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Roy Jones Jr was just 11 years old when the fighter he would later name as the ‘best he’s ever seen’ won his first world title.
Nine years later, Jones made his foray into professional boxing following his controversial defeat to Park Si-hun in the light-middleweight final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
That unhappy ending carried a remarkable twist 37 years later when, in September, the South Korean presented Jones with the gold medal that he — and much of the watching world — believed he had earned.
Jones transitioned to the professional ranks seamlessly, going on to win world titles from middleweight to heavyweight and securing his own place in boxing immortality.
When Jones defeated James Toney in 1994, it was not only for the IBF super-middleweight title, but also a fight to determine the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world at the time. Years later, Jones revealed his pick for the finest fighter he had ever seen — a choice that may have surprised many — Salvador Sánchez.
“The best I ever saw? Skill-wise, a guy by the name of Salvador Sánchez. The best all-round fighter that I ever saw.”
Sánchez was just 21 when he upset Danny “Little Red” López to claim the WBC featherweight title. The gifted Mexican was a complete technician, combining exquisite footwork, sharp counter-punching, stamina and the ability to box with equal authority on the front or back foot.
“Chava” packed an extraordinary amount into a short career, making nine successful title defences in just over two years and defeating elite opposition including Wilfredo Gómez and Azumah Nelson.
Tragically, Sánchez’s life was cut short just weeks after beating Nelson on August 12, 1982, when his Porsche 928 crashed, killing him at the age of just 23.
