The Great Salvador Sánchez is the story of a man who rose from humble beginnings in the quaint Mexican village of Santiago Tianquistenco to become the boxing champion of the world. Salvador Sánchez ruled as the featherweight king from 1980 -1982 defeating the best competition in his division to emerge as one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all time.
In an era of intense Mexican-Puerto Rican rivalry, Sánchez defeated top Puerto Rican fighters like Juan Laporte and the great Wilfredo Gomez to become a national hero to the Mexican people. His historical bout with the phenomenal Gómez is considered Mexico’s greatest victory over a Puerto Rican champion.
As the boxing world anticipated classic match-ups between Sánchez and ring stars like Alexis Arguello, Bobby Chacon, Hector “Macho” Camacho, and Rafael Limon, Salvador was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1982 at the age of 23 making Salvador Sánchez one of the great “what-if’ stories of his generation.
Despite his brief career, Salvador left an indelible imprint on the sport. With a record of 44-1-1 (32 KOs), Sánchez defeated Hall of Famers Danny Lopez, Wilfredo Gomez, and the incomparable Azumah Nelson. In 1991, Sánchez was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1999 The Associated Press named Salvador Sánchez the third-best featherweight of the 20th Century and in 2002, he was named the 24th greatest fighter of the past 80 years by The Ring magazine.
The Great Salvador Sánchez relives the life and times of the man who fought his way to the top, becoming a national hero and worldwide celebrity along the way. It’s the story of an amazing athlete who was taken in the prime of his life, leaving the sports world to ponder, “what might have been.” In the end, it’s the story of a simple man who overcame tremendous odds to become a hero to the Mexican people and an inspiration to future generations to come.