EFE AJAGBA and Frank Sanchez are set to collide in a second encounter, this time for a number-one contender spot, following yesterday’s IBF purse bid.
The pair squared off back in 2021, only for the greater experience and ring IQ of Sanchez, 25-1 (18 KOs), to make for a surprisingly one-sided heavyweight contest.
Ajagba, 20-1-1 (14 KOs), known more for his destructive power than anything else, even climbed off the canvas in the seventh round before suffering a comprehensive points defeat.
Since then, though, two vastly different trajectories saw Sanchez amass five unremarkable wins, before getting stopped in his tracks by Agit Kabayal last year, while Ajagba, on the other hand, has largely restored his top-10 contender status at world level.
A split decision victory over Guido Vianello propelled the Nigerian back into the spotlight last year, before he then boxed to a highly-contentious draw against Martin Bakole.
Back in May, many felt that the 31-year-old deserved to squeak past his plodding opponent but, nevertheless, his performance proved convincing enough to launch him onto the world title scene.
And so, while Filip Hrgovic was previously ordered to face Sanchez in an IBF final eliminator, it would seem that, somewhere along the way, Ajagba managed to claim that opportunity for himself.
As a result, both Ajagba and Sanchez – the IBF’s number three and four-ranked contenders, respectively – are expected to lock horns before long, with promoter Sampson Lewkowicz securing the right to stage their rematch.
Boxing journalist Dan Rafael posted on X yesterday: “The IBF had [a] purse bid today for [a] final heavyweight eliminator, [Efe Ajagba-Frank Sanchez]. [Lewkowicz] won at $302k. [Carl Moretti], bidding for [Top Rank], bid $210k. [It’s a] 60-40 split in [Ajagba’s] favour.”
With both securing a six-figure payday, their fight, especially given Lewkowicz’s relationship with PBC, is likely to land on the undercard of an Amazon Prime show in the not too distant future.
And while Ajagba’s promoter, Top Rank, was beaten to the punch, the fan-friendly knockout specialist will nonetheless claim the lion’s share of their $302k purse.
Meanwhile, Derek Chisora is still the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s IBF jewel, with the winner of Ajagba-Sanchez 2 expected to wait in the wings, perhaps for a considerably long time, for his world title shot.
