José Torres (boxer)


José Louis "Chegüi" Torres 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. 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. 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, 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 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, 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, 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.

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 museum, in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He is also recognized at Ponce's Parque de los Ponceños Ilustres in the area of sports. During his life, Torres was the subject of two documentaries by famed Japanese film director, Hiroshi Teshigahara.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
45WinCharley GreenKO2, 1:3114 Jul 1969Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
44Win40–3–1Bob DunlopTKO6 1 Apr 1968Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
43Loss39–3–1Dick TigerSD1516 May 1967Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.For WBA, WBC, and The Ring light heavyweight titles
42Loss39–2–1Dick TigerUD1516 Dec 1966Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Lost WBA, WBC, and The Ring light heavyweight titles
41Win39–1–1Chic CalderwoodKO2, 2:0615 Oct 1966Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto RicoRetained WBA, WBC, and The Ring light heavyweight titles
40Win38–1–1Eddie CottonUD1515 Aug 1966Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring light heavyweight titles
39Win37–1–1Wayne ThorntonUD1521 May 1966Shea Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring light heavyweight titles
38Win36–1–1Tom McNeeleyUD1031 Jul 1965Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
37Win35–1–1Willie PastranoTKO9, 3:0030 Mar 1965Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Won WBA, WBC, and The Ring light heavyweight titles
36Win34–1–1Carl OlsonKO1, 2:5127 Nov 1964Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
35Win33–1–1Gomeo BrennanMD104 Sep 1964Miami Beach Convention Hall, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
34Win32–1–1Walker SimmonsKO6 20 Jul 1964Sargent Field, New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.
33Win31–1–1Frankie OliveraTKO5 22 Jun 1964Sargent Field, New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.
32Win30–1–1Wilbert McClureUD1015 May 1964Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
31Win29–1–1Walker SimmonsTKO8, 2:2921 Apr 1964Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
30Win28–1–1José GonzalezUD103 Jan 1964Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
29Win27–1–1Don FullmerPTS109 Oct 1963Teaneck Armory, Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.
28Loss26–1–1Florentino FernándezTKO5, 2:0725 May 1963Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
27Win26–0–1Al HauserTKO3 14 Dec 1962Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
26Win25–0–1Obdulio NuñezKO7 27 Jul 1962Estadio Sixto Escobar, San Juan, Puerto RicoWon Puerto Rican middleweight title
25Win24–0–1Jimmy WatkinsRTD7 10 Apr 1962Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, New York, U.S.
24Win23–0–1Tony MontanoKO4 28 Nov 1961Houston, Texas, U.S.
23Win22–0–1George PriceKO2, 2:3131 Oct 1961Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, U.S.
22Win21–0–1Ike WhiteKO3, 1:3027 Jun 1961Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
21Win20–0–1Mel CollinsKO7, 0:305 Jun 1961Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
20Win19–0–1Bob YoungTKO5 23 May 1961Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
19Win18–0–1Bobby BarnesKO3 1 Apr 1961Plaza Ballroom, Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
18Win17–0–1Gene HamiltonTKO4, 1:2117 Feb 1961Estadio Francisco Montaner, Ponce, Puerto Rico
17Win16–0–1Randy SandyUD1011 Jun 1960Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
16Win15–0–1Tony DupasMD1015 Mar 1960Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
15Win14–0–1Randy SandyPTS1030 Jan 1960Armory, Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
14Draw13–0–1Benny ParetPTS1026 Sep 1959Estadio Sixto Escobar, San Juan, Puerto Rico
13Win13–0Al AndrewsTKO6, 0:4226 Jun 1959Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S.
12Win12–0Joe ShawTKO5, 2:4023 Apr 1959Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
11Win11–0Leroy OliphantTKO3 19 Mar 1959Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
10Win10–0Eddie WrightTKO5, 2:1026 Feb 1959Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
9Win9–0Isaac JenkinsTKO5 4 Dec 1958Sunnyside Gardens, New York City, New York, U.S.
8Win8–0Burke EmeryTKO5, 2:073 Nov 1958St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
7Win7–0Frankie AnselmKO9, 2:1213 Oct 1958St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
6Win6–0Otis WoodwardTKO5 29 Sep 1958St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
5Win5–0Benny DoyleKO1 18 Aug 1958Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
4Win4–0Wes LowryPTS65 Jul 1958Eastern Parkway Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
3Win3–0Joe SalvatoKO4, 1:4021 Jun 1958Eastern Parkway Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
2Win2–0Walter IrbyPTS67 Jun 1958Eastern Parkway Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
1Win1–0Gene HamiltonKO1 24 May 1958Eastern Parkway Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.

Titles in boxing

Major world titles

''The Ring'' magazine titles

The Ring light heavyweight champion

Regional/International titles

Undisputed titles