Another day, another delay. BoxingScene has confirmed that the Frank Sanchez-Richard Torrez Jnr purse bid hearing was postponed and rescheduled for Tuesday, January 27. The session for the ordered IBF heavyweight title elimination contest was originally due to be held on Thursday, but both parties requested yet another extension which was granted by the sanctioning body.
The most optimistic take would suggest that the two sides have another five days to come to terms. However, nothing came of the other extensions and postponements involved in a fight that was ordered nearly two months ago.
Cuba’s Sanchez is promoted by Warriors Boxing and Ural Boxing promotions, and co-managed by Mike Borao and Lupe Valencia. Torrez Jnr has been with Top Rank since signing out of the amateurs following his silver medal haul during the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sanchez, 25-1 (18 KOs), has not fought anywhere at all since last February in a confidence restoring bout in Tijuana, Mexico. It came nine months after his lone career defeat, a 7th round stoppage to Agit Kabayel in the May 2024 WBC interim title fight in Riyadh.
Torrez, 14-0 (12 KOs), is coming off a 1st round knockout win over Tomas Salek last November 15 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The show was the closest to a full-fledged production from Top Rank since the end of its seven-year deal with ESPN last July. While not a Top Rank card outright, the event was loaded with several fighters under the Vegas-based promotional outfit.
The fight itself was the reason why Torrez previously had to pass on this very opportunity. He was one of five heavyweights offered the chance to face Sanchez, in a process that dates back to last April.
With the win, Torrez re-entered the queue at a time when Filip Hrgovic, Moses Itauma, Efe Ajagba and former IBF heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois all declined to move forward.
Should this fight ever see the light of day, the winner will become the IBF mandatory challenger for unified heavyweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk, 24-1 (15 KOs). The point in which a mandatory title fight is ordered, however, will not be determined for some time.
Ukraine’s Usyk is currently eyeing a summertime return. Former heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder, 44-4-1 (43 KOs) is – or at least, was - a leading candidate to land the assignment. However, he is also in advanced talks to next face England’s Derek Chisora, in a fight targeted for April and what would mark Chisora’s 50th and final pro contest.
