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SALDIVAR DRAWS FIRST BLOOD
IN RIVALRY WITH SANCHEZ
Friday 27 September 2002
One of the most anticipated fight cards of the International Boxing League's opening month took place tonight at the Estadio Saltillo in Saltillo, Mexico. The action was in the Featherweight division with the first series of bouts for the Mexican region of the World Championship qualifiers. The venue was packed to capacity, the atmosphere celebratory and akin to a big league football game with chants resonating throughout the evening. Some of Mexico's biggest celebrities were in attendance while IBL competitors Jose Luis Ramirez (Lightweight) and Javier Aguirre (Middleweight) were also amongst the crowd. The big story of the night was always going to be the performances of Sydney Olympic gold medallists and bitter rivals Salvador Sanchez and Vicente Saldivar and for those keeping score, you'd have to say that Saldivar took the points.
Up against Juan Antonio Lopez in the Co-Feature the 18 year-old Mexico City native was spectacular, stopping Lopez in the 4th round. Saldivar came out aggressive and didn't let up, dominating the opening two rounds and taking his performance to another level when Lopez tried to match him in the 3rd. But what came in round four capped it off brilliantly, Saldivar decimating his opponent with a series of smashing power shots before knocking him to the canvas two minutes in. Lopez made it to his feet at the count of seven but when he stumbled back into the ropes on wobbly legs the referee halted the contest, Saldivar the winner by TKO at the 2:16 mark. Saldivar pumped his fist in the air and mounted one of the corner posts, shouting to the crowd in an excited manner.
Punch totals
Saldivar: 135/267 (.506)
Lopez: 35/101 (.347)
An emotional individual, Saldivar called out Sanchez during the post-fight interview, challenging him to produce an effort superior to his own. It didn't work out that way as, although Sanchez was a unanimous decision winner against Daniel Zaragoza (58-57, 59-56, 58-57) he was not quite as impressive as Saldivar. Both Sanchez and Zaragoza were frustrated by each other's defensive ability, as although the punches were flying thick and fast most of them were off target, the two combatants constantly on the move. The totals shown below indicate what a struggle it was:
Sanchez: 112/448 (.250)
Zaragoza: 63/451 (.140)
"I can't see why you are all complaining," said Sanchez defensively. "I made him look like a fool with the way he was missing me. His defense was also very good but just take a look at his face. That's all you need to see to know he took some hard shots."
Sanchez was correct in that assessment as Zaragoza's face showed swelling under and around his right eye and a nasty cut on his left eyelid. Even so, some will say that Sanchez is overrated and overhyped, that Saldivar is the real deal of the two teenagers. They'll point to the lack of explosiveness in Sanchez's performance compared to Saldivar's and say that when they meet Saldivar's power will win the day. One thing's for certain: that bout figures to be perhaps the most anticipated throughout the rest of these regional qualifiers.
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Earlier on the card the highly-regarded 19 year-old Ruben Olivares was held to a draw against Mexico City's Fili Nava (57-57, 58-56 (Nava), 57-57). The opening two rounds were quite close but Olivares looked to have a slight advantage. But he struggled through the middle of the bout, Nava sweeping rounds three through five on two cards and appearing set for an upset victory before Olivares saved himself from what would have been an embarrassing defeat with a dominant final stanza.
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