The Return of Salvador Sanchez

With trainer Jimmy Montoya and the legendary boxer’s nephew

Following in the footsteps of a legend is not an easy task.

Just ask the offspring of Julio César Chávez (JCC Jr. and Omar Chávez), Tommy Hearns’ son, Ronald Hearns or Aaron Pryor Jr. Choosing the same profession as their famous fathers can be a thankless job, with fans often (and sometimes unfairly) jeering when they don’t see perfect clones of their idolized living legends. This second generation of boxers will always be compared to their fathers’ Hall of Fame careers.

Who could possibly live up to this hype?

Well, one more young namesake, Salvador Sanchez II, hopes to make his own mark in the sweet science. As the 24-year-old nephew of the original Salvador Sanchez, he is well aware of the reputation that precedes him. Under the tutelage of head trainer Jimmy Montoya, assistant trainer Ruben Chavez and manager Grant Elvis Phillips, the super bantamweight has been very busy on the canvas, fighting fives times in 2009 alone.

Sharing the same name as his uncle–who died tragically at age 23–must be an impossible burden for him. But Salvador II doesn’t see it this way, and he doesn’t feel like it’s a burden. On the contrary, he considers it an honor to continue in the legacy of his uncle, a beloved boxing icon barely reaching his peak at the time of his passing. Needless to say, those are big shoes (and even bigger gloves) to fill.

His uncle was the WBC Featherweight Champion who amassed a record of 44-1-1 with 32 KOs when his life was tragically cut short in a car accident. After beating Azumah Nelson on July 21, 1982 for the WBC title, the Mexican warrior was killed shortly thereafter on August 12. His shocking death left everyone reeling–and pondering how truly great a champ he would’ve been had he lived. He remains a much-loved hero not only in his homeland but throughout the boxing community.

Now those championship genes linger in the same lean physique of Salvador II, who completes the strong resemblance with his mop of thick curly hair, strong nose and soulful brown eyes similar to those of his uncle’s.

Cementing this uncanny likeness, in the second coming of Sanchez, are the old-school white boxing boots with an “S” initial on them, the long striped sweat socks and those short-shorts style of the ’80s that Sal II (18-3-2, 8 KOs) wears in the ring.

But he didn’t have to comb through vintage thrift shops to find something suitable to wear while fighting.

His trainer confirms that Sal’s retro duds are authentic, the real thing. This reminds me of that saying, “Everything old is new again.”

“He’s got his uncle’s trunks, shoes, robes…He has all the clothes,” confirms Montoya. ” We’ve got everything, so he wears something different every time.”

It is his own special way to honor his uncle and pay tribute to the legend from Santiago Tianguistenco, Mexico, same town where junior is from. Born on September 20, 1985, Sanchez never even got to meet his famous uncle, but his bond with him has only grown stronger through the years. Wearing his old clothes and shoes is both a physical and spiritual connection that inspires him.

In his fight last month at Agua Caliente against Rodrigo Aranda, Sanchez had the crowd’s attention as they noticed an eerie similarity of his uncle’s physical traits. “He looks just like him!” could be heard over and over from awed fans in the arena as they stared at the twin silhouette, so reminiscent of the first Salvador.

A man who knew the first Salvador and now trains the second Salvador is his coach, the veteran Montoya. Well-respected in the fight game, he is also a boxing manager, matchmaker and cutman who has worked with over 16 World Champions. His name has also been in the headlines lately as he was officially named the new head trainer for Mikkel Kessler, who will be facing Carl Froch on April 17.

So before chatting about Sal Sanchez, I had to ask Jimmy about Team Kessler. I got an earful from the very direct trainer that you will want to read…So stay tuned to this column for a future article about that!

Montoya, originally from Silver City, New Mexico, can be called a “trainer’s trainer”–he is modest and seems to fly below the radar. He does his job, and he does it well.

His assistant for over 16 years, Janet Rodriguez, can attest to the man’s lack of pretension. “Jimmy had three World Champions in less than a year from 1985-1986: Hector “Macho” Camacho, Richie Sandoval and Juan “Kid” Meza,” she says.

“He is honest, fair, expects the best out of everyone and gives boxers a chance,” Rodriguez comments, while also adding that he has a heart of gold. “He has taken in and raised so many kids in his career. He always gave kids a chance over the years, even the ones who showed little promise.”

Now back to that one lanky kid with the full head of hair, who just happens to show lots of promise. Montoya has been working with Sal II–the present day version of the Sanchez legend–for two years now.

And just like those fans in the stands, when Jimmy first began working with the younger Sanchez, he, too, had a few “goosebump” moments. He calls Sal “Chava,” the same nickname given to his uncle.

“The first time I saw Salvador Sanchez coming at me I’d think it was his uncle!” Montoya remembers. “My hair came out of my skin–I thought I was looking at Salvador Sanchez–he looks just like him!

“I’m in another world when I work with him. When he was coming at me with the mitts, every time he came at me I’d see the same little smile, the same eyes, the movement just like his uncle’s.”

In our conversation, Jimmy tells me how the two began training together. “I used to know his family; my son’s idol was Salvador Sanchez.”

“And I knew Salvador Sanchez too, I knew him for years and years,” explaining how he eventually came to meet his nephew. “We would visit and I would work with him too. So we visited the family after his death and stayed in touch.”

As Salvador II began to embark on his own boxing career, Montoya knows the young boxer has chosen an uphill climb in trying to duplicate any of his uncle’s massive success.

“Sure he feels some pressure to be like his uncle,” admits the trainer, about the weight riding on Sanchez’s slim shoulders. “But he also knows he’s never gonna be his uncle.”

But “Sal the Sequel” has plenty of heart and guts, just like his blood relative.

“I’m very proud of him, he really tries to give it his all,” his trainer continues. “When I first met him he was good, but he had a lot to learn. He had had only eight amateur fights.”

The in-demand Montoya, who works with his boxers in California, Arizona, Las Vegas, Germany and Denmark (with Kessler), assesses his student’s skills. “He’s a good fighter and he’s learning fast,” Jimmy observes of “Chava.” “Remember…all his losses came in the beginning. He’s got a lot of guts. And he’s a good body puncher, who’s getting better and better!”

Does he notice any other common traits between the two Salvadors?

“Yes, there’s a lot of similarities when he talks or kids around,” the trainer says. “He is very quiet in the beginning but when he gets to know you he laughs and jokes a lot, just like his uncle.”

Speaking with the fighter, I ask Salvador if he watches his uncle’s fights on tape. “That’s my idol!” he answers enthusiastically about his link to greatness. “I’ve seen every one of his fights. I go over and over them.”

And how does Sal II like training with Montoya in the States?

“I love it,” Sanchez says in Spanish, with Jimmy translating for us. “We get along well, work well together, it’s nothing complicated.”

And the teacher and pupil have formed a very close bond. When Sanchez is in the U.S. he lives with Montoya, who even has a small gym in his home. After the holidays, El Sobrino (the nephew) Sanchez headed back home before preparing for his next battle. “He’s in Mexico right now filming a documentary for ESPN,” Montoya updates me. “I also may bring him to Denmark while I’m training Kessler.” As far as his next bout, Jimmy will be in Mikkel’s camp but plans will still proceed for Salvador. “He’ll fight again in February; Ruben Chavez will train him for that.”

Salvador II’s father, Juventino, will also be with his son. “He hasn’t missed a fight,” Montoya marvels. After seeing his brother fight in the ’70s and ’80s, watching his own son inside the ropes must be déja vu all over again for him. “He did work the corner a couple of times too,” chuckles Montoya. “But then he got so nervous, he stopped doing it!”

With overwhelming expectations from those who knew and watched his hero in action, Salvador’s nephew chooses to keep his goals realistic when I inquire how he feels about measuring up to his legendary relative.

“If I could be half as much as my uncle, I’ll be happy,” he states with emphasis.

His uncle Salvador had victories over the likes of Wilfredo Gomez, Juan La Porte, Ruben Castillo, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Felix Trinidad Sr., among many others, and was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Whether or not his nephew will earn his way into the Hall of Fame remains to be seen.

But one thing is for sure, we will all be watching and rooting for Salvador Sanchez II as he gives thousands of loyal boxing fans a flash back into the past–a flesh-and-blood reminder of Salvador Sanchez, a champion who left the world too early but no doubt left an indelible mark in the world of boxing.

Photos of Salvador Sanchez II by Michele Chong; Vintage photos of Salvador Sanchez courtesy of BoxRec.com