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| Thursday, July 27, 2000
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal COLUMN: Joe Hawk Sanchez a study in quiet confidence for Hamed bout
Augie Sanchez picks his words as if panning for gold, measuring their value with an assayer's precision.
Yes, the former Cheyenne High School student says slowly, calmly, self-assuredly, he can beat undefeated World Boxing Organization featherweight champion Prince Naseem Hamed on Aug. 19 at the Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard, Conn.:
"I am confident, but not overconfident -- definitely not overconfident. He has a great record for a reason. I have respect for him. But in the ring, it's a different story."
Yes, he is prepared for Hamed's notorious intimidation factor:
"He plays head games before the fight -- his flashiness, how long it takes him to get in the ring. Others have been intimidated by him. I'm not going to be intimidated. I'm not going to take what he does and let it get to me."
Yes, he acknowledges Hamed's devastating punching power:
"He is strong, and his punches are powerful. And his style is awkward. You don't know where his punches are coming from. It means I've got to be focused.
"But I think my power will be the big factor in this fight. If he doesn't respect my power, I think it will be dangerous and a mistake."
Mistake? Perhaps.
But make no mistake about this: In a sport in which it's not merely hip to hype, it's required, Sanchez is, as they say, "keeping it real." The consummate respect he has for his own ability doesn't demand that he disrespect that of his flamboyant foe.
Of course, "keeping it real" is also Augie Sanchez's nature.
Soft-spoken, thoughtful, not given to hyperbole, he doesn't fit the mold of your typical world title contender. On this day, his face framed by a pair of narrow, wire-rimmed glasses to correct a slight case of myopia, he doesn't look like one, either. No, the 22-year-old Sanchez more resembles a science student than a student of the "sweet science."
Looks, as they say, can be deceiving.
Sanchez is very much a title contender, with a glimmering 26-1 record and 23 knockouts. He has won 10 consecutive fights, including nine by KO, since he stumbled for the lone time in his pro career -- a first-round technical knockout at the hands of Edgar Garcia in April 1998.
It was that loss, he explains, that has best prepared him for this fight with Hamed, 34-0 with 30 KOs.
"I was overconfident that fight, without a doubt," he says, leaning back in a swivel chair at Barry's Boxing Center on South Highland Avenue, where he trains under the guidance of his father-in-law, Pat Barry. "I had fought so many other fighters and won, I got lazy. I took it for granted.
"But that's all right. It made me a better fighter. I don't take anyone for granted. ... Seriously."
To wit, Sanchez anticipates needing to box "smarter" than Hamed to win. While he believes the fight "from the get-go is going to be a war," he's prepared to take it the full 12 rounds -- even though he's never gone further than the seventh round in any of his previous 27 bouts.
"We do it in the gym," he says of going 12 rounds. "If I can do it in the gym, I know I can do it in a fight. I'll be ready for 12."
Although Sanchez will make about $300,000 for the bout, money is tertiary to winning a world title and earning recognition from those who, even now, doubt his ability.
"Coming out of the fight, they're going to do a 180," he says, smiling and nodding knowingly. "They'll know what I'm all about -- about heart and courage and being a warrior.
"They'll know."
Augie Sanchez, ultimately, is respectful of Prince Naseem Hamed for giving him the chance to fight for the world featherweight title. It will be no sign of disrespect, he emphasizes, when he takes that title away next month.
Joe Hawk's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. He can be reached at 387-2912 or Joe_Hawk@lasvegas.com.
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