COMBAT SPORTS
Love of the sport, not money, motivates Torres
Boxing itself is what keeps him in the ring as he seeks one last high-profile bout
In August 2018, sa国际传媒官网网页入口 boxer Josh Torres spent two weeks in Philadelphia while serving as a sparring partner for welterweight contender Danny Garcia.
It was a great experience, Torres said at the time.
And what about the money?
It was OK, Torres said 鈥� but added he could have made more money staying home and working his day job as a barber.
Money, Torres said Friday at the weigh-ins for Saturday鈥檚 Tapia Promotions card at Leo鈥檚 bar, has never been why he fights.
And money, the 36-year-old fighter said, is not why he鈥檚 looking for one more high-profile fight before he hangs 鈥榚m up.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about the glory and the love of the game,鈥� said Torres (29-7-2, 16 KOs), who鈥檚 scheduled to face Argentina鈥檚 Diego Gonzales Luque (21-17-2, 10 KOs) on the Tapia card in an eight-round welterweight main event. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 done this for the money since I was young. I鈥檝e done pretty well as a professional in barbering, made good money. My mom鈥檚B been teaching me how to save money since I was in second grade, so I鈥檓 doing fine financially.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a testimony to show that I really do this for the love of it.鈥�
Torres is hoping a victory Saturday (yes, he will get paid), followed by another July 31 on a Legacy Promotions card at the Embassy Suites, will lead to the high-profile opportunity he seeks.
The obstacle on Saturday is Gonzales Luque, who once sported a record of 21-3-1 but is 0-14-1 since then.
鈥淚 know he鈥檚 gonna be right in front of me,鈥� Torres said. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen a couple fights of his. He likes to bang, and that鈥檚 the perfect recipe for a great fight.鈥�
Torres weighed in Friday at 148 pounds. Frias weighed in at 148.2 pounds.
CLINTON鈥橲 BACK: San Felipe Pueblo鈥檚 Clinton Chavez hasn鈥檛 fought since November 2024, when his spirited comeback led to a victory by eighth-round TKO over Hobbs鈥� Mario Gonzalez at the Marriott Pyramid.
鈥淛ust wanted to take a little break,鈥� Chavez said at Friday鈥檚 weigh-in. 鈥淭hen I got my two little ones running around back there (pointing to his kids). It鈥檚 a handful.
鈥淚 have to juggle the family life and the gym life, so I chose the family life for now.鈥�
At least, until Saturday. He鈥檚 scheduled to return to the ring in a six-round middleweight fight against El Paso鈥檚 Eduardo Monrreal (3-5, three KOs).
Chavez weighed in at 161.8 pounds, Monrreal at 162.
THE TAPIA GENERATION: Two sons of the late world champion Johnny Tapia are scheduled to fight Saturday: Johnathan (0-1) and Johnny Jr. (1-0, one KO).
Promoter Teresa Tapia, the fighters鈥� mother, is planning a daylong celebration of her late husband: food trucks, a car show, a dunk tank, a mechanical bull, a water slide, plus the boxing card outdoors at Leo鈥檚.
Johnny Tapia died on May 27, 2012, at age 45.
