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Sanchez Sparks Torrez Jr Cold In Two — IBF Mandatory Booked, Usyk Has The Cuban Waiting
HEAVYWEIGHT

Sanchez Sparks Torrez Jr Cold In Two — IBF Mandatory Booked, Usyk Has The Cuban Waiting

HEAVYWEIGHT

Sanchez Sparks Torrez Jr Cold In Two — IBF Mandatory Booked, Usyk Has The Cuban Waiting

Frank Sanchez planted a perfect right uppercut on Richard Torrez Jr 55 seconds into round two at Giza. IBF mandatory secured, Torrez Jr handed his first loss, Usyk has his next problem.

  • Frank Sanchez landed a counter right uppercut 55 seconds into round two at Giza and Richard Torrez Jr was flat on his back, undefeated record gone in five rounds combined.
  • Sanchez is now the IBF heavyweight mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk after winning the official eliminator on the Glory In Giza undercard.
  • Torrez Jr's pressure-volume style ran straight into the cleanest counter of the night — first defeat in 14 fights and a long road back to a world title shot.
May 24, 2026 By Luke Parker • Boxing Lookout

55 Seconds — Don't Blink, You'll Miss It

Right then. Frank Sanchez went into the Pyramids of Giza as the patient, ring-savvy Cuban who needed a finish to settle the noise around him. He left as the IBF heavyweight mandatory after dropping Richard Torrez Jr with a textbook counter right uppercut 55 seconds into round two. Torrez Jr landed on his back, didn't move, and the night was done.

The Setup Was Pure Cuban Boxing

Make no mistake — the finish wasn't a fluke. Sanchez spent the entire first round on the back foot, pumping a long jab, refusing to engage on Torrez Jr's terms. He let the American bully forward, marked the timing of the lead left, and then in round two he stepped into the gap the moment Torrez pawed out. Counter right uppercut. Flush on the chin. That's class. That's the Cuban school. Brilliant.

Torrez Jr — The First L Hurts, But It's A Lesson

Richard Torrez Jr walked in 14-0 with a load of momentum and an Olympic silver medal behind him. He walked out 14-1 with the harsh reality that pressure-volume boxing against a Cuban counter-puncher needs more head movement than he showed. He's young, he's got time, he'll be back — but this was a proper levels check and the lesson was delivered in 4:55 of ring time.

The Heavyweight Diary Just Got Spicier

Right, the queue. Oleksandr Usyk retained the WBC main event on the same card. Sanchez is now officially the IBF mandatory. Moses Itauma headlines August 8 at the O2. Daniel Dubois sits in the IBF top three. The division has not been this stacked since the early 2000s. Sanchez vs Usyk is now a contractual obligation rather than a hopeful pitch — and on this form, it's a proper fight.

Prediction Verdict

Boxing Lookout called the Sanchez decision and got the round wrong — it was a stoppage in two. Even better. Frank Sanchez is back in the conversation, the IBF mandatory is locked, and the Cuban is finally somewhere near the top of the pile where the talent always said he belonged.

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