José Torres (boxer)

José Louis "Chegüi" Torres (May 3, 1936 – January 19, 2009) was a Puerto Rican-born professional boxer who fought representing the United States. As an amateur boxer, he won a silver medal in the middleweight division at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. In 1965, he defeated Willie Pastrano to win the WBC, WBA, and lineal light-heavyweight championships. Torres trained with the legendary boxing trainer Cus D'Amato. In 1997, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Amateur career Born in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Torres began boxing when he joined the United States Army as a teenager (he was 17 years old).Associated Press His only amateur titles had come in Army and Inter-Service championships, several of which he had won. Torres was still in the Army when he won the silver medal in the light-middleweight division at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, losing to László Papp of Hungary in the final.

Torres trained at the Empire Sporting Club in New York City with trainer Cus D'Amato.

He was the 1958 National AAU Middleweight Champion and also won the 1958 New York Golden Gloves 160 lb Open Championship.

Professional career He professionally debuted in 1958 with a first-round knockout of George Hamilton in New York. Twelve wins in a row followed, ten of them by knockout (including wins over contenders Ike Jenkins and Al Andrews). Afterward, he made his San Juan debut against Benny Paret, a future world welterweight champion from Cuba, in which Torres and Paret fought to a ten-round draw. In 1960, Torres went back to campaigning in New York, where he scored three wins that year, all by decision, including two over Randy Sandy.

In 1961, Torres made his hometown debut with a four-round knockout win in a rematch with Hamilton at Ponce. He had six more fights that year, winning all of them by knockout.

Torres kept his knockout streak alive through 1962 with three more knockout wins but, in 1963, he suffered his first loss, being stopped in five by Cuba's Florentino Fernández, the only boxer ever to beat Torres by a knockout as a professional. After that setback, Torres went back to training and had one more fight that year. That time around, he was able to beat another top contender in Don Fullmer, Gene Fullmer's brother, with a ten-round decision win in New Jersey.

In 1964, Torres beat a group of name boxers, including Jose Gonzalez, Walker Simmons (twice), Frankie Olivera, Gomeo Brennan, and former world Middleweight champion Carl ("Bobo") Olson, who was taken out in one round. After this, Torres was ranked number one among Light-Heavyweight challengers.

His title shot arrived in 1965 at Madison Square Garden. Torres defeated the International Boxing Hall Of Fame member and World Light Heavyweight champion Willie Pastrano. In doing so, Torres became the third Puerto Rican world boxing champion in history and the first Latin American to win the world Light Heavyweight title, knocking Pastrano out in round nine. Later that year, he fought a non-title bout versus Tom McNeeley (father of former Mike Tyson rival, Peter McNeeley) in San Juan, winning a ten-round decision.

In 1966, he successfully defended his crown three times, with 15-round decisions over Wayne Thornton and Eddie Cotton and a two-round knockout of Chic Calderwood. In his next defense, however, he would lose it to another Hall Of Fame member, Nigeria's Dick Tiger, by a decision in 15 rounds.

In 1967, he and Tiger had a rematch, with Torres losing a 15-round decision again. Many fans thought he should have won it that time, and as a consequence, a large riot followed the fight.

After his second defeat to Tiger, Torres only fought twice more (against Bob Dunlop in 1968 and Charley "Devil" Green in 1969), retiring after 1969.

An active retirement In his years after retiring from boxing, he became a representative of the Puerto Rican community in New York, meeting political leaders, giving lectures, and becoming the New York State Athletic Commission's Commissioner from 1984 to 1988. In 1986, he was chosen to sing the United States National Anthem before the World Lightweight championship bout between Jimmy Paul and Irleis Perez in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1990, he became President of the WBO until 1995. He was also a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Author Torres regularly contributed a column to the New York Post (which he obtained with the help of his friend, Pete Hamill), as well as to El Diario La Prensa, a Spanish language newspaper in New York City. He also wrote for The Village Voice. In 1971, he co-authored Sting Like a Bee, a biography of Muhammad Ali. In 1989, he wrote the Mike Tyson biography Fire and Fear: The Inside Story of Mike Tyson (which would be adapted into the 1995-HBO television movie, Tyson).

Later years In 2007, Torres announced his decision to move back to his hometown of Ponce, Puerto Rico and concentrate on writing books and articles related to sports and history. On August 6, 2008, Torres received a recognition for his military career.

Death and legacy Torres died in the morning of January 19, 2009, of a heart attack at his home in Ponce. There are plans to move his remains to the Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro, a national pantheon (and cemetery) and museum, in Ponce, Puerto Rico.Juan Alindato y Chegüi Torres al Panteon Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro, nuestro cementerio museo. Periodico "La Voz de la Playa de Ponce", Edicion 131, October 2010. Page 2. He is also recognized at Ponce's Parque de los Ponceños Ilustres in the area of sports.Sports. TravelPonce.com Retrieved April 18, 2013. During his life, Torres was the subject of two documentaries by famed Japanese film director, Hiroshi Teshigahara.

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes45WinCharley GreenKO2 (10), 14 Jul 196944Win40–3–1Bob DunlopTKO6 (10)1 Apr 196843Loss39–3–1Dick TigerSD1516 May 196742Loss39–2–1Dick TigerUD1516 Dec 196641Win39–1–1Chic CalderwoodKO2 (15), 15 Oct 196640Win38–1–1Eddie CottonUD1515 Aug 196639Win37–1–1Wayne ThorntonUD1521 May 196638Win36–1–1Tom McNeeleyUD1031 Jul 196537Win35–1–1Willie PastranoTKO9 (15), 30 Mar 196536Win34–1–1Carl OlsonKO1 (10), 27 Nov 196435Win33–1–1Gomeo BrennanMD104 Sep 196434Win32–1–1Walker SimmonsKO6 (10)20 Jul 196433Win31–1–1Frankie OliveraTKO5 (10)22 Jun 196432Win30–1–1Wilbert McClureUD1015 May 196431Win29–1–1Walker SimmonsTKO8 (10), 21 Apr 196430Win28–1–1José GonzalezUD103 Jan 196429Win27–1–1Don FullmerPTS109 Oct 196328Loss26–1–1Florentino FernándezTKO5 (10), 25 May 196327Win26–0–1Al HauserTKO3 (10)14 Dec 196226Win25–0–1Obdulio NuñezKO7 (12)27 Jul 196225Win24–0–1Jimmy WatkinsRTD7 (10)10 Apr 196224Win23–0–1Tony MontanoKO4 (10)28 Nov 196123Win22–0–1George PriceKO2 (10), 31 Oct 196122Win21–0–1Ike WhiteKO3 (10), 27 Jun 196121Win20–0–1Mel CollinsKO7 (10), 5 Jun 196120Win19–0–1Bob YoungTKO5 (10)23 May 196119Win18–0–1Bobby BarnesKO3 (10)1 Apr 196118Win17–0–1Gene HamiltonTKO4 (10), 17 Feb 196117Win16–0–1Randy SandyUD1011 Jun 196016Win15–0–1Tony DupasMD1015 Mar 196015Win14–0–1Randy SandyPTS1030 Jan 196014Draw13–0–1Benny ParetPTS1026 Sep 195913Win13–0Al AndrewsTKO6 (8), 26 Jun 195912Win12–0Joe Shaw5 (10), 23 Apr 195911Win11–0Leroy OliphantTKO3 (10)19 Mar 195910Win10–0Eddie WrightTKO5 (8), 26 Feb 19599Win9–0Isaac JenkinsTKO5 (10)4 Dec 19588Win8–0Burke EmeryTKO5 (10), 3 Nov 19587Win7–0Frankie AnselmKO9 (10), 13 Oct 19586Win6–0Otis WoodwardTKO5 (10)29 Sep 19585Win5–0Benny DoyleKO1 (6)18 Aug 19584Win4–0Wes LowryPTS65 Jul 19583Win3–0Joe SalvatoKO4 (6), 21 Jun 19582Win2–0Walter IrbyPTS67 Jun 19581Win1–0Gene HamiltonKO1 (4)24 May 1958

Titles in boxing Major world titles WBA light heavyweight champion (175 lbs) WBC light heavyweight champion (175 lbs)

The Ring magazine titles The Ring light heavyweight champion (175 lbs)

Regional/International titles Puerto Rican middleweight champion (160 lbs)

Undisputed titles Undisputed light heavyweight champion

José Torres (boxer)

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