Wednesday it was revealed that IBF heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez is suffering the effects of knee surgery and cannot train/fight Richard Torrez on the Fundora-Thurman PPV late this month. Now, what does Torrez do next?
Heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez has been forced out of the IBF title eliminator fight against unbeaten Richard Torrez after inflammation developed in Sanchez's surgically repaired knee during training camp late last week. The injury, which had been rumored, was confirmed Wednesday, and removes the bout from its planned spot on the March 28 "PBC on Prime Video" pay-per-view.
The Sanchez-Torrez fight had been scheduled as the co-main event to WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora’s title defense against former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. That pay-per-view card is still set for March 28th.
According to sources of insider Dan Rafael involved with the promotion of the PPV and fighters, the plan is to move the Sanchez–Torrez eliminator to another potential May 30th "PBC on Prime Video" pay-per-view event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. That show is currently being developed and could be headlined by a welterweight unification bout between WBO titleholder Devin Haney and WBA champion Rolando Romero, though negotiations for that fight are not yet finalized.
Promoter Tom Brown of TGB Promotions, which promotes all PBC events, expressed expected disappointment to Rafael over the late change.
“Fans always love having heavyweights on every card,” Brown said. “So it’s very disappointing when you have a fight of this level — a world title eliminator with so much at stake — fall off the card, especially this close to the event.”
Sanchez recently visited a doctor in San Diego, where medical staff advised him to pause training for two to three weeks to allow the knee inflammation to subside. The Cuban heavyweight had surgery over a year ago and is expected to undergo further evaluation with his specialist on Thursday to determine the full extent of the issue.
Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank, which promotes Torrez, said injuries are an unfortunate reality in boxing, but hopes the bout can be rescheduled quickly.
“It’s unfortunate that Frank Sanchez suffered this injury,” Moretti said. “I’m tired of saying it’s part of the sport, but it’s part of the sport. We hope to get the fight rescheduled as soon as possible, and Richard will have his hand raised regardless of when the fight happens.”
The eliminator carries significant stakes, as the winner would move closer to becoming the mandatory challenger for the heavyweight championship currently held by unified titleholder, Oleksandr Usyk.
The Cuban born Sanchez had been searching for months for an opponent willing to accept the eliminator, previously received declines from several contenders before Torrez ultimately agreed to the matchup.
For Torrez, a 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist from Tulare, California, the bout represents the toughest test of his career. The undefeated 26-year-old southpaw enters with a record of 14-0, including 12 KOs.
Sanchez, is 33-years old and now resides in Miami. He holds a 25-1 record with 18 KOs. His only loss came in May 2024 when he was stopped in the seventh round by fellow top contender Agit Kabayel. He returned to action last February in Mexico, scoring a third-round knockout of Ramon Olivas Echeverria in a fight designed to test his knee following surgery.
If Sanchez cannot heal over the course of the next few weeks, there is obviously time to find another credible opponent for Torrez, who is the top American heavyweight prospect and has prominently fought previously on Top Rank/ESPN cards.