During any prizefight, a trained eye can sense things about the boxers in the ring. After just a round or two you can tell which fighters truly have the desire to win. Look for the fighter who works when his opponent is trying to rest. He never gives into the silent contract that Teddy Atlas always talks about. He always takes advantage of every given opportunity. He will do whatever it takes to gain an advantage, whether it meant scratching, clawing, or brawling your way to victory. Look for the fighter who will never give up no matter what the circumstance. One of the fighters just wants it that much more. That guy was Agapito Sanchez.
Agapito came from a rough upbringing in the Dominican Republic. Just like many future pugilists, he followed in his brother’s footsteps when he took up boxing. Sanchez had over 70 amateur fights before turning professional. He turned pro in 1989 when he was 19 years old and fought at local shows in Panama and the Dominican Republic. His rugged southpaw style presented problems for anyone he faced.
Sanchez quickly rose up the rankings and by 1995 he had secured a title shot. He was to fight the undefeated WBO Champion and future great Marco Antonio Barrera. Agapito was relatively inexperienced with only 23 matches under his belt. Barrera won a decision, but was dropped in the final round. Boxing fans saw that the unknown Dominican known as “El Ciclon” was a real fighter.
Over the next few years, Agapito showed that he was not afraid of anyone by taking on the best fighters who would step in the ring with him. He was tough as nails and his opponents were never in for an easy night. Sanchez took on names that everyone else was avoiding like Juan Manuel Marquez, Freddie Norwood, and Guty Espadas, JR. He defeated future champions Oscar Larios and Javier Jauregui.
Sanchez finally got another title shot in 2001. He was to take on Jorge Elicier Monsalvo for the same WBO Super Bantamweight Championship that he unsuccessfully fought for five years prior. This time Agapito had accumulated the priceless experience acquired from taking on the best boxers in the world. He dominated Monsalvo and won by knockout in the 7th round. His name was etched in the record books forever with that title claiming victory.
Later that year, a red hot Manny Pacquiao was the dancing partner for his first title defense. Pacquiao held the IBF belt so this was a unification match at 122 pounds. The bout was filled with blood and low blows. Agapito earned a reputation as a dirty fighter among Pacquiao fans who were crying foul at the low blows. Sanchez was doing well against Pac-man, but the fight was cut short to the disappointment of the fans. Manny could not continue because of a cut and the official result was a technical draw after six.
That would end up being the last fight for Sanchez for the next three years. He was forced out of the ring and was stripped of his belt because he had developed cataracts, an eye condition. Agapito was down, but he was not out. His passion for boxing was evident and he wanted back in the game. Agapito was an avid boxing fan who always watched and had opinions on the upcoming fights in the sport. Sanchez was not going to let cataracts retire him for good.
“El Ciclon” was back in 2004 after receiving medical clearance to fight again. He was immediately given a shot at his old title. Unfortunately for Agapito, it was held by a devastating young fighter named Joan Guzman. Sanchez was clearly rusty after the long layoff and was badly beaten by Guzman.
Sanchez remained determined to return to form. He would call out all of the big names in his weight class and was even willing to move up beyond his natural weight of 122 in order to make high profile fights. A win last July against Artyom Simonyan put Sanchez close to a shot at the IBF Super Bantamweight belt. At 35 years old, Agapito was near achieving his goal of becoming a two time world champion.
Sadly, Agapito Sanchez was shot and killed last week in his home country of the Dominican Republic. An off duty police officer murdered the boxer and is now on the run from the police. From everyone at RSR, our hearts go out to the friends and family of this champion whose life was tragically cut short.
