Frank Sanchez vs. Filip Hrgovic - Who wins?

[margaret thatcher]

the ibf are notorious for recycling guys

even then sanchez's is baffling though, how does beating an 18-24 mexican hw get him a mandatory , coming off a loss? at least hrg beat antoher guy who was contending recently

[Ruthless-RKO]

1 week extension granted

[Kilburn]

It’s no bill topper but would make for an interesting undercard fight.

[morm]

May 15 purse bid hearing

How won the purse bid? No news

[Ruthless-RKO]

May 15 purse bid hearing

How won the purse bid? No news

Was granted a week extension

[gregregegg]

I hope the only bid is like 14 cents.

This is a fine fight. But holy fornicate it is not eliminator worthy.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I hope the only bid is like 14 cents.

This is a fine fight. But holy fornicate it is not eliminator worthy.

They usually have a minimum bid amount.

[gregregegg]

I hope the only bid is like 14 cents.

This is a fine fight. But holy fornicate it is not eliminator worthy.

They usually have a minimum bid amount.

Well then I hope the minimum bid amount is 14 cents and someone bids the minimum

[Ruthless-RKO]

IBF have now ordered Sanchez vs Ajagba in a title eliminator. Would be a rematch from when Sanchez last beat him.

[margaret thatcher]

lmao, sanchez has one win since kaybael ko'd him, over a complete nobody, and he's getting ordered into final eliminators left and right.

id love the ibf to explain what exactly impresses them so much about that

[Ruthless-RKO]

lmao, sanchez has one win since kaybael ko'd him, over a complete nobody, and he's getting ordered into final eliminators left and right.

id love the ibf to explain what exactly impresses them so much about that

Tbf it just said eliminator.. not final. But he’s ranked highly. The article said Chisora who is 3rd is rumoured to fight Parker a 3rd time. Parker following Fury’s playbook there.

Hrgovic declined the final eliminator and now fighting Adeleye instead.

Let’s be honest, the ones in the ‘who needs them’ club always end up being ordered in eliminators.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Daniel Dubois' IBF heavyweight title will be targeted by the winner of Frank Sanchez vs Efe Ajagba rematch

The IBF have ordered Frank Sanchez to face Efe Ajagba in an eliminator for the IBF heavyweight title which is currently held by Daniel Dubois; British world champion Dubois is preparing to face Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed world title fight at Wembley Stadium on July 19

Daniel Dubois' IBF heavyweight title will be targeted by the winner of Frank Sanchez's rematch with Efe Ajagba.

The IBF have ordered Sanchez to face Ajagba in an eliminator, with the winner becoming mandatory challenger for the IBF belt which is currently held by Dubois.

Britain's world champion is currently preparing for an undisputed world title fight against Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley Stadium on July 19.

Derek Chisora had previously been named as 'mandatory challenger' but his position became unclear after the IBF initially ordered Sanchez to fight Filip Hrgovic in an eliminator in April.

Hrgovic has since switched his attention to a David Adeleye fight on the Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte bill on August 16, opening the door for Ajagba to step in as a replacement.

Sanchez, who floored Ajagba in a dominant points win in 2021, shares the same trainer as Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and could be a natural choice to appear on the undercard of the Mexican star's super fight against Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas on September 13.

"I don't get involved on that side of the business," Sanchez told Sky Sports. "I have fought on Canelo's undercard in the past. I don't know where my fight with Ajagba will be, but, of course, it would be even more special if it was on that card.

"I aspire to be like Canelo, and Canelo vs Crawford it is the biggest fight in boxing. I consider myself lucky to train with Canelo and share the same coach in Eddy Reynoso.

"It is inspiring to watch the level of dedication and discipline Canelo brings to training. It is a great privilege to be on the same team."

Sanchez had to undergo knee surgery following the sole loss on his record to Agit Kabayel, but the fully fit Cuban is confident he can deliver another dominant victory to impress the influential Turki Alalshikh, who is planning some major future fights.

"Ajagba has improved as a fighter. It will not be easy, but when I am healthy, I can beat anyone in the world," said Sanchez.

"I will win against whoever the IBF puts in front of me for the No 1 position.

"Turki has elevated the sport and given me big opportunities. The last time I disappointed him because of injury, that won't happen again."

Sanchez's co-manager Mike Borao has backed him to win a crucial clash with Ajagba, who battled to a draw with Martin Bakole in his last fight in May.

"Usyk has accomplished everything there is to accomplish," Borao told Sky Sports. "I can envision him retiring after his next fight with Dubois, making this IBF eliminator majorly significant.

"Frank was injured in his sole loss. He is healthy and will become the first Cuban heavyweight champion."

[joshj909]

Weird that Hrgovic chose to face Adeleye instead of Sanchez for the eliminator. Adeleye is easier but beating Sanchez would've put him against Chisora, who again is beatable for a shot at Usyk. If he beats Adeleye, will they choose to put him against Itauma/Whyte winner?

[Ruthless-RKO]

IBF-ordered Efe Ajagba-Frank Sanchez rematch heads to purse bid

The IBF-ordered Efe Ajagba-Frank Sanchez rematch will be made available to the highest bidder.

Boxing Scene has confirmed that the abovementioned heavyweight title elimination contest is scheduled for an August 5 purse bid hearing. The designation was warranted after the two sides failed to reach terms during their assigned negotiation period.

All involved parties can still attempt to come to terms prior to the start of the purse bid.

Ajagba, 20-1-1 (14 KOs) is the IBF’s number three contender, one spot ahead of the number four ranked Sanchez, 25-1 (18 KOs). The number one IBF slot is vacant and can only be filled by winning a final elimination contest.

Should the fight move forward, the winner will become the IBF mandatory challenger to current undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, 24-0 (15 KOs). However, there will be a wait for the opportunity, as the WBO has already ordered a title consolidation contest between Usyk and Joseph Parker, the latter who holds the WBO interim title.

Sanchez, 25-1 (18 KOs), previously defeated Ajagba via unanimous decision in October 2021.

The win was believed to put the Cuban-born heavyweight on a path towards a major title. It never came close to transpiring, however. Sanchez made it to a WBC title eliminator against Agit Kabayel and suffered a seventh-round stoppage last May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Just one win has followed for Sanchez – a third-round knockout in a confidence-restoring mismatch on February 22 in Tijuana, Mexico. He was then stuck in a holding pattern when the IBF ordered him to next face Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic, 18-1 (14 KOs). The matchup was put in play in April, but talks never advanced and the matter was sent to a purse bid hearing.

The session was twice delayed and canceled outright, once Hrgovic instead agreed to next face David Adeleye, 14-1 (13 KOs) on August 16 in Riyadh.

Ajagba, 20-1-1 (14 KOs) re-entered the mix even though he is coming off a draw in his previous outing.

The 2016 Olympian for Nigeria – who is now based in the greater Houston, Texas area – seemingly did enough to edge Martin Bakole in their May 3 meeting in Riyadh. Two of the three judges disagreed, which resulted in a majority draw.

Their bout was originally pegged as an IBF eliminator. Sanctioning was removed, however, when Bakole accepted a last-minute opportunity to challenge Parker, against whom he was stopped in the second round of their February 22 clash.

Ajagba and Bakole still moved forward with their fight, albeit for lesser stakes.

Hrgovic’s refusal to move forward with a fight versus Sanchez opened the door for Ajagba to move within one win of title contention. He also now has a chance to avenge his lone career defeat.

Sanchez’s win over Ajagba remains the highlight of his career, as he was stalled out of the title

per IBF rules covering purse bids and sanctioned title fights and eliminators, Sanchez and Hrgovic are required to commit to the ordered eliminator to avoid losing their current top five rankings. Failure to move forward would result in the offending party dropping out of the top ten and no longer eligible to participate in an IBF-sanctioned fight for at least six months.

[KiwiRider]

What a sh*t show just getting a final eliminator.
I thought all this ducking and diving was behind us now.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Efe Ajagba-Frank Sanchez IBF purse bid delayed by one week

[Ruthless-RKO]

The IBF announced that the Efe Ajagba vs. Frank Sanchez purse bid has been postponed until further notice.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Moses Itauma-Filip Hrgovic winner must face Frank Sanchez by December

The winner of the vacant IBF heavyweight title fight between Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic must face Frank Sanchez by December, the Cuban's manager has suggested.

Sanchez, 26-1 (19 KOs), had secured the No. 1 position in the IBF heavyweight rankings when he knocked out Richard Torrez Jnr in two rounds in May. Following Oleksandr Usyk's decision to relinquish three of his belts in June, the IBF ordered negotiations to begin between Sanchez and No. 3-ranked Itauma in regard to filling the championship position.

However, Itauma had already agreed to take on Croatia's Filip Hrgovic, ranked fourth by the IBF, on August 29 at London's O2 Arena. It was confirmed Tuesday that Itauma-Hrgovic will now be for the vacant title with the winner to face Sanchez, who was paid step aside money to wait in line.

"Frank Sanchez could have been next to fight for the IBF title," Mike Barao, Sanchez's manager, told The Ring.

"But he is is making a financially lucrative amount and calculated decision to fight the winner of Itauma vs. Hrgovic for the title in December instead."

Itauma is currently an overwhelming 1-to-7 favourite to beat Hrgovic.

[keithmoonhangover]

Moses Itauma-Filip Hrgovic winner must face Frank Sanchez by December

The winner of the vacant IBF heavyweight title fight between Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic must face Frank Sanchez by December, the Cuban's manager has suggested.

Sanchez, 26-1 (19 KOs), had secured the No. 1 position in the IBF heavyweight rankings when he knocked out Richard Torrez Jnr in two rounds in May. Following Oleksandr Usyk's decision to relinquish three of his belts in June, the IBF ordered negotiations to begin between Sanchez and No. 3-ranked Itauma in regard to filling the championship position.

However, Itauma had already agreed to take on Croatia's Filip Hrgovic, ranked fourth by the IBF, on August 29 at London's O2 Arena. It was confirmed Tuesday that Itauma-Hrgovic will now be for the vacant title with the winner to face Sanchez, who was paid step aside money to wait in line.

"Frank Sanchez could have been next to fight for the IBF title," Mike Barao, Sanchez's manager, told The Ring.

"But he is is making a financially lucrative amount and calculated decision to fight the winner of Itauma vs. Hrgovic for the title in December instead."

Itauma is currently an overwhelming 1-to-7 favourite to beat Hrgovic.

If his cuts hold up, Hrgovic will win this one.