Frank Sanchez-Richard Torrez fight postponed due to knee issue

Heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez has been forced to delay his upcoming fight with Richard Torrez Jr. after experiencing inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.

According to boxing reporter Mike Coppinger, the scheduled March 28 heavyweight bout in Las Vegas has been postponed because Sanchez will not be able to train for several weeks while recovering from the issue.

Sources told Coppinger that the fight is expected to be rescheduled, with May currently viewed as the target date for the matchup if Sanchez’s recovery proceeds without further setbacks.

The contest had been set as the chief support bout for the card headlined by Sebastian Fundora defending his junior middleweight title against former welterweight champion Keith Thurman. The heavyweight fight was expected to provide one of the more meaningful tests on the undercard.

Sanchez, a Cuban heavyweight contender who has remained unbeaten through his professional career, has been attempting to re-establish himself near the top of the division after surgery on his knee slowed his activity over the past year. The fight with Torrez was viewed as a significant opportunity for Sanchez to show he could still perform at a high level against a younger, aggressive opponent.

Torrez, an Olympic silver medalist and one of the fastest-developing heavyweights in the division, had been preparing for what would have been the most experienced opponent of his career. The 25-year-old southpaw has built a record filled with stoppage wins while moving steadily toward higher-level opposition.

With Sanchez temporarily unable to train, promoters are expected to explore replacement options for Torrez on the March 28 show while discussions continue regarding a new date for the original fight.

If Sanchez’s recovery progresses as expected, the bout with Torrez could be revisited later this spring.

Sanchez has been dealing with problems in that knee since his stoppage loss to Agit Kabayel on May 18, 2024. The injury played a role in the seventh-round knockout defeat in that fight. Since then, the 33-year-old Cuba-born heavyweight has fought only once, stopping journeyman Ramon Olivas Echeverria in the third round on February 22, 2025. That bout came nearly a year ago.

The postponement is also a setback for the March 28 show headlined by Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman. The Sanchez-Torrez bout had been scheduled as the chief support fight and one of the stronger matchups on the undercard. With Sanchez now unable to train, the event loses one of its most meaningful heavyweight contests unless promoters find a late replacement.