Torrez Overpowers Moore in Fifth-Round Stoppage
On Saturday night at Pechanga Arena, the power and skill of undefeated heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. proved too much for his fellow unbeaten opponent Brandon Moore. Torrez, the 2020 Olympic silver medalist, unleashed a barrage of devastating punches that Moore simply could not withstand, leading to the fight being stopped in the fifth round at the 1:39 mark.
Torrez, now 10-0 with 10 knockouts, handed Moore (14-1, 8 KOs) his first professional loss in what was part of a Top Rank card headlined by Mexico’s three-division titleholder Emanuel Navarrete, who was competing for the vacant WBO lightweight championship against Ukraine’s Denys Berinchyk.
“I give Moore a lot of respect,” said Torrez Jr. after the bout. “Anyone who goes toe-to-toe like that deserves my respect. I expected a lot from him, but I followed the game plan and got the job done. He took some really good shots, but at the end of the day, you can only take so much.”
Torrez, who has been part of the U.S. national boxing team since he was 14 or 15 years old, expressed his admiration for fellow Ukrainian boxing stars Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko, stating, “I admire what they do, I admire the entire Ukrainian team to be honest with you. What those guys do is insane and incredible. I try to match that a little bit with the Mexican style.”
The young heavyweight champion also acknowledged the importance of having his father, Richard Torrez Sr., in his corner, saying, “Sometimes it feels like television, the only person I can hear in the corner is my dad. I am okay with that, sometimes that crowd can get ahead of you a little bit, but it is really nice to have the atmosphere.”
With this dominant victory, Torrez continued to solidify his status as a rising star in the heavyweight division, earning a regional title that he plans to bring back to his hometown of Tulare, California.
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