This Friday marks four decades since one of the saddest events in the history of Mexican boxing, the unexpected death of Salvador Sánchez Narváez, in a terrible car accident when he was only 23 years old and on his way to becoming a historic figure in the boxing world.

Although he only fought 46 times as a professional, in 1996, he was considered the 26th best fighter of all time and his fight against Wilfredo Gomez is considered the greatest victory in the rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Posthumously, in 1991 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. His professional record was 44 wins (32 knockouts), one draw and one loss. He died as the reigning WBC featherweight champion.

However, Sal Sánchez died in the early morning of August 12, 1982 when he crashed his Porsche 928 on the Querétaro-San Luis Potosí highway. He only lasted a little more than two years as WBC featherweight champion, making nine defenses, the last one against Ghanaian Azumah Nelson, whom he defeated three days before Chavez's professional debut and 22 days before his death.

In just seven years of career, what Sal Sanchez did was memorable, especially for his historic victory over Wilfredo Gomez, explained Mauricio Sulaiman, president of the World Boxing Council (WBC), in an interview with Izquierdazo.

"Sal Sanchez gave Mexico one of the greatest satisfactions. Perhaps the most emotional moment in the history of Mexican boxing was when he knocked out Gómez," on the night of August 21, 1981 at the Forum in Inglewood, California, said Sulaimán.

"Gomez, who was the tormentor of the Mexicans, had been knocked out 32 times in a row. An incredible night in which Sal Sanchez dominates and knocks out Gomez," recalled the WBC president.

An epic fight we never got to see

Because of his weight and the era in which he shined, Sal Sánchez's career was very close to coinciding with that of the greatest Mexican boxer of all time, Julio César Chávez, who made his professional debut in February 1980 and by August 1982 already had a record of 31-0, with 25 knockouts. Two years later he would already be world champion at Super Featherweight.

"It would have been a brutal fight," said Mauricio Sulaiman, president of the WBC in an interview with Izquierdazo about a possible fight between Chavez and Salvador Sanchez.

"Truly epic, they would have faced each other I think at super featherweight in the very prime of Sal Sanchez and Chavez starting his career," said Mauricio Sulaiman, president of the WBC.

And he added: "It is speculation, but it is nice to dream. No one can know what would have happened, but it would have been an epic fight. It is hard to think that Chavez could lose, because he did it until his 90th fight, then all those years with Chavez's greatness, but at the same time Salvador was wonderful, he had a great jaw, great boxing ability, it would have been a fight".

But the WBC boss was not the only one who speculated with this fight. In the same interview, Sulaimán Saldívar pointed out having touched the subject with Chávez, who acknowledged that at that time Sánchez was a better fighter:

"I have spoken with Julio Cesar, who is a very shy man, very reserved, he says that Salvador Sanchez would have won. I take that as a great testimony and a great tribute to Sal Sanchez", said Mauricio Sulaiman.