“Big-time fights Turki Alalshikh tells me are on his wishlist to make,” Coppinger posted on X before including “Filip Hrgovic–Rico Verhoeven” among fights such as Fury–Joshua and Benavidez–Opetaia.
If Turki likes it enough, however, he has the financial power and promotional connections to turn the idea into an IBF heavyweight title fight.
Hrgovic signed a multi-fight contract with Queensberry before stopping Moses Itauma in the ninth round last month. Frank Warren’s company works regularly with Turki, which removes one of the usual promotional headaches.
Sanchez still has contractual and sanctioning-body rights. Hrgovic cannot simply ignore him and defend against Verhoeven without the IBF approving the change. Turki can offer Sanchez a generous step-aside payment, place him on the same card, and guarantee him a fight with the winner.
Would Sanchez really reject that package? The 34-year-old Cuban is not a major attraction, and a mandatory challenge against Hrgovic probably would not generate anything close to the money attached to a Turki-backed arrangement. Getting paid to wait may be more profitable than taking the fight immediately.
Verhoeven is not known to have an exclusive promotional agreement with Turki. The former GLORY heavyweight champion left kickboxing and pursued boxing after rejecting interest from the UFC. Turki financed his opportunity against Oleksandr Usyk, where Verhoeven lasted until the 11th round in only his second professional boxing match.
That performance gave Verhoeven credibility despite the defeat. He is recognizable across Europe, physically imposing and far more marketable than Sanchez. Hrgovic also carries new value after ruining the Itauma coronation British boxing had already planned.
None of this means Hrgovic–Verhoeven is being negotiated. It remains one name on Turki’s expensive shopping list. But Sanchez is not an immovable barrier. If Turki decides he truly wants the fight, he can make waiting more rewarding than objecting.
The downside of Verhoeven being given a title shot off the back of a loss is obvious. Giving him an immediate shot at the IBF belt directly after he got stopped by Usyk makes a mockery of sanctioning body integrity. It alienates core fans for a couple of clear reasons:
First, the competitive credibility is nonexistent. When Francis Ngannou dropped Tyson Fury, he earned genuine boxing curiosity. Verhoeven did not create that kind of shockwave against Usyk. He showed physical toughness by surviving into the 11th round, but he still got broken down and stopped. Rewarding a fighter coming off a knockout loss with another world title fight is pure promotional indulgence.
Second, Hrgovic just had his career-defining moment by stopping Moses Itauma. He finally captured a world title after years of waiting in sanctioning-body lines. Putting him against an unranked crossover opponent right now diminishes the title he just won. Fans want to see if Hrgovic can defend against legitimate contenders who earned their spot, not participate in an exhibition-style spectacle.
Frank Sanchez might not be a pay-per-view superstar, but a mandatory defense against him is actual boxing business. Hrgovic versus Verhoeven is simply a crossover showcase designed for casual viewers, and the traditional boxing base will view it as nothing more than an expensive gimmick.
