Why Richard Torres Jr. became a professional boxer

Richard Torres Jr. fought his second professional boxing match Friday, July 15, on ESPN. A boxing career seemed to be a foregone conclusion, but it wasn’t Torres’ plan.

With six national boxing titles under his belt and success on the world amateur stage throughout his teenage and early adult years, it seems a given that Richard Torres Jr. was bound to become a professional boxer. However, this was not his original plan.

Look beyond Torrez’s 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame, and you’ll find an eclectic individual who has the personality of a seeker rather than a boxer. His personality is a strange amalgamation that all stems from his family.

“I think my parents are both teachers,” Torres told FanSided. “And so they tried to put me in everything. You know, my dad taught me everything at a young age. My mom, you know, would sing like nursery rhymes no matter what. And I was always kind of curious, you know. I’d hang out with some friends. They’re nerdy themselves.” And I loved what they did.

“And that motivated me to learn how to solve a Rubik’s cube, or learn how to build rockets, or play chess, for being part of the engineering crew when I was in high school.”

Torres’ mother and father are both teachers. His father is the dean of students at Mission Oak High School, where Torres once attended. It’s easy to see where his fascination with academics came from.

Torres also has an athletic side that stems from his family. He played sports like soccer in addition to boxing. Combined with his academic pursuits, this makes him an individual with a rare set of talents.

The same can be said of Torres’ father, Richard Torres Sr. Before becoming a dean, Torres Sr. was a high-ranking amateur boxer. His father, Manuel Torres, founded the Tulare Athletic Boxing Club in Tulare, California.

Watch Richard Torrez Jr. vs Roberto Zavala Jr. Saturday, July 15, on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET

He led Manuel Torres Sr. to the 1984 Olympic boxing trials. Torres Sr. didn’t make the team, but his love for boxing never waned.

Father Torres said San Joaquin Sun He wanted to pass boxing on to his son and made a deal with his wife to train him until the age of 16 and then let Torres Jr. decide how to proceed. Torres planned to attend college, but one phone call made him focus on boxing.

“I was going to attend community college in Cuesta, then move to Cal Poly and get a degree there,” Torres said. “And a month after I graduated from high school, the Olympic Training Center called my parents, and they said, ‘Hey, would Richard like to be a resident? They recently canceled the resident boxing program. And they said, “Does Richard want to be the first resident to go back outside the booth and live there with us in pursuit of the Olympics?”

Torres was at a crossroads early in life – would he go to college or dedicate himself to pursuing a long shot of the Olympic dream? He decided to ask his father.

“I go to my father. I asked him what I should do because college has always been the observation to take, you know,” Torres said. “College was all my parents asked me to go to, and it would be the best. And once the Olympic Training Center called me and I said to them, they were like, ‘You can always go back to college.’” Don’t worry about it, you know. This is the dream now. Go ahead and do it right.”

With the blessing of his parents, Torres pursued a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Torres continued his path to a gold medal match against Bakhodar Galulov. Galulov had already turned professional and was an amateur world champion.

He was also the only opponent to overthrow Torres. It happened in 2019 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, at the World Amateur Championships. Jalulov hit Torres with a straight left that knocked Torres out of the cold.

Torrez told FanSided that he’s watched this fight a million times and had many discussions about it, but people should focus on the fact that he came back from that moment on to claim silver at the 2020 Olympics.

“I’m back,” Torres said. “I went to the Olympics. I got the medal, and I’m still here, and I’m making this team. People have to either call me crazy or worry about me. And I think it’s the latter. Like, you should be worried about the mentality I have right now.”

Torres lost a tough decision to Galulov in the Olympic gold medal match and held on to more of his decision. For many, this would be a huge victory. However, Torres sees it differently.

Winning silver instead of gold made Torres feel like there was an unfinished business. He is a recognized idealist and feels there is more to accomplish in boxing.

“It got to the point where I was going to get a gold medal, I don’t think I would have stayed in boxing because I feel like it’s going to do everything I need to get it done,” Torres said. “I feel like there is no leadership anymore.

“But getting that silver, there’s still that drive. That you want something to be great. That’s why I’m still fighting. It’s because I want to be on top. I want to be there. I want to be the best, and I couldn’t.” Whoever did that in the Olympics. That’s what I do in the pros. And I’ll get it done in the pros.”

This is where Torres is today. The 23-year-old will start his second professional fight on ESPN on Friday, July 15.

It’s just the beginning of his career under the Top Rank banner, but Torrez is a proven number with a unique combination of intelligence and strength. He’s really eccentric both in and out of the ring.

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