FLOAT LIKE A BEE
AS THE MOST PROMISING AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT IN A HEAVILY MULTINATIONAL DIVISION, RICHARD TORREZ JR. IS A NEW “HOPE” FOR TRADITIONALISTS – BUT HIS MOTIVATIONS ARE MORE PERSONAL By Thomas Gerbasi
Richard Torrez Jr. just quoted Marcus Aurelius to me. Thirty years in the boxing business, and that’s never happened before and may not happen again. And while I already knew that the heavyweight from Tulare, California, is one of the most intriguing personalities in a sport full of them, now everyone else can get in on the secret. The topic was whether the multifaceted high school valedictorian turned Olympic silver medalist ever wondered if he’d made the right decision to turn pro in a sport that doesn’t embrace American heavyweights like it used to. “I read a book by Marcus Aurelius, and he says a tree doesn’t wonder why it bears fruit. A bee doesn’t wonder why it makes honey. Don’t wonder why you’re doing what you’re doing and just do it to your fullest,” responded Torrez. “You’re meant to be here and you’re doing it for a reason. So that’s kind of the mindset I’m taking on that. So I’m not going to wonder if I made the right move or not the right move, but this is my life and I’m going to live it to the fullest.” He’s all in. And he’s navigating shark-infested waters like a seasoned swimmer thus far. Since picking up his medal in the Tokyo Games, Torrez has won all 13 of his pro bouts, with 11 of those wins coming by way of knockout. In April, he faced
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