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‘If Oleksandr Usyk didn’t take Rico Verhoeven seriously he would have been stopped’
WBC order for Oleksandr Usyk-Agit Kabayel to be next remains
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Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing└Frank Sanchez walks to the ring to face Richard Torrez
Frank Sanchez shined while in the heavyweight shop window on Saturday night when he stopped Richard Torrez Jnr in two rounds to gain mandatory status with the IBF.
The Cuban’s demolition of Torrez reminded fans of his potential, something perhaps forgotten since he was beaten by Agit Kabayel in 2023. More importantly, it allowed the 33-year-old to formally take his place in the queue for division leader, Oleksandr Usyk.
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But that queue likely has at least two names ahead of Sanchez, 26-1 (19 KOs). Seemingly leading is Kabayel, the WBC interim beltholder, with Rico Verhoeven, who gave Usyk such trouble in Egypt’s main event, emerging from nowhere to find himself looking over Kabayel’s shoulder.
For now, that’s fine, says Sanchez’s manager Mike Barao. That his heavyweight is now injury-free and firing on all cylinders under the guidance of Eddy Reynoso, means that things are only going to get better.
“Frank sent a strong reminder that he is one of the most dangerous fighters in the division,” 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.
“I’m currently reviewing options [for Sanchez’s next fight] with my partner, Lupe Valencia. As the mandatory challenger, our primary goal is to fight Usyk as soon as possible, but we’ll see how that develops over the next few weeks.”
Because Usyk holds three of the four major belts (WBC, IBF, and WBA), he will soon be forced into facing his mandatories. If the 39-year-old wants to keep all of his belts – and he’s relinquished titles in the past – he will next have to face Kabayel, then the WBA will call their mandatory, before the IBF take their turn.
“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.
Much of what happens will be guided by Usyk’s decision on his next move. There will be pressure to face Verhoeven again, given the contentious nature of Usyk’s 11th round stoppage victory. Kabayel will also expect to get his overdue shot at the Ukrainian.
Another option is that Usyk, 25-0 (16 KOs) and 39 years old, simply calls time on his glittering career.
“We hope Frank gets the opportunity to box Usyk,” Borao added, “but ultimately that decision rests with him.”
WBC order for Oleksandr Usyk-Agit Kabayel to be next remains
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