Frank Sanchez wants a world title shot against Oleksandr Usyk after knocking out Richard Torrez Jr. in two rounds last Saturday night in Giza, but the Cuban may already be getting squeezed out by the business side of the heavyweight division.
Sanchez earned IBF mandatory status with his destruction of Torrez on the undercard of Usyk’s dramatic stoppage win over Rico Verhoeven. However, Usyk’s future already appears crowded with bigger-money options tied to Riyadh Season plans.
“Frank sent a strong reminder that he is one of the most dangerous fighters in the division,” Sanchez’s manager, Mike Borao, told Sky Sports.
“An injury temporarily slowed his momentum, but he’s now back in top form and ready to make the best of his mandatory status.”
Borao said the priority is securing a fight with Usyk “as soon as possible,” but his comments suggested Sanchez’s team already knows the mandatory shot may not come next.
“In the meantime, if fights against top heavyweights like [Daniel] Dubois, [Deontay] Wilder, [Anthony] Joshua, [Tyson] Fury, Verhoeven, [Francis] Ngannou or others become available, Frank has no problem staying active against elite competition while waiting for his world title shot,” Borao said.
Usyk is widely expected to pursue a fight against Agit Kabayel next, with a Verhoeven rematch and a possible trilogy bout against Fury also part of the discussion.
“We hope Frank gets the opportunity to box Usyk, but ultimately that decision rests with him,” Borao said.
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Last Updated on 2026/05/26 at 10:22 AM
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