- Sanchez vs Torrez Jr is a final eliminator for the IBF heavyweight title — winner gets next crack at Usyk after the Verhoeven defence
- Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs) is the slick Cuban veteran; Torrez Jr (14-0, 12 KOs) is the unbeaten American Olympic silver medallist
- Luke's pick: Torrez Jr by stoppage in the second half — power, youth and southpaw angles tip it
Right Then — The Real Title Fight On The Card
Right then. Let's not beat around the bush. The Glory In Giza card on May 23 has Oleksandr Usyk on top of it, the Pyramids in the background, and a kickboxing legend in Rico Verhoeven getting a heavyweight title shot most of the world thinks he's got no business being in. Brilliant spectacle. Massive event. But the fight that decides where the heavyweight division actually goes next? It's three from the top of the running order.
Frank Sanchez versus Richard Torrez Jr is a final eliminator for the IBF heavyweight strap currently sat on Usyk's mantelpiece. Winner is the next mandatory. Loser gets sent back to the queue and probably never gets close again. That's how big this is.
Frank Sanchez — The Cuban Stylist Who's Been Waiting Years
Make no mistake about Sanchez. The Cuban has been hovering around the top ten for years, looking levels above journeymen and not quite getting cracked at the elite. The one loss on his record came against Agit Kabayel in a horrible night last year — got broken to the body and stopped late. That's been the question mark hanging over him ever since. Can he take it downstairs against a proper puncher?
What he's got is everything else. Slick movement, proper jab, smart counters, a textbook Cuban amateur base that's translated into pro brilliance. He's 25-1 with 18 stoppages. He's 33 years old and he knows this is the biggest night of his career. If he loses to Torrez, he's done as a contender.
Richard Torrez Jr — The Best Prospect In The Division
Torrez Jr is, if you know you know, the best heavyweight prospect on the planet. 14-0, 12 KOs, southpaw, walks people down, hits them with combinations that have no business landing on heavyweights. Olympic silver medallist from Tokyo, turned pro late, and has been a wrecking ball ever since.
He's not the biggest at the weight. About 6'2", listed around 230. But what he's got is hand speed, a brilliant left, and that rare heavyweight ability to throw five punches in a row without giving anything back. Sanchez is by a distance the best opposition he's ever shared a ring with.
The Stylistic Read
Cuban orthodox versus American southpaw. Sanchez wants distance, wants the jab, wants Torrez to commit and miss. Torrez wants to close the gap, wants to punch in combination, wants to go to the body and break Sanchez down the way Kabayel did.
The Kabayel template is the one. If Torrez fights smart and goes downstairs in the middle rounds, Sanchez has been there before and got broken there. If Torrez tries to box him at distance, Sanchez wins on points by being the better technician. The question is whether Torrez has the discipline to stick to the plan.
The Stakes — A Usyk Title Shot
Whoever wins this is mandatory next for Usyk's IBF strap. That's the carrot. If Usyk beats Verhoeven on May 23 — and let's be honest, he will — the IBF will order this winner immediately. We're talking late 2026 or early 2027 for a heavyweight world title fight on the back of one good night in Giza. That's the level of stakes here.
The Prediction
Torrez Jr by stoppage in the second half. Round 8 or 9. He's too young, too quick, and crucially he's seen the Sanchez tape against Kabayel and he knows exactly where the door is. He'll feint upstairs early, he'll start bending shots in to the body around round 4, and Sanchez will start to slow. The southpaw angles will start landing. By round 8 it'll be a one-sided bodywork session and the corner will pull him.
Torrez announces himself on the world stage. The heavyweight division gets a new American star. And we get a proper title fight to look forward to. Cracking matchup, this. If you're tuning in for Usyk, make sure you're in your seat for this one.