The winner of this fight gets to call out the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. That is the prize on offer when Frank Sanchez and Richard Torrez Jr meet at the Pyramids of Giza on May 23, 2026, in an IBF Heavyweight final eliminator. Usyk is watching. So is every heavyweight in the division. Whoever climbs off the canvas — or doesn’t need to — in Egypt earns the next mandatory shot at the IBF crown.
| Date | Saturday, May 23, 2026 |
| Venue | Pyramids of Giza, Egypt |
| Division | Heavyweight (unlimited) |
| Scheduled Rounds | 12 |
| Status | IBF Heavyweight Final Eliminator |
| Ringwalk | 6:00 PM UTC / 2:00 PM EST / 7:00 PM BST |
Frank Sanchez came into 2025 as one of heavyweight boxing’s most credible challengers. The Cuban orthodox fighter carries a 25-1 record with 18 knockouts — a 72% KO rate — across 120 professional rounds, and his technical skills, refined through Cuba’s world-renowned boxing system, have been evident in every performance. At 32, 6’4” with a 78” reach, he is built for the heavyweight division.
But the loss matters. In May 2024, Sanchez was stopped by Agit Kabayel — a fight he was expected to win. Kabayel landed a big right hand in the later rounds and stopped the Cuban for the first time in his career. How Sanchez has processed that setback, and whether his chin has been compromised, are the questions hanging over his preparation. Since then, he has returned with a win, but this is the real test of his resilience.
| Sanchez | |
|---|---|
| Record | 25-1 (18 KOs) |
| KO Rate | 72% |
| Age | 32 |
| Height | 6’4” (193 cm) |
| Reach | 78” (198 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Nationality | Cuban |
| Rounds Fought | 120 |
| Result | Opponent | Method | Rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| W | Carlos Takam | UD | 10 |
| L | Agit Kabayel | TKO | 9 |
| W | Efe Ajagba | UD | 12 |
| W | Vladimir Tereshkin | TKO | 4 |
| W | Jerry Forrest | TKO | 6 |
Richard Torrez Jr is the most explosive prospect in heavyweight boxing. The 25-year-old American southpaw is 14-0 with 12 knockouts — an 86% KO rate that is the highest among unbeaten heavyweights at this level — across just 44 professional rounds. He won the Olympic silver medal at Tokyo 2020, where he was the most feared amateur heavyweight in the world, and his professional career has tracked exactly as expected: destruction, in sequence.
The numbers that define Torrez Jr are the KO rate and the round count. 86% of his opponents have been stopped, and he has done it across just 44 rounds — an average of just over 3 rounds per fight. He is not a long-fight boxer yet. He is a short, explosive, pressure fighter with elite amateur technique and the kind of power that makes referees move fast. At 6’2” with a 76” reach as a southpaw, his angles create genuine problems for orthodox fighters — and Sanchez is orthodox.
| Torrez Jr | |
|---|---|
| Record | 14-0 (12 KOs) |
| KO Rate | 86% |
| Age | 25 |
| Height | 6’2” (188 cm) |
| Reach | 76” (193 cm) |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Nationality | American |
| Rounds Fought | 44 |
| Olympics | Tokyo 2020 Silver |
| Result | Opponent | Method | Rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| W | Michael Coffie | KO | 2 |
| W | Ali Eren Demirezen | TKO | 5 |
| W | Guido Vianello | KO | 3 |
| W | Jonnie Rice | TKO | 6 |
| W | Darmani Rock | TKO | 4 |
| Sanchez | Torrez Jr | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 25-1 | 14-0 |
| KOs | 18 (72%) | 12 (86%) |
| Age | 32 | 25 |
| Height | 6’4” | 6’2” |
| Reach | 78” | 76” |
| Stance | Orthodox | Southpaw |
| Pro Rounds | 120 | 44 |
Sanchez has the height, reach, and professional rounds advantage. Torrez Jr has the power, age, and KO rate advantage. The southpaw vs orthodox dynamic gives Torrez Jr natural angles to the open side.
This is the most tactically intriguing fight on the card. Sanchez is the kind of technically accomplished Cuban boxer who can be difficult to hit cleanly — he moves well, controls range with his jab, and uses his 6’4” frame to maintain distance. Over 120 professional rounds he has learnt how to manage fights across 12 rounds without being stopped. Until Kabayel.
Torrez Jr’s approach is almost the opposite: pressure, short-range power, and the southpaw angles that make orthodox fighters uncomfortable. His average fight lasts roughly three rounds. Against Sanchez, who has the technical tools to survive the early storm, the question is whether Torrez Jr can maintain his intensity across 12 rounds — something he has never been tested on professionally.
The Kabayel loss is the shadow over Sanchez. Kabayel landed a right hand that Sanchez didn’t see and couldn’t handle. Torrez Jr is a southpaw — his straight left hand (the equivalent of Kabayel’s right) is the same shot, from the other side. If Torrez Jr can target that same vulnerability, the finishing sequence could come quickly. But if Sanchez makes it to the championship rounds, his superior mileage becomes decisive.
Torrez Jr:
Sanchez:
Torrez Jr enters as a significant favourite at 1/4 (-400), with Sanchez available at 3/1 (+300). The odds reflect Torrez Jr’s explosive power and youth, but also slightly underestimate what Sanchez brings technically.
This is the fight where Torrez Jr finally goes beyond six rounds — or doesn’t. Our read is that his explosive southpaw power is the decisive factor. The Kabayel fight proved Sanchez can be hit by that right-hand-side shot, and Torrez Jr’s left hand is the equivalent weapon.
Prediction: Torrez Jr via majority decision or late TKO. If Sanchez survives the early storms, expect Torrez Jr to grind out the points over a gruelling 12 rounds. If the left hand lands clean in rounds 4–8, it ends early.
| Country | Broadcaster | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Sky Sports Box Office | 7:00 PM BST |
| 🇺🇸 United States | ESPN+ PPV | 2:00 PM EST |
| 🌍 International | Various streaming | 6:00 PM UTC |
The winner becomes the IBF mandatory challenger for the heavyweight title — which means a future fight with Usyk, who defends that very belt in the main event. It is about as high-stakes a supporting fight as exists in boxing. Sanchez vs Torrez Jr is the opening chapter of the next heavyweight title story.
The full card also features Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov for three welterweight world titles, Hamzah Sheeraz vs Alem Begic for the vacant WBO Super Middleweight title, Mizuki Hiruta defending the WBO Super Flyweight title against Mai Soliman, and the main event — Usyk vs Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza.
When is Sanchez vs Torrez Jr? Saturday, May 23, 2026. Ringwalk expected at approximately 6:00 PM UTC (7:00 PM BST / 2:00 PM EST).
What is at stake in Sanchez vs Torrez Jr? The winner becomes the IBF Heavyweight mandatory challenger — earning the next shot at Usyk’s IBF world title.
What is Richard Torrez Jr’s amateur record? Torrez Jr won Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020 and was considered the most dangerous amateur heavyweight in the world at that time.
Why did Frank Sanchez lose to Kabayel? Sanchez was stopped by a right hand in the 9th round by Agit Kabayel in May 2024 — the first defeat of his professional career.
What are the odds for Sanchez vs Torrez Jr? Torrez Jr is a heavy favourite at approximately 1/4 (-400), with Sanchez available at around 3/1 (+300).
How many rounds has Torrez Jr fought professionally? Just 44 rounds — an average of 3 rounds per fight. This will be the first time he is genuinely tested over the full championship distance.
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