314:
moments over the next three rounds, continually going forward and throwing combinations in an effort to turn the fight. However, Gómez's right eye started to swell by the third round and was nearly closed by the seventh. Sánchez started zeroing into that area and landed a number of hard punches that repeatedly rocked Gomez. In the seventh round, Gomez finally landed the combination he wanted, a right-left to the chin that partially lifted
Sanchez off his feet; however, he was able to shake off the effects and move away from the corner without further trouble.
85:
75:
350:, it was a moment to mourn for most boxing fans. Many businesses and stores were closed the day after, as Gómez was a national hero to most Puerto Ricans, and he was seen by many as invincible. It took, in the eyes of Puerto Rican boxing fans, 18 years to really avenge Gómez's defeat against Sánchez, and that was when
381:
news shows, and was known for speaking well about Puerto Rico and its people. When Sánchez died, news of his death were heard across Latin
America, and many people both in Mexico and Puerto Rico were saddened by his passing. His funeral was shown live in Mexico, and in Puerto Rico, a tribute show to
317:
Round eight proved to be the final round. With Gómez almost blinded by his swollen eyes and the
Mexican partisans shouting "Ole!" with every volley of punches, Sánchez landed a straight right hand that had Gomez teetering and badly hurt on the ropes, followed by a series of punches that almost sent
304:
Gómez was the strong favorite at the betting windows due to his knockout win streak of 32 fights in a row and Sánchez's relative obscurity. During the build-up to the fight, Gomez talked often of his intention to score an early knockout over
Sanchez and the betting public seemed to be in agreement.
313:
Sánchez began by surprising most fans and dropping Gómez 40 seconds into round one. Gómez got up but was battered around the ring by
Sanchez for the remainder of the round, nearly going down again from an overhand right in Wilfredo's own corner. Gomez began to recover in round three and had his
393:
because of the many other fights he won against
Mexican boxers, Gómez showed no ill feelings towards the people of Mexico by offering Sánchez flowers after Sánchez died, and becoming a frequent visitor to the Sánchez family thereafter. On Sánchez's small town, there is always a festival to
338:
some years before. He became recognized by many
Mexicans and international fans as Mexico's greatest world champion ever, but that moment of glory was short lived, because almost a year after his fight with Gómez, on August 12, 1982, Sánchez was killed in a car accident. Soon,
401:
There had always been talks of a rematch between the two before Sánchez died. What would have happened in a rematch will never be known, but the fact is that both Gómez and Sánchez are now together in a place far different from a boxing ring: They are both in the
360:
in 1999. Gómez went into a depression, but he roared back the next year and posted world title wins against many other boxers from there on until he retired in 1989. Among the fighters he would beat later were
376:
It could be said that Sánchez, in between the moment he beat Gómez and the moment he died almost a year later, warmed himself to the hearts of many Puerto Ricans. He granted interviews to many Puerto Rican
604:
624:
609:
354:
331:
473:
398:
of that festival three times already, and has been a guest of honor many of the times it has been celebrated after Sánchez's passing.
301:
with a record of 40 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw, and 30 wins by knockout. Salvador
Sanchez was defending his WBC world Featherweight crown.
599:
494:
403:
386:
five days after his death, featuring his past interviews with that network's sportscasters, his story, and clips of his fights.
619:
614:
389:
Gómez himself also became a dear person to the people of Mexico after this fight. Although they knew him as the
340:
594:
108:
366:
335:
121:
262:
222:
215:
52:
540:
447:
319:
294:
247:
373:. Gómez joined the exclusive group of fighters to win titles in three different boxing divisions.
322:
stepped in and stopped the fight, giving Sánchez an eighth-round technical knockout (TKO) win.
567:
351:
282:
251:
394:
commemorate Sánchez's memory every year, around the week of August 12. Gómez has been named
357:
343:
would replace him in the hearts of many
Mexican boxing fans as their greatest fighter ever.
40:
478:
278:
274:
36:
588:
427:
423:
370:
552:
362:
347:
286:
125:
84:
293:, and who was the world's Jr. Featherweight champion, against the lesser known
378:
290:
261:, was a professional boxing match contested on August 21, 1981, for the
383:
318:
Gómez off the ring. Although Gómez was able to beat the count, referee
330:
In Mexico, a new legend was born. Sánchez had, in their eyes, avenged
298:
116:
112:
74:
519:
422:
The fight was broadcast on closed-circuit television to all of the
289:
who had a record of 32 wins, 0 losses, 1 draw, and all his wins by
474:"Ranking the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico Boxing Rivalry's Best Fights"
16:
Professional boxing match contested on August 21, 1981
495:"SANCHEZ RETAINS HIS TITLE BY STOPPING GOMEZ IN 8TH"
234:
211:
200:
189:
164:
153:
142:
131:
104:
93:
68:
59:
46:
32:
24:
605:August 1981 sports events in the United States
8:
19:
529:
65:
439:
240:Sánchez defeated Gómez by 8th round TKO
18:
448:"Salvador Sanchez vs. Wilfredo Gomez"
7:
625:Featherweight championship matches
14:
404:International Boxing Hall Of Fame
332:the loss that Gómez had inflicted
168:5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
610:Boxing matches at Caesars Palace
83:
73:
493:Michael Katz (22 August 1981).
258:The Battle of the Little Giants
20:The Battle of the Little Giants
1:
365:(who also is Mexican) at the
226:Junior Featherweight Champion
265:featherweight championship.
160:24 years, 9 months
157:22 years, 6 months
641:
55:Featherweight Championship
575:
565:
559:
548:
538:
532:
239:
64:
600:1981 in sports in Nevada
196:126 lb (57 kg)
193:126 lb (57 kg)
219:Featherweight Champion
185: in (166 cm)
109:Santiago Tianguistenco
620:Boxing in Puerto Rico
367:Carnival of Champions
122:Las Monjas, San Juan
48:Title(s) on the line
21:
341:Julio César Chávez
297:, who hailed from
583:
582:
578:vs. José González
576:Succeeded by
549:Succeeded by
426:and through many
414:Confirmed bouts:
382:him was aired by
273:Contested at the
244:
243:
230:
229:
632:
615:Boxing in Mexico
560:Preceded by
541:Salvador Sánchez
533:Preceded by
530:
524:
523:
520:"BoxRec - event"
516:
510:
509:
507:
505:
490:
484:
483:
470:
464:
463:
461:
459:
444:
358:Oscar De La Hoya
295:Salvador Sánchez
248:Salvador Sánchez
184:
183:
179:
176:
143:Pre-fight record
88:
87:
79:Salvador Sánchez
78:
77:
66:
60:Tale of the tape
49:
41:Paradise, Nevada
22:
640:
639:
635:
634:
633:
631:
630:
629:
585:
584:
579:
573:21 August 1981
572:
563:
555:
546:21 August 1981
545:
536:
535:vs. Nicky Perez
528:
527:
518:
517:
513:
503:
501:
492:
491:
487:
479:Bleacher Report
472:
471:
467:
457:
455:
446:
445:
441:
436:
420:
412:
396:Grand Marischal
328:
311:
279:Las Vegas Strip
271:
225:
218:
181:
177:
174:
172:
82:
72:
47:
28:August 21, 1981
17:
12:
11:
5:
638:
636:
628:
627:
622:
617:
612:
607:
602:
597:
595:1981 in boxing
587:
586:
581:
580:
577:
574:
568:Wilfredo Gómez
564:
562:vs. Raúl Silva
561:
557:
556:
550:
547:
537:
534:
526:
525:
511:
499:New York Times
485:
465:
438:
437:
435:
432:
428:Latin American
419:
416:
411:
408:
391:Mexican beater
352:Félix Trinidad
327:
324:
320:Carlos Padilla
310:
307:
283:Wilfredo Gómez
275:Caesars Palace
270:
267:
252:Wilfredo Gómez
242:
241:
237:
236:
232:
231:
228:
227:
220:
213:
209:
208:
205:
202:
198:
197:
194:
191:
187:
186:
169:
166:
162:
161:
158:
155:
151:
150:
149:32–0–1 (32 KO)
147:
146:40–1–1 (30 KO)
144:
140:
139:
136:
133:
129:
128:
119:
106:
102:
101:
98:
95:
91:
90:
89:Wilfredo Gómez
80:
70:
62:
61:
57:
56:
50:
44:
43:
37:Caesars Palace
34:
30:
29:
26:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
637:
626:
623:
621:
618:
616:
613:
611:
608:
606:
603:
601:
598:
596:
593:
592:
590:
571:
569:
558:
554:
544:
542:
531:
521:
515:
512:
500:
496:
489:
486:
481:
480:
475:
469:
466:
453:
449:
443:
440:
433:
431:
429:
425:
424:United States
417:
415:
409:
407:
405:
399:
397:
392:
387:
385:
380:
374:
372:
368:
364:
359:
356:
353:
349:
344:
342:
337:
336:Carlos Zarate
333:
325:
323:
321:
315:
308:
306:
302:
300:
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
277:hotel on the
276:
268:
266:
264:
260:
259:
254:
253:
249:
238:
233:
224:
221:
217:
214:
210:
206:
203:
199:
195:
192:
188:
170:
167:
163:
159:
156:
152:
148:
145:
141:
137:
134:
130:
127:
123:
120:
118:
114:
110:
107:
103:
99:
96:
92:
86:
81:
76:
71:
67:
63:
58:
54:
51:
45:
42:
38:
35:
31:
27:
23:
566:
539:
514:
502:. Retrieved
498:
488:
477:
468:
456:. Retrieved
451:
442:
421:
418:Broadcasting
413:
400:
395:
390:
388:
375:
371:Juan Laporte
345:
329:
316:
312:
303:
287:Puerto Rican
281:, it pitted
272:
257:
256:
255:, billed as
246:
245:
553:Pat Cowdell
430:countries.
363:Lupe Pintor
348:Puerto Rico
212:Recognition
126:Puerto Rico
589:Categories
452:boxrec.com
434:References
379:television
269:Background
171:5 ft
570:'s bouts
543:'s bouts
504:28 August
458:28 August
410:Undercard
326:Aftermath
309:The fight
138:$ 500,000
135:$ 750,000
100:"Bazooka"
454:. BoxRec
291:knockout
207:Orthodox
204:Orthodox
105:Hometown
94:Nickname
384:WAPA-TV
180:⁄
97:"Chava"
369:, and
299:Mexico
235:Result
190:Weight
165:Height
117:Mexico
113:Edomex
201:Style
132:Purse
69:Boxer
33:Venue
551:vs.
506:2024
460:2024
355:beat
285:, a
250:vs.
25:Date
346:In
334:to
263:WBC
223:WBC
216:WBC
154:Age
53:WBC
591::
497:.
476:.
450:.
406:.
124:,
115:,
111:,
39:,
522:.
508:.
482:.
462:.
182:2
178:1
175:+
173:5
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
