American heavyweight prospect Richard Torrez Jnr is totally conscious of the cautionary story of shifting alongside too quick.
The 2020 Olympic silver medalist noticed firsthand how his Prime Rank promotional stablemate Jared Anderson bit off greater than he might chew in opposition to Martin Bakole in August, getting stopped inside 5 rounds.
Torrez (11-0, 10 KOs) is trusting the method of Corridor of Fame matchmakers Bruce Trampler and Brad Goodman, however that doesn’t imply the 25-year-old from Tulare, California, with simply 11 fights beneath his belt, isn’t able to take a crack at a extremely credible contender.
The following leg of southpaw Torrez’s growth will proceed Saturday in opposition to Issac Munoz Gutierrez, 18-1-1 (15 KOs), on the undercard of the Oscar Valdez vs. Emanuel Navarette battle on the Footprint Heart in Phoenix on ESPN.
“If it was as much as me, I would make the large step up tomorrow,” Torrez informed BoxingScene. “I really feel prepared. I am keen, prepared and in a position. However I am following the plan that Prime Rank has offered me. They’ve a practice and legacy of constructing champions. I am not one to hurry the method. I am abiding by the plan that they’ve given me. In the event that they determine tomorrow to offer me a title shot, I am not turning it down. I am leaping at it, however I perceive that it is a course of and heavyweights take a little bit longer time to develop and progress.
“I put a lot belief in Prime Rank and my dad. I am not frightened concerning the plan, as a result of I do know there’s one.”
The current installment of Torrez’s growth in September featured Joey Dawejko. The battle-tested veteran Dawejko was being shut out via 5 rounds however was finally disqualified for repeatedly spitting out his mouthpiece.
Torrez received the anticipated win, however the knockout streak to start his profession got here to an finish.
“It is a little bit annoying I did not get the knockout, however I nonetheless have not heard the final bell,” mentioned Torrez. “Perhaps it is a little bit little bit of a stress reduction for me to not fear about persevering with the knockout streak, so it is perhaps a very good factor in the long term.”
Torrez wish to get again into the KO column in opposition to Gutierrez, who’s solely fought in Mexico exterior of the lone lack of his profession to Jermaine Franklin Jnr.
“He has a reasonably good model,” mentioned Torrez. “I respect his boxing talents. I do know he is coming for a battle. I by no means go in there predicting a knockout as a result of if I search for it by no means comes. What I predict is that it is possible for you to to see my field and present my protection and head motion as a result of this man throws punches. You will note an amazing efficiency and I assure it won’t be a boring battle.”
Torrez is actually a robust candidate to be one of many subsequent faces of heavyweight boxing as soon as the previous guard walks off into the sundown. Torrez considers the likes of Fabio Wardley, Jared Anderson, Gurgen Hovhannisyan, Guido Vianello, Efe Ajagba and Frazer Clarke as the subsequent flag bearers for the game’s glamour division.
“We’re in an identical zone and comparable space,” mentioned Torrez. “Subsequent yr is a superb yr to ascertain my title. I do not flip down fights. I am about that motion.
“I wish to show that I’m progressing in the best course. Folks say that I’m a one-style fighter and I simply are available there and slug. Folks have quite a lot of preconceived concepts of who I’m as a fighter. I would prefer to widen their perspective.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports activities journalist, author and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports activities, USA In the present day, The Guardian, Newsweek, Males’s Well being, NFL.com, Los Angeles Instances, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Journal and extra. He has been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America and the MMA Journalists Affiliation. He will be reached on X (previously Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, via e mail at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or through www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
