Analyst Chris Mannix believes Frank Sanchez poses little threat to Moses Itauma in a potential heavyweight title fight. The proposed matchup first requires Itauma to defeat Filip Hrgovic on August 29, a victory that would define a breakout year for the prospect.
The potential bout has gained endorsement from fellow analyst Sergio Mora, who sees it as an entertaining contest. Mora pointed to Sanchez’s recent knockout of Richard Torrez Jr. as a sign of his renewed threat. “It’s two familiar names. Sanchez is coming off that knockout against another up-and-comer in Richard Torrez Jr. It was a one-punch knockout. Everybody loves those,” Mora stated. He also approved of the tactical matchup. “I like that style match-up. I like that he’s going to come to fight. It’s going to be another fighter that fights from that southpaw stance and squares up. So, I actually love those two names.”
But Mannix holds a starkly different view of Sanchez’s capabilities against the 21-year-old Itauma. While acknowledging the impressive win over Torrez Jr., he dismissed the Cuban’s chances in a direct confrontation, citing perceived physical decline. “If we’re looking at this objectively, I don’t give Sanchez much of a shot against Moses Itauma. I think Sanchez landed a great shot against Richard Torrez. All credit to him. But I see Frank Sanchez, and I see a guy with no knees.”
The discussion around Sanchez is driven by a shifting heavyweight title picture. According to Mannix, Itauma’s expected path to a championship has been complicated by events involving his stablemate, WBA champion Fabio Wardley. A likely rematch between Wardley and Daniel Dubois closes one immediate door for Itauma. “He was in line for a world title shot, but his stablemate, Fabio Wardley, held that belt. We presume Wardley and Daniel Dubois are going to run it back. So that avenue is potentially closed,” Mannix explained. This makes a fight against a known contender like Sanchez a logical and valuable next step toward a world title.
Still, all talk of a championship bout against Sanchez is premature. The biggest hurdle in Itauma’s immediate path is his August 29 opponent, Filip Hrgovic. The Croatian is widely seen as the toughest test of Itauma’s young career, and a convincing win is required to validate any discussion of title contention before the end of the year.
