SANDY SADDLER 1926-2001

By Tony Nobbs

22.10.01 - Boxing lost one its greatest ever warriors this week when Hall of Fame Former Featherweight Champion Sandy Saddler died peacefully in his sleep at a New York nursing home where he had stayed after a cowardly attack by a gang of thugs several years ago. He was 75.

The son of West Indian immigrants Joseph 'Sandy' Saddler was born in Boston, Mass. on June 23 1926. Saddler was widely underated despite being a 2 time Featherweight Champion, his reigns spanning 9 years, holding a 3-1 advantage over fellow all time great Willie Pep and being one of the toughest, meanest and most devastating pound for pound punchers the game has seen, scoring 103 knockouts and amassing a 144-16-3 record in a 12 year career. Because of the savagery of his 4th foul-infested war with Pep their names will be linked forever but Saddler also had many other notable victims on his list. He dismantled Old Bones Brown in 3 rounds,drew with Jimmy Carter, Brown and Carter were Lightweight Champions. He defeated 'Red Top' Davis, Lauro Salas and Ray Famechon whose nephew Johnny won the Featherweight Crown in 1969. Sandy also won the Junior Lightweight Title from the tough Orlando Zul;ueta in '49. It was at that weight he beat Gabriel Flash Elorde.

Sandy Saddler was your typical old school pro coming up through the hard slog, dropping the odd decision in the early days ,using it as a learning experience,in his second fight last inside the distance to Jock Leslie. As well as being a brutal puncher he could box clean and fight dirty when necessary. Alexis Arguello and Eusebio Pedroza rolled into one!He stood 5'8 and a half but was more comfortable in the trenches where he could use his large book of tricks,most invented during hids days on the way up.He tuned pro in 1944 and captured the 126 lb Belt for the first time in the first Pep fight in 1948 ,ko 4 ,putting Will o the wisp down 3 times.At the time Pep
was 135-1 ,Sandy had a slate of 84-6-2. 92 fights in 4 years!. Most of todays stars don't even have 92 fights in their lives.He lost it in a rematch to Pep by decision then got it back in 8 rds in '50 and retained it in 10in the 4th and final meeting between the pair on Sept.26 1951, a fight that goes down as histories dirtiest. Although he had Willie's measure, Pep is generally regarded as the greater fighter as most
regarded Pep as pas his best when Saddler came along.He had injured his back in a plane crash and was the ancient age of 26! Sadly Willie who turned 79
on Wednesday is also dangerously ill.

In 1956 while still Champion his eyesight was severely damaged in a traffic accident and he was forced into retirement while still in his prime.When Sandy fought the lower weight fighters never got the huge purse they do today and he began working as a trainer-manager.In the early '70s he helped his cousin Dick Saddler and former Lt.Heaveyweight great,the ol Mongoose, Archie Moore steer young George Foreman to the Heaveyweight Throne. Sandy Saddler was inducted into Canastota in 1990.