Salvador Sanchez vs Pat Ford

Mexican hero Salvador Sanchez was required to overcome an awkward beginning and a considerable physical disadvantage before retaining the world featherweight championship by a majority decision over Patrick Ford at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio. After 15 rounds, judges Arlen Bynum and Ramon Berumen favoured the Mexican champion by scores of 145–141 and 148–139 respectively, while Jose M. Escalante returned a 145–145 draw. Both men weighed 126lb, and Lou Filippo was the referee. There were no knockdowns.

The contest was Sanchez’s third defence of the championship he had taken from Danny “Little Red” Lopez seven months earlier. He had followed that victory with a decision over Ruben Castillo and a second stoppage of Lopez, entering with a record of 36–1–1. Ford, the unbeaten Commonwealth champion from Guyana, brought 16 consecutive victories and a physique unusual for a featherweight. At 5ft 10in, he stood four inches taller than Sanchez and possessed a reach advantage of approximately six and a half inches. He had stopped Eddie Ndukwu only weeks earlier to win the Commonwealth title.

Ford used those advantages intelligently from the opening bell. He kept his left hand in Sanchez’s face, disrupted the champion’s approach with a long jab and moved before Sanchez could establish his feet. Rather than retreating continuously, Ford occasionally stood his ground long enough to send straight punches through the centre, then stepped away as Sanchez attempted to answer. The champion, normally so comfortable drawing an opponent into counters, was instead required to pursue a taller man who had no intention of entering his preferred range.

The challenger’s confidence increased through the early rounds. In the third, a left uppercut caught Sanchez cleanly and sent blood trickling from his left nostril. Ford’s jab continued to disturb the champion’s rhythm, and his height forced Sanchez to reach with punches which ordinarily travelled along shorter, more economical lines. Ford was not merely keeping the contest at long range; he was scoring regularly enough to build a legitimate lead.

Sanchez began making the necessary adjustments as the match moved through its middle stages. He stopped following Ford in a straight line, stepped closer behind his guard and directed more of his work towards the body. Once inside the challenger’s long jab, he used short hooks and uppercuts before Ford could regain distance. The right hand over Ford’s low left became increasingly effective, particularly when the challenger paused after jabbing or attempted to move away with his hands below his chin.

Ford remained composed and continued boxing neatly, but the effort required to preserve the distance began to tell. Sanchez cut down the ring with greater accuracy and made the challenger exchange for longer periods. The champion’s punches also carried the greater authority. Ford could still score with the jab and occasional uppercut, yet he was no longer able to complete his attacks and leave without receiving something in return.

From the eighth round onwards, Sanchez generally controlled the exchanges. He worked beneath Ford’s elbows, followed with rights to the head and stayed close enough to prevent the challenger from settling behind his jab. Ford’s work remained skilful and disciplined, but the rounds had become more physical, which favoured the stronger and more experienced champion. Sanchez did not produce a sudden attack capable of ending matters; instead, he gradually reduced the effectiveness of Ford’s principal weapons.

The later rounds demonstrated Sanchez’s patience and stamina. He maintained his body attack, caught Ford with overhand rights and forced him to spend longer periods near the ropes. Ford continued moving and answering, never appearing close to being stopped, but his punches no longer interrupted Sanchez’s advance as they had during the opening third of the contest. The champion finished strongly, pressing forward and landing the heavier blows as Ford tried to protect the lead he built early.

The verdict produced no disagreement over Sanchez’s retention of the title, although the margins varied greatly. Bynum’s four-point advantage and Escalante’s draw reflected the competitive nature of the contest. Berumen’s score of 148–139 suggested a much easier defence and gave Ford scant reward for his clear early success. The challenger had caused Sanchez serious tactical difficulty and had won enough rounds to remain in contention deep into the match.

Ford suffered his first professional defeat, but his performance established him as a genuine world-level featherweight. Five months later he challenged WBA champion Eusebio Pedroza and was stopped in the 13th round. Against Sanchez, he had demonstrated that height, reach and disciplined movement could trouble even the most accomplished champion, though he could not maintain the necessary distance for the entire 15 rounds.

For Sanchez, the victory was less emphatic than his two stoppages of Lopez but equally instructive. He had been denied the counter-punching contest he preferred, fallen behind against an opponent of uncommon dimensions and then altered his approach without losing composure. His body punching, greater force and command of the later rounds carried him through. The majority verdict was appropriate, even if one official’s wide card failed to acknowledge how difficult Ford had made the defence.

Ford gave Sanchez one of the most awkward nights of his championship reign. Salvador had looked magnificent against Danny Lopez because Lopez came towards him and supplied the openings for those sharp counters. Ford did the opposite. At 5ft 10in, with a huge reach advantage, he made the champion lead.

The Guyanese challenger boxed with maturity beyond his 16 professional fights. His jab kept Sanchez reaching, and the left uppercut bloodied the champion’s nose in the third. Ford controlled the early distance because his feet moved with his hands; he never stood admiring the jab after landing it.

Sanchez solved the problem gradually. He stopped chasing, edged across Ford’s escape routes and began punching the body. Once Ford slowed, Salvador stepped inside the jab and brought the right hand over Ford’s low left. The later exchanges belonged to the champion because his punches were shorter, heavier and required less effort.

I had Sanchez winning narrowly, so the majority decision was fair. The 148–139 card was far too wide and gave Ford little credit for some excellent early boxing. Ford exposed a truth about Sanchez: he was at his best when opponents brought the fight to him. What separated Salvador from lesser champions was his ability to adjust when they refused.