Richard Torrez Jr. says he knows what went wrong against Frank Sanchez and believes he can fix it. The bigger question is how much a 27-year-old heavyweight can change a fighting style that has followed him since his amateur career.
Sanchez knocked him out in the second round on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Torrez Jr. charged into range and paid heavily for his lack of head movement and defensive responsibility.
“I understand what I did wrong and I can fix it,” Torrez Jr. said via The Ring. “Shoutout to Eddy Reynoso. That dude read me like a book in that second round. I got caught with a shot.”
This was not the first warning. Bakhodir Jalolov stopped him in the amateurs after catching him coming forward. Guido Vianello also found him repeatedly when they fought in April 2025. Torrez Jr. won a wide decision, but his vulnerability was clear.
Top Rank had not matched the Olympic silver medalist particularly tough before Vianello. His power and aggression allowed him to overwhelm early opponents without forcing him to improve defensively.
There are similarities to how Top Rank developed Edgar Berlanga. Berlanga opened his career with 16 consecutive first-round stoppage wins against limited opposition. Those quick finishes built his reputation while offering little chance to develop against fighters who could survive his power.
The American southpaw did not compile the same streak, but his matchmaking created a parallel issue. Quick victories entrenched a style centered on charging forward instead of fixing long-standing technical flaws.
His stocky 6’2″ build means Torrez Jr. is unlikely to become a mobile heavyweight. He can still improve his guard, head movement, entries, and defensive balance.
He wants to return before the end of the year, though Top Rank has not named an opponent. They may choose a safer option after such a heavy stoppage.
One rebuilding fight makes sense. A prolonged return to soft opposition leaves the primary question unanswered. Torrez Jr. needs more than another early night. He must prove that the flaws Sanchez exposed have actually changed.
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Last Updated on 2026/08/12 at 5:54 PM
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