The heavyweight division has some of the most unique personalities in the sport, and 24-year-old heavyweight prospect Richard Torrez Jr. (7-0, 7 KOs), who will be fighting on December 9, is no exception. The fight card on Heisman Night will stream on ESPN+, and the main portion of the card will follow the conclusion of the annual college football awards ceremony.
Torrez seems like someone who jumped in a time machine from the 1970’s and landed here in 2023 with his bushy curly hair, mustache, and a light beard giving off Brady Bunch vibes.
When you listen to him speak, though, you immediately realize that he is highly intelligent. Another aspect of his distinct personality is that Torrez is always looking for ways to keep his mind sharp.
Boxing fulfills some of that objective, but Torrez also makes creative and funny social media content, takes classes, and has learned how to fly a plane, which is just scratching the surface of his interests. Learning how to crochet has been his latest unusual accomplishment, and he hopes to create a blanket soon to show off what he has learned.
When ProBoxTV jokingly asked if Torrez would make a blanket for Top Rank’s Bob Arum, he replied “I might, and I just have to put R.T. somewhere in there so he remembers who it’s from (laughs).”
Torrez is a thinker.
Attending classes has helped with mental agility while being fun at the same time. “I’ve been reading a lot of philosophy books, and I’m in a philosophy club at my community college. I really like it, too. I’m just taking classes for fun. One of my favorite quotes is ‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever’ by Gandhi, and I’m just trying to make that part of my life as well. I love learning new things, and there are some really cool classes [...] so I can’t wait to take some more.”
When discussing his career in boxing, he is fully aware of his critics and what they’ve had to say about his technique and level of opponents so far. This will be his fourth fight this year, and regardless of what the critics may say, it’s always interesting to hear what the fighters themselves think of their development. When asked to describe his development in 2023, Torrez said, “Exponential.”
“At the beginning of the year, we had one fight that went well. We had a little injury that set us back, but then we went hard for the rest of the year. We were still able to get the amount of fights that we wanted to get in and I’m thankful for that. I think we were definitely able to show that we have a lot more to offer,” the heavyweight prospect told ProBoxTV.
Torrez’s next opponent, Curtis Harper (14-10, 9 KOs), will outweigh him by at least 40 pounds, and with this being his first eight-round fight, Torrez knew that this training camp had to be slightly different. “We prepared for an eight-round fight, so more rounds [of sparring] and conditioning. Curtis Harper is a big guy,” said Torrez. “He likes to throw hard shots, and we are prepared for that. Every fight camp is different as every opponent is a little different, but we are definitely going in ready for this fight.”
For those who have never seen him fight, Torrez briefly summarized what you should expect on December 9. “You are going to see a heavyweight that doesn’t fight like a heavyweight. I bring a lot of punches and power. I want to give people a fight. I’m not a guy that is going to sit back and wait for one shot. I’m going to make it an exciting fight, and I’ll be someone you will want to see in the future.”
The fight against Harper will show the suits at Top Rank what the next step for Torrez should be in 2024. Torrez feels that his actions, more than words, will reflect his worth. He’s full of confidence, and if he has it his way, Torrez will look to have the night's standout performance.
