Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez | DAZN - May 23, 2026

[joshj909]

Frank Sanchez vs Richard Torrez Jr is postponed and won't take place on the Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman card on March 28th as Sanchez is dealing with inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee, sources tell The Ring's @MikeCoppinger.

Sanchez won’t be able to train for several weeks and the fight will be rescheduled, with May the target.

Firstly, predictable. Secondly, what a load of shit. Thirdly, Torrez is 100% winning if Sanchez's knee is still fucked.

It took forever to even sign this fight and now a postponement
Damn just get another opponent. Torrez doesn't need to waste his time

If this can't get rescheduled for a fight within 3 months, they should be looking down the rankings. Next up would be Jalolov, Okolie, Hrgovic.and Vianello.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Frank Sanchez-Richard Torrez to be 'rescheduled sooner rather than later' after Sanchez injury

The IBF heavyweight title eliminator between Richard Torrez Jnr and Frank Sanchez is no longer on the March 28 fight card in Las Vegas after Sanchez suffered an injury in training, sources confirmed to Boxing Scene.

The news was first reported by ESPN’s Andreas Hale, who writes that Sanchez, 33, is suffering from inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee. The Ring reports that a rescheduled date for May is being targeted.


Carl Moretti of Top Rank, which handles the 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Torrez, confirmed the news to Boxing Scene, adding that Torrez is now unlikely to remain on the card at the MGM Grand, which was scheduled to open the pay-per-view portion of the Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman card. “Just re-scheduling the Sanchez fight sooner rather than later,” said Moretti of the next step for Torrez.

Torrez, 14-0 (12 KOs), of Tulare, California is rated no. 4 by the IBF, and last fought in November, knocking out Tomas Salek in the first round in Mexico. The 26-year-old southpaw turned pro in 2022 and has been under the Top Rank banner since then.

Sanchez, 25-1 (18 KOs), originally of Cuba but now based in Miami, Florida, hasn’t fought since February of 2025, when he stopped journeyman Ramon Olivas Echeverria in three rounds, which was his bounce-back fight after his seventh round knockout loss to Agit Kabayel in April of 2024. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in June of 2024 to repair the damage to his knee.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez postponed, May date being sought

Frank Sanchez's March 28 clash with Richard Torrez has been postponed.

Sanchez is dealing with inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee, sources tell The Ring. The pair were due to clash at MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

The Cuban won’t be able to train for several weeks and the fight will be rescheduled, with May the target.

The heavyweight title eliminator was set to be the chief support bout to Sebastian Fundora-Keith Thurman, a PBC on Prime Video PPV.

Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs) fought Agit Kabayel on an injured right knee in May 2024. He entered the fight with a brace on the knee and then suffered a more serious injury in the fight. He was dominated en route to a seventh-round TKO loss, the damage dealt by Kabayel’s body attack.

Sanchez, 33, has competed once since, a third-round TKO win in February 2025 against an 18-24 journeyman.
Torrez (14-0, 12 KOs) is an Olympic silver medalist. At 26, Torrez is the only American who is currently Ring-rated at heavyweight (No. 9).

Torrez’s best win came in April 2025, a unanimous decision victory over Guido Vianello.

[Ruthless-RKO]

ANNOUNCED: Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven undercard confirmed for May 23rd at the Pyramids of Giza:

Hamzah Sheeraz vs Alem Begic
Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov
Frank Sanchez vs Richard Torrez Jr
Mizuki Hiruta vs Mai Soliman
Basem Mamdouh vs Jamar Talley
Mahmoud Mobark vs Michael Kalyalya
Omar Hikal vs Ali Ssurunkuma

Glory in Giza | May 23rd | LIVE on DAZN

[Ruthless-RKO]

OLEKSANDR USYK VS. RICO VERHOEVEN: FULL 8-FIGHT CARD CONFIRMED

Two world title fights and a pair of bouts with world championship implications make up the undercard for ‘Glory in Giza,’ headlined by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk defending his WBC title against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23 on DAZN.

Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic for the vacant WBO super middleweight title will serve as the co-main event, while Jack Catterall and Shakhram Giyasov will square off for the WBA regular welterweight belt. Richard Torrez versus Frank Sanchez is also on the card after their IBF title eliminator that was scheduled for March 28 was postponed due to the latter suffering a knee injury. Ring and WBO 115-pound champion Mizuki Hiruta will defend her belts against Mai Soliman.

Basem Mamdouh versus Jamar Talley, Mahmoud Mobark versus Michael Kalyalya and Omar Hikal versus Ali Sserunkuma make up the rest of the card.

Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs), The Ring’s No. 8-ranked super middleweight, will be getting his second shot at a world title and first at super middleweight. In his last fight, Sheeraz, 26, announced his arrival at 168 pounds in emphatic fashion, dropping Edgar Berlanga three times in a fifth-round stoppage.
Begic (29-0-1, 23 KOs) of Munich, Bayern, Germany has won seven straight fights since his majority draw against Tiran Metz in 2019. Begic, 39, last fought on April 15 of last year, stopping Mahdi Safdari in the second round.

Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs) has long been in position for a shot at the WBA welterweight title, though it has yet to come to fruition. The 32-year-old from Uzbekistan last fought on April 12, defeating Franco Maximiliano Ocampo by fourth-round knockout. Catterall (32-2, 14 KOs), a former world title challenger at 140 pounds, will be fighting for the second time at welterweight. The 32-year-old English southpaw turned in a dominant performance in his last outing, stopping Ekow Essuman in the 11th round on November 15.

Giyasov is The Ring’s No. 7-ranked welterweight, while Catterall is No. 10.

Torrez (14-0, 12 KOs), a 2020 Olympic silver medalist, last fought in November, stopping an overmatched Tomas Salek in the first round. Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs) will be fighting for the first time since February 2025, when he stopped Ramon Olivas Echeverria in the third round.

Hiruta (10-0, 2 KOs) will be making the seventh defense of her WBO title. The 29-year-old from Okayama City, Okayama, Japan, was The Ring’s 2025 Female Fighter of the Year after going 4-0. She’s coming off a unanimous decision win over Gloria Gallardo on Nov. 22.

Mai Soliman, of Cairo, Egypt, has won nine straight fights since suffering the lone defeat of her career.

Full undercard below:

Hamzah Sheeraz vs Alem Begic
Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov
Frank Sanchez vs Richard Torrez Jr
Mizuki Hiruta vs Mai Soliman
Basem Mamdouh vs Jamar Talley
Mahmoud Mobark vs Michael Kalyalya
Omar Hikal vs Ali Ssurunkuma

[tiny_acres]

I hope they have another fighter on stand by if Sanchez pulls out again

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

In 2 week!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Richard Torrez Jr. Aiming To Drown The Inactive Frank Sanchez

A lot of fans still talk about Frank Sanchez like he’s the same fighter from three or four years ago. The version that moved around the ring, piled up decisions, and carried the “slick Cuban” label like it guaranteed safety against pressure fighters.

Richard Torrez Jr. sounds like someone who already sees the blueprint for beating Sanchez. His focus has been on pace, body shots, and conditioning ahead of their 12-round IBF heavyweight title eliminator on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Giza. That tells you where Torrez believes this fight will be won.

Sanchez is entering the fight off a 15-month layoff with lingering questions about the knee problem that surfaced before his knockout loss to Agit Kabayel. The inactivity would already be a problem for a movement-heavy heavyweight. Add in the mileage, the injuries, and the lack of meaningful opposition since the loss, and the timing starts looking dangerous for Sanchez.

His comeback opponent, Ramon Olivas Echeverria, entered with an 18–24 record. That wasn’t a rebuilding fight against a live contender. It was maintenance work. Torrez sees the opening.

A lot of “slick” heavyweights look untouchable until somebody refuses to admire the movement and simply keeps forcing exchanges. Kabayel exposed that blueprint against Sanchez. He attacked the body, stayed on him, and turned the fight into a grind instead of a chess match.

Torrez believes he can do the same thing with a different kind of pressure. Faster feet. More feints. More punch volume. More chaos. “I’m going to overwhelm him, and I’m going to take him to those deep waters that I love to do,” said Torrez Jr. to Fight Hub TV.

That line sounds less like promotion and more like a game plan built around erosion. Torrez repeatedly talked about conditioning during the interview, saying he believes he has the best gas tank in the heavyweight division and repeatedly pointing to the late rounds—seventh, eighth, ninth—as the key stretch of the fight.

And why wouldn’t he? Sanchez is 32 now. The legs already looked vulnerable against Kabayel, and heavyweights who rely on movement rarely age gracefully once injuries arrive. A bad knee changes everything for that style. The spacing disappears. The escape routes disappear.

The Sanchez supporters will still point to his amateur pedigree and the win over Efe Ajagba, but those nights feel far away now. Torrez sounds like a fighter who no longer sees Sanchez as a technician to solve, but as a worn-down heavyweight whose style may collapse once the pressure never stops.

[keithmoonhangover]

I hope they have another fighter on stand by if Sanchez pulls out again

That's what she said.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Richard Torrez Jr. Says Pressure Can Break Down Frank Sanchez

Richard Torrez Jr. says Frank Sanchez remains a dangerous opponent ahead of their IBF heavyweight eliminator on May 23 in Egypt, but he believes pressure and pace can eventually break Sanchez down. Torrez discussed Sanchez during an interview this week before their fight on the “Glory in Giza” card near the Pyramids of Giza.

“You know, I think Frank, being from Cuban descent, he has that Cuban style. He’s able to box and box his butt off when he needs to,” said Torrez Jr. to the Mr. Verzace podcast at Ring Magazine.

“I think he has a very strong backhand. I think he knows how to kind of lull you into a moment to where he can land a certain shot that he wants to. And he does really well at dictating tempo a little bit.”

“I think where he kind of lacks, though, is in that tempo. If you’re able to take control of that, pressure him and impose your will on him, I think that’s where things start to break down fundamentally in the game plan.”

“I think we saw it with Kabayel, and I think that’s something I’m going to kind of mimic and what I do already in my fights.”

Sanchez enters the fight after suffering the first loss of his career against Agit Kabayel last year. Their fight ended after Sanchez appeared to have problems with his leg during the contest. Torrez also addressed Sanchez’s recent knee issue, which postponed the eliminator earlier this year.

“I’m going out there preparing for the best Frank, though. I’m going out there, preparing for a Frank that has two great knees. That’s the Frank I hope to expect because I want to fight the best. I don’t want to fight someone that’s at 60%.”

The unbeaten Torrez will enter the fight with a record of 13-0 with 11 knockouts. Sanchez brings a 25-1 record with 18 knockouts into the heavyweight eliminator.

[joshj909]

What does everyone think the other semi-final eliminator will look like for this and who will face the winner of this fight in the final eliminator?

Champion: Usyk
1. Vacant
2. Vacant
3. Frank Sanchez (25-1-0)
4. Richard Torrez (14-0-0)
5. Moses Itauma (14-0-0)
6. Anthony Joshua (29-4-0)
7. Bakhodir Jalolov (17-0-0)
8. Filip Hrgovic(19-1-0)
9. Tyson Fury(35-2-1)
10. Deontay Wilder(45-4-1)
11. Richard Riakporhe (20-1-0)
12. Guido Vianello (14-3-1)
13. Justis Huni (13-1-0)
14. Efe Ajagba (21-1-1)
15. Brandon Moore (19-1-0)

With Fury and Joshua doing their own thing, they won't be involved.

Hrgovic Vs Itauma looks possible to happen but we could see Hrgovic Vs Kabayel and Itauma Vs Gassiev instead. They also might fight for the WBO mandatory position rather than the IBF as that's Frank's belt and might not want to pay the extra fees.

Jalolov Vs Wilder? Could Riakporhe or Vianello be involved?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

[tiny_acres]

Fight Week!!

I'm still waiting until bell time. I just hope nothing screws this up and it gets cancelled

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

I'm still waiting until bell time. I just hope nothing screws this up and it gets cancelled

I’m positive it’ll happen.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Richard Torrez Jnr ventures a world away to discover if he's world-class

In five years, Richard Torrez Jnr has transformed from surprise Olympic silver medalist to being one victory away from being next in line for a heavyweight title.

Directed by Top Rank’s Hall of Fame matchmakers Brad Goodman and Bruce Trampler, Torrez, 14-0 (12 KOs), ventures to Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza to meet Cuba’s Frank Sanchez in an IBF title eliminator that will leave the winner in position to meet three-belt heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

“It’s an incredible opportunity and a great way to showcase where I’m at,” Torrez told Boxing Scene. “Frank Sanchez is a formidable opponent known throughout the boxing community, and I think this fight will cement where I’m supposed to be and solidify that I am one of the top heavyweights.”

Torrez’s new trainer, Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, assesses that the 33-year-old Sanchez, 25-1 (18 KOs), is “on his last legs” after requiring a postponement of the bout due to right knee soreness.

The delay has taken Sanchez to a rare event organized by Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh, creating a novelty main event topped by Usyk’s unified title defense versus kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.

“I’ve never experienced the pyramids, so to be able to go there and fight is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Torrez said. “I’m taking this in stride, loving every second of it and grateful for the opportunity. I want to show everyone what I can do.

“They asked me if I wanted to fight by the pyramids, and I said, ‘Yeah.’ They can put me in a cage, in a bubble, whatever they want.”

Torrez has risen through the rankings deliberately, moving from romps in Arizona over outmatched Joey Dawejko and Isaac Munoz Gutierrez to a convincing triumph over fellow heavyweight prospect Guido Vianello that showed he was ready for a step up.

Matchmaker Trampler said Torrez could’ve been steered past Sanchez, but wanted to test himself against a bona fide contender who’s only lost to WBC No. 1 contender Agit Kabayel.

“Richard challenges himself, and that aspect of himself is going to make him a winner,” Trampler said. “Ricard’s a very intelligent guy. He knows what he’s doing. He could've fought lesser opponents to get to the title.

“We [Top Rank] don’t know if he’ll win or if he’ll make it, but just as lots of people have questioned [Top Rank’s 23-year-old unified 154lbs champion] Xander Zayas about his fights and taking on ‘Boots’ Ennis, when a fighter tells you he wants to fight a certain guy, you've got to let him.

“Oscar [De La Hoya] was the same way. When the bell; rings for round oe, we'll find out. Nobody’s going to dismiss Richard Torrez. He’s got credentials. So ring the bell.”

Torrez noticed the symmetry to it all, remembering he defeated another Cuban Dainier Pero to guarantee an Olympic medal.

“If everything goes to plan, I’ll have the opportunity to fight for a belt, which is surreal,” Torrez said. “I’ve taken my fights in stride, even back to the Olympics… I love the competition, love the sport. The accolades that come with it are icing on the cake.”

It’s not as much about studying Sanchez as it about sharpening his own skills.

“I’ve watched him, and try to find out his tendencies, but at the end of the day, I’m just trying to be the best boxer I can be,” Torrez said. “I come with the mindset that if I come to the ring in the best shape I can be, in the best mindset, it’s going to be hard for anyone to beat me. I’m not just a fighter who can beat Frank Sanchez, it’s about going in there to be the best fighter I can be.

“Saying yes to all the fights that come my way, I’m a firm believer I’m the best in the world. I wouldn’t be boxing if I didn’t believe that, and so whoever they put in front of me, I accept the challenge and go at it full-hearted.

“I’ve just been soldiering it. Whoever they tell me to fight, whatever they tell me to do… they’ve put a couple tests in front of me and I feel I’ve passed those tests with flying colors. They’ve given me harder tests and that’s brought me to this point right here, where I’m looking forward to proving them right again.”

Torrez’s love of the sport has made him a constant at various bouts, even the San Bernardino, California, card that included McIntyre’s new WBC interim super-middleweight champion Lester Martinez.

By talking to reporters at bouts, participating in the former reality show with Nico Ali Walsh, and being accessible, Torrez has raised his profile and popularity as he plans big.

“Being able to keep myself prevalent, in social media and fights keeps me in the loop and in line for attention to keep people talking,” he said.

“With my rankings, it’s a little easier for fans to keep talking about me. I’m proud of my Mexican heritage. Even though [Andy] Ruiz was the first Mexican heavyweight champion, I’d love to become the first one who defends it and keeps that belt for a while.

“I’m just myself, and if people want to follow along on the journey and be supportive, that’s perfectly fine. I’m not trying to make myself more appealing. If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, you don’t. I’m here for it regardless.”

It’s another reason Torrez is thrilled to participate on this spectacle card as Top Rank participates on another bout in its new streaming deal with DAZN.

“I’m stoked by the opportunity. I’m in the pyramids, man,” said Torrez, of Tulare, California. “Not only does it allow me to be on a platform where it allows me to be noticed more, it gives me the chance to reach out to the guys from the other promotions, because they’re on there, too.

“You [can] have crossover promotional fights. That’s what I’m really excited for. Hopefully, with Queensberry, Matchroom and Golden Boy [on DAZN], we’ll all be able to all be on one card from one venue someday.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Torrez Doesn’t ‘Run From Smoke,’ Wants To Fight Itauma

Richard Torrez wants to challenge Oleksandr Usyk after facing Frank Sanchez on the Usyk-Rico Verhoeven undercard Saturday night.

The undefeated heavyweight contender understands, though, that beating Sanchez in their IBF elimination match in Giza, Egypt won’t guarantee him a fight versus Usyk. The unbeaten Ukrainian hasn’t mentioned the Torrez-Sanchez winner as a potential opponent for either of his final two bouts before he retires.

The historical significance of challenging the 39-year-old unified champion naturally intrigues Torrez, yet he is also open to testing himself against the youngest sensation in the division. Whereas most heavyweights want little to do with Moses Itauma, Torrez welcomes that treacherous assignment.

“I’m about that action, man, you know?,” Torrez told The Ring. “I think it’s really cool, what he’s doing in the UK. I think that he’s an incredible fighter and I think that if we were able to collide and make something happen, it’d be fireworks, man. You know, like I don’t run from smoke. I don’t run from anything like that.

“I want the best fights and I think that that would be a really, really cool opportunity, to have two English speaking guys sharing a ring, being able to talk trash or whatever. I’m not that good at it – I’ll learn a little better. But being able to just be in that atmosphere, man, it would be something epic. And that’s something that I would search for.”

Torrez respects the way Itauma handles his business in and out of the ring. He just wants to test himself against the emerging English contender, who’s ranked sixth in The Ring’s heavyweight top 10, two spots ahead of Torrez.

“I heard he’s a pretty standup guy and, hey man, at the end of the day this is business, you know?,” Torrez said. “We’ll get in the ring, do what we need to do, and if he wants to get a burger afterwards, we can. But like I wanna fight and I love that competition and he’s looking like he’s that guy, man.”

Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs) is expected to face Croatian contender Filip Hrgovic (20-1, 15 KOs) on August 8. If Itauma beats Hrgovic and neither he nor Torrez (14-0, 12 KOs) can secure a shot at Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs), an Itauma-Torrez match might make sense.

The 26-year-old Torrez – a 2020 Olympic silver medalist from Tulare, California – is confident his speed, agility and endurance would present Itauma with issues the likes of Dillian Whyte and Jermaine Franklin could not.

“I don’t think you should be in the game if you don’t think you’re the best,” Torrez said. “You know, I thoroughly believe that I’m the best. I think my conditioning has been able to speak for itself a little bit. I’m an Olympic silver medalist. I think that my amateur pedigree, my amateur background has been able … to kinda give me a good foundation of being able to talk a little bit.

“And then, on top of that is, I mean, he’s a smaller guy like me. And we’ve got that speed and we’ve got that quickness. He hasn’t really fought anybody that kinda has that speed and quickness as well. And I would like to be able to throw my hat in there and just see how it goes, you know? And I think that with my feints, my conditioning and my style, it would make it hard for anybody.”

The 12-round bout between Torrez and Cuba’s Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs) is part of a Ring card DAZN will stream from the Pyramids of Giza (4 p.m. BST; 11 a.m. ET).

[Ruthless-RKO]

Torrez expects Kabayel blueprint to serve him well against Sanchez

Richard Torrez expects Frank Sanchez to get off to a strong start Saturday night.

Eventually, however, the aggressive southpaw anticipates his pressure will help him take complete control of their IBF heavyweight elimination match in Giza, Egypt. Torrez noticed that the Cuban contender didn’t deal well with Agit Kabayel constantly coming forward in their fight two years ago and intends to implement elements of the WBC interim champion’s plan when he faces Sanchez on the Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven undercard.

“I think Frank’s a great fighter,” Torrez told The Ring. “I think being able to just compete with him and be on the same stage as him is really gonna showcase where I’m supposed to be at. And I think my style does well against Frank – my pressure, my tenacity and my grit toward the end of rounds is gonna be something that’s gonna be a little troubling for Frank. I think Frank is gonna do very well in the first three rounds, but we get through that, I think it’s mine for the taking.”

Germany’s Kabayel (27-0, 19 KOs), The Ring’s No. 2 contender for Usyk’s crown, is the only opponent to beat Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs). Kabayel sent Sanchez to the canvas twice in the seventh round and knocked him out in May 2024 at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“Kabayel is an incredible fighter,” Torrez said. “He’s almost like the boogeyman of the division right now, you know? And so definitely being able to see how he did, his tactics against Frank, that’s something I’m gonna be looking at. But we are different fighters, we fight differently.

“I think I bring a similar type of pressure, but in a different manner a little bit. Mine’s a little bit more jittery. Mine’s a little bit more on the edge type of thing. Kabayel is more just asserting pressure that he keeps up the entire fight. But I think I can use a lot of the tactics Kabayel did in this fight as well and give it all that I’ve got.”

The right-handed Kabayel battered the taller Sanchez to the body, which made him a more stationary target. Both knockdowns were caused by body blows, the second of which left Sanchez unable to beat referee Victor Loughlin’s count.

“I think Kabayel is an amazing body puncher, a body snatcher for sure,” Torrez, who is ranked No. 8 by The Ring, said. “But anyone is susceptible to body shots as well. And being able to see Frank has that huge stature that he has – I think he’s gotten bigger over the years, more muscular and a little bit more sturdy, and I think that’s gonna play into the body shots even more. Because it’s gonna be harder for him to block some of these shots, it’s gonna be hard for him to move as much as he wants to move and just to be able to go out there and just assert myself with just head and body shots, I think it’s gonna be a great way to finish off that fight.”

Torrez (14-0, 12 KOs), a 2020 Olympic silver medalist from Tulare, California, and Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs) will square off as part of a Ring card DAZN will stream from the Pyramids of Giza (7 p.m. BST; 2 p.m. ET).

[Ruthless-RKO]

Frank Sanchez vs Richard Torrez Jr official weigh-in results:

Frank Sanchez - 240.4 lbs
Richard Torrez Jr - 229.5 lbs

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Night!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Frank Sanchez: I Just Want To Get Back Where I Belong

Frank Sanchez knows that his name lost a bit of its sparkle.

A dominant seventh-round knockout defeat to Agit Kabayel can cause that sort of thing to happen. Since that setback in May 2024, Sanchez got back in the win column with a third-round, technical-knockout win against overmatched Ramon Olivas Echeverria.

While it felt good to get the victory, Sanchez knows what a win over Richard Torrez, The Ring’s No. 8-ranked heavyweight, can do for his once-promising career. Beating Torrez in their IBF eliminator on the Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven undercard Saturday night would be one of the biggest wins of his career, but Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs) has even loftier goals than that.

“I just want to get back to where I belong,” Sanchez said during a press conference Thursday. “Get back to my spot and be the first Cuban heavyweight champion.”

While motivated, the betting world doesn’t believe him, as DraftKings lists Torrez as a 4-1 favorite. If Sanchez wins, he will move into a position of power by becoming the IBF mandatory challenger for one of Usyk’s titles.

However, that fight remains highly unlikely as The Ring, IBF, WBA and WBC champ has stated that he has just three fights remaining in his career before he retires and hasn’t mentioned the Torrez-Sanchez winner as a potential opponent for either of his two fights after the unbeaten Ukrainian faces Verhoeven.

Regardless, Sanchez’s championship dreams will fade into the Egyptian night sky if Torrez (14-0, 12 KOs) defeats him. The 2020 Olympic silver medalist is coming off a terrific 2025, beating Guido Vianello and Tomas Salek.

When it comes to pre-fight trash talk, Sanchez wouldn’t engage in any. Instead, he gave Torrez the respect he deserves, while also promising to take home the victory.

“He’s a great boxer,” Sanchez said. “But I’m the more technical boxer and I will show that on Saturday.”

Subscribers to DAZN’s Ultimate plan, which costs $49.99 per month in the United States and £24.99 in the United Kingdom, can view the four-fight Usyk-Verhoeven event for no additional charge. It is also available via pay-per-view in the U.S. ($59.99) and UK (£24.99) for non-subscribers.

The pay-per-view portion of this Ring event starts at 7 p.m. BST (2 p.m. ET).

[Ruthless-RKO]

Sanchez flattens Torres.

Goddamn!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Sendo Takeshi]

Brutal ko. Don't wanna be that guy, but always thought Torrez was a little limited. That punch would've knocked out most though.

First Agit win that aged a little bit better