Torrez Jr. is Confident About His Future

Heavyweight contender Richard Torrez Jr. (14-0, 12 KOs) is focused on defeating Frank Sanchez this Saturday in Egypt, but the undefeated American is already thinking about the biggest fights the division can offer — including potential clashes with Oleksandr Usyk and rising British star Moses Itauma.

Torrez and Sanchez will meet in an IBF heavyweight elimination bout on the undercard of the Usyk-Rico Verhoeven event at the Pyramids of Giza. A victory could move Torrez closer to a world title opportunity, though he understands a fight with Usyk is far from guaranteed. The unbeaten Ukrainian champion has not publicly identified the winner as a future opponent as he approaches the final stretch of his career.

Still, Torrez is eager for any elite challenge available in today’s heavyweight landscape. One matchup that particularly interests him is a potential fight with Itauma, the highly touted English prospect many contenders have avoided.

“I’m about that action, man, you know?” Torrez told The Ring. “I think it’s really cool, what he’s doing in the UK. I think that he’s an incredible fighter and I think that if we were able to collide and make something happen, it’d be fireworks, man. You know, like I don’t run from smoke.”

The 26-year-old Olympic silver medalist from Tulare, California believes the matchup would deliver excitement both inside and outside the ring.

“I want the best fights and I think that that would be a really, really cool opportunity,” Torrez said. “Being able to just be in that atmosphere, man, it would be something epic.”

Torrez also praised Itauma’s professionalism and personality, emphasizing that competition in boxing doesn’t prevent mutual respect.

“I heard he’s a pretty standup guy and, hey man, at the end of the day this is business,” Torrez said. “We’ll get in the ring, do what we need to do, and if he wants to get a burger afterwards, we can.”

Itauma, currently unbeaten with 12 knockouts in 14 victories, is expected to face Croatian contender Filip Hrgovic in August. If neither Itauma nor Torrez secures a shot at Usyk, a meeting between the two rising contenders could become one of the division’s most compelling matchups.

Torrez believes his amateur pedigree, conditioning, speed, and movement would present unique problems for Itauma.

“I don’t think you should be in the game if you don’t think you’re the best,” Torrez said. “With my feints, my conditioning and my style, it would make it hard for anybody.”

This fight between Torrez Jr. and Sanchez was initially schedule for late March. However inflammation in Sanchez's knee from surgery in 2025 delayed that date. On Saturday we will see if Sanchez has fully recovered and can pose a challenge to the up and coming Torrez Jr.  

If Torrez Jr. beats Sanchez, he would throw his hat in the ring in the heavyweight division's top echelon. What makes him intriguing is that we haven't had an American heavyweight contender in quite some time. Though that is quite the pressure, clearly Torrez Jr. isn't afraid of it.