Boxing
Richard Torrez Jr. sees Frank Sanchez Eliminator as leverage for the IBF title
Published
3 months agoon
Richard Torrez Jr. he faces an IBF eliminator with Frank Sanchez, who understands exactly what victory can – and cannot – bring.
Even if he manages to overtake Sanchez, the title fight may not come until the end of 2027. At 25 years ancient, this timeline isn’t concerning for Torrez – it fits his stage of development.
Eliminator is a positioning, not a promise
The newfangled heavyweight division does not move in straight lines. Titles are being slowed down by rematch clauses, optional defenses and sanction rotation. Being next in line doesn’t always mean being next in the ring.
In the IBF structure, this setting is vital. Even if the champion is tied, the sanctioned challenger remains in line.
Torrez doesn’t downplay the task ahead of him.
“I can’t wait to show everyone what I can do. This is definitely my toughest fight. Frank Sanchez is quick, robust and has a lot of qualities that stand out in the heavyweight division. This is a great place for me to show who I am as a fighter and show what I can achieve.”
Why the timeline fits Torrez Jr.
For Torrez, the delayed title opportunity reinforces the long game. He’s still growing into the heavyweight division and refining the way he applies pressure at that level. The 18-month runway allows for such development without forcing a championship date before development is complete.
It’s also clear that this moment won’t overwhelm him.
“I’m very proud of who I am and where I come from, but that’s not my main goal. I’m not trying to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. I just have to go out and fight. I’m here and ready to show everything I am.”
Torrez believes its foundations are already in place.
“The best thing I’m doing is perfecting what makes Richard Torrez, Richard Torrez. I believe I have the best fitness in the game. If I’m consistent and follow the game plan, I can show what I’m capable of.”
This approach suits a challenger who can afford to be patient. If the IBF title picture drags on, Torrez can stay dynamic, continue to build in the U.S. and enter a potential championship fight as a fully formed heavyweight rather than as a prospect.
Frank Sanchez performs an instant test
None of this reduces the risk Sanchez poses. Torrez recognized the risk and opportunity in equal measure.
“I want the hardest fights and I want to be the best. Frank is one of the better fighters in the division. He showed his skills and proved himself. I also want to prove myself. This is the best way to consolidate my position in the professional game.”
He also expects a stylistic contrast to define the night.
“This fight will showcase the Latin style of heavyweights. It’s not something that has been seen too often before. I have that Mexican style in me and I’m ready to show my perseverance and determination against someone as clever as Frank. It will be an exhilarating clash of styles.”
Torrez is coming off a year where he was a headliner and continued to grow his profile.
“Last year was a good year. We had the main event and were able to showcase our style. I’m looking forward to continuing this process.”
If he can do that, the eliminator will be more than just a victory. This earns him a spot in the IBF order and ensures that whenever a title picture appears, his name cannot be ignored.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
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Boxing
World champion will be stripped of his title if he refuses to fight David Benavidez next: ‘That’s it’
Published
46 minutes agoon
June 4, 2026
David Benavidez won the WBA and WBO cruiserweight world titles with his last fight, and the “Mexican Monster” may add to his collection in the future after one of the world champions was ordered to fight him under the threat of being stripped of his belt.
Last month I moved up from light heavyweight and dethroned Gilberto Ramirez in sensational styleBenavidez now holds the WBA (regular) and WBC featherlight heavyweight world titles, as well as his recently won unified cruiserweight crown.
As a result, the 29-year-old must decide whether he should return to the featherlight heavyweight scene or stay in the cruiserweight division, where he put in arguably the best performance of his career last time out after tuning out his fight with Jai Opetaia.
However, Benavidez was also named the WBC cruiserweight mandatory challenger and was ordered to fight WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian, another who has been linked to a fight with Opetaia.
If Mikaelian refuses to defend the title against Benavidez, the WBC president announced in an interview for the WBC magazine that he would strip the Armenian of the belt. Boxing Scene.
“The WBC order is Mikaelian against Benavidez. That’s all. If he fights again, he will waive his obligations to the WBC.”
“[There is no deadline] at this time. I will be talking to different managers. This is the highest priority. I look forward to making sure that happens.”
If Mikaeilian decides to continue the fight with Opetaia and thus lose the world title, it can be expected that Polish-born interim champion Michał Cieślak will benefit. Either he will be elevated to full world champion and ordered to make his first defense against Benavidez, or he will be included in a vacant belt fight against the three-division world champion.
Boxing
Peter Fury claims Tyson used the wrong tactics against Usyk
Published
3 hours agoon
June 4, 2026
“Well, he has his team there and I’m not criticizing anyone, but in both fights his tactics weren’t good,” Peter said in an interview with Sport Boxing.
“It worked out badly because look, if we have a little guy here who can throw, let’s say, a welterweight who can throw a thousand punches, and we have a heavyweight, will a heavyweight fighter throw a thousand punches with him? No.”
“Or maybe he’ll step in and take one good shot? Absolutely.”
“So basically yes, the strategy was just wrong. It doesn’t mean Usyk was better than him. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t say anything. You misunderstand the tactics and they are wrong.
“And you know, when you look at Usyk’s structure and what he does, when he distances himself and tries to box an elite boxer who is lighter than you and who is giving away pounds, he will ping you all over the shop. That should be noticed,” Peter Fury said.
Tyson Fury announced his return earlier this year and is expected to have a preparatory fight before the start of his scheduled series with Anthony Joshua. Queensbury promoter Frank Warren recently confirmed that Fury’s next opponent could be announced in the coming days, with the long-awaited fight against Joshua expected to take place later this year.
Usyk remains at the top of the heavyweight division and has been ordered to fight WBC interim champion Agit Kabayel. Warren also confirmed that negotiations for the fight are ongoing.
Fury’s third meeting with Usyk has not been announced. Peter Fury, however, remains convinced that the strategy used in the first two fights determined the result.
Boxing
The politician’s perfect 12-0 KO record remains the strangest in boxing
Published
5 hours agoon
June 4, 2026
Jorge Kahwagi achieved something almost impossible in professional boxing. The Mexican politician retired with a perfect record of 12-0, knocked out every opponent he faced, and finished his entire career in just 15 rounds.
On paper, this looks like one of the most devastating runs the sport has ever seen. In fact, many boxing fans wondered if they even believed it.
Perfect record
Kahwagi turned professional in 2001, despite having no boxing experience. Over the next fourteen years, he set an undefeated record, won regional titles, and never once heard the final bell.
Twelve fights brought twelve victories. All twelve victories were by knockout in just fifteen rounds.
The numbers are tough to understand even now.
Several of Kahwagi’s opponents entered the ring in defeat. Others seemed hopelessly outmatched.
But the record continued to grow as the politician and businessman rose through the cruiserweight ranks without ever being seriously tested.
By the time he retired in 2015 after returning from a ten-year hiatus for one final fight, Kahwagi owned one of boxing’s most remarkable undefeated records.
Why fans never bought it
The controversy surrounding Kahwaga was not in itself. This is how some of these victories turned out.
His last fight against Ramon Olivas remains the fight most frequently mentioned in discussions about Kahwagi’s career. The break came after seemingly minimal contact, prompting criticism from fans and observers.
Doubts have already surrounded previous victories, including the victory over veteran Roberto Coelho.
Whether these doubts were justified or not, the damage was done and many fans never accepted Kahwagi’s record at face value.
Boxing has seen this before
Kahwagi’s record may be extraordinary, but in boxing there is always controversy when it comes to results.
As WBN reports, while John Riel Casimero faces a fight-fixing investigation in 2025, debates continue to arise in the contemporary era about what happens inside the ropes.
Long before that, Roy Jones Jr. denied winning Olympic gold in Seoul despite dominating Park Si-hun in what many still consider the greatest heist in boxing history.
More than thirty years later, Park returned the medal to Jones.
The Kahwagi case falls into a different category, but the result is often the same. Once fans stop believing what they’re watching, the debate never really stops.
Still one of the strangest
Few fighters retire with a perfect record, and even fewer retire after every knockout victory.
Kahwagi handled both, finishing his entire professional career in just 15 innings, and those numbers remain remarkable.
More than a decade after his retirement, the debate surrounding his record has never really died down.
That’s why Jorge Kahwagi’s perfect 12-0 record remains one of the strangest in boxing history.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
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