tyson chose the less-known Salvador "Sal" Sánchez instead of among the well-known luminaries as Olivares, Zarate, Morales, Barrera, or Marquez.

Tyson clearly showed respect for Sánchez as he talked highly of the late boxer. Salvador Sánchez seemed to me to be simply difficult to match. This is the truly unique quality about him. “Salvador Sanchez. I think Sanchez was just hard to beat. This is what made him really special, if you’re a halfway fighter, a decent fighter, you might last the distance, but the greater you are, the more he kicks your a**, he fights right above the level of the game that you’re fighting at. You go at him, he’s going to f**ck you up. “, Tyson said.

Renowned for his strong punches, Sánchez held the WBC and The Ring featherweight belts between 1980 and 1982. His career consisted in 46 matches, of which he won 44. Many boxing fans think Sánchez would have gone on to become the best featherweight in history had his sad death in a vehicle accident at the age of 23 not occurred.

The Ring ranked Sánchez 88th among the 100 best punchers of all time in 2003, therefore acknowledging his influence on the game. Further confirming his place in boxing history, the Associated Press also named him as the third-best featherweight of the 20th century.