Frank Sanchez (26-1, 19 KOs) revived his heavyweight career in emphatic fashion Saturday night, defeating previously undefeated Richard Torrez Jr. (14-1, 12 KOs) in the second round of their IBF heavyweight eliminator at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The end came suddenly and violently after a cautious but competitive opening round. Torrez tried to pressure Sanchez behind his usual aggressive style, but the Cuban veteran stayed calm, used his jab and looked comfortable at distance.
Early in the second round, Sanchez got the opening he was waiting for.
As Torrez stepped in to attack, Sanchez fired off a perfectly timed counter right that landed flat and dropped the undefeated contender hard to the canvas. Torrez tried to gather himself, but the referee quickly stopped the fight after seeing the state he was in after the knockdown.
The victory moved Sanchez into position as a leading IBF challenger in the heavyweight division and marked one of the biggest victories of his professional career. Coming into the fight, much of the attention was focused on Torrez as one of Top Rank’s rising heavyweight contenders, but Sanchez’s timing, patience and power completely changed the direction of the fight.
Sanchez entered the contest needing a big performance after losing momentum following his knockout loss to Agit Kabayel in 2024. The 32-year-old Cuban bounced back earlier this year with a lower-level comeback win, though there are still questions about where he ranks among the top heavyweights.
Those questions seemed much less important after Saturday’s finish.
Torrez built up an unbeaten record through pressure, activity and attacking volume, but Sanchez’s experience and counter punches proved too much once the exchanges opened. The knockout also handed Torrez the first loss of his professional career and temporarily slowed the momentum behind one of the United States’ most watched heavyweight prospects.
With the win, Sanchez moves closer to another heavyweight world title opportunity after delivering one of the most damaging knockouts on the card.
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Last updated on 2026/05/23 at 15:09
 revived his heavyweight career in emphatic fashion on Saturday night, knocking out previously unbeaten Richard Torrez Jr. (14-1,){kind=link}