Roy Jones Jr was just 11 years old when the fighter he would later call “the best he’d ever seen” won his first world title.
Nine years later, Jones made his foray into professional boxing after his controversial loss to Park Si-hun in the welterweight final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
That unfortunate ending took a remarkable turn 37 years later when, in September, the South Korean presented Jones with the gold medal he – and much of the world watching – believed he deserved.
Jones made a seamless transition to the professional ranks, going on to win world titles from middleweight to heavyweight and securing his own place in boxing immortality.
When Jones beat James Toney in 1994, it was not only for the IBF super middleweight title, but also to determine the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world at the time. Years later, Jones revealed his choice for the best fighter he had ever seen – a choice that may have surprised many – Salvador Sánchez.
“Best I’ve ever seen? Skill-wise, a guy named Salvador Sánchez. Best all-around fighter I’ve ever seen.”
Sánchez was just 21 when he defeated Danny “Little Red” López to win the WBC featherweight title. The talented Mexican was a complete technician, combining exquisite footwork, precise counter punches, endurance and the ability to box with equal authority on either the front or back foot.
“Chava” has accumulated an extraordinary amount in a short career, making nine successful title defenses in just over two years and defeating elite opponents 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.
