Patrick Ford was a Guyanese and British Commonwealth Featherweight champion boxer…. who challenged twice for the world featherweight title….and was credited with paving the way for Guyanese professional boxers that followed….as Ford won 16 consecutive professional bouts at the start of his career in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Nigeria between 1978 and 1980….when one of the opponents he knocked out….unbeaten Cecil Ferandez….died after getting knocked out by Ford in the ring in Georgetown, Guyana in 1979.
Salvador Sánc was a Mexican boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, México….who became the WBC and lineal featherweight champion from 1980 to 1982….of whom many of his contemporaries as well as boxing writers believed that had it not been for his premature death….Sanchez could have gone on to become the greatest Featherweight boxer of all time….cuz Sánchez died on August 12, 1982 in a car accident from Querétaro to San Luis Potosí.
Sánchez started his professional career at the age of 16….and as a teenager he started piling up wins against tough Mexican opposition….with his first fight of note coming in his 19th professional fight against the Mexican bantamweight champion Antonio Becerra….who proved to be just a little too experienced for the young Sánchez….as the bout ended in a split decision defeat for Sánchez.
Sánchez kept on fighting and moved to the Featherweight division….where he soon beaten people like the Puerto Rican featherweight champion Felix Trinidad Sr. on his way to securing a title shot with world champion Danny “Little Red” Lopez….a popular TV fighter of the late 1970’s….who was an impressive fighter that had won some spectacular fights against the likes of former world champion David Kotei (twice), Juan Malvares and Mike Ayala….and although confident and hard to beat…. Lopez was beaten by the 21-year-old Sánchez….who knocked out the defending champion in 13 rounds in Phoenix, Arizona on February 2, 1980. Sanchez then defended his title for the first time with a 15-round unanimous decision against Ruben Castillo (47–1). Thinking it was just a case of ‘beginner’s luck’ ….(as it was Sánchez’s first world title fight ever….Lopez looked for a rematch….which he got in Las Vegas….and this time Sánchez defeated Lopez by a 14th-round TKO….then in his next title defense….he defeated Patrick Ford (15–0) in San Antonio, TX by a majority decision….as seen in this video herewith.
On December 13, 1980, Sánchez defeated future champion Juan LaPorte by unanimous decision…..and then defended his title against Roberto Castanon (43–1–0)….followed by a win over Nicky Perez (50–3–0). Then undefeated World Jr Featherweight champion Wilfredo Gómez (32–0–1) went up in weight and challenged Sánchez….as Salvador Sánchez retained his crown with a knockout in round eight on August 21, 1981, in Las Vegas….forcing Gómez to return to the Jr. Featherweight division. With that victory, Salvador Sanchez was an unknown to the casual boxing fan no more….as he became a household name all over the United States that night.
So, any way you cut the pie….this title fight between Salvador Sanchez verses Patrick Ford….was an outstanding boxing match….which is MUST SEE TV to any and all folks who love the sweet science of boxing.
