TORREZ JR Richard

Olympic qualifying results
He secured a spot for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo through the IOC Boxing Task Force [BTF] rankings. (teamusa.org, 12 May 2021)

General
PUNCHING UP
At 188cm he is one of the shortest fighters in the super heavyweight division. "These are the biggest of the biggest. I'm not the biggest. I'm not the strongest. But going in the ring with one of those huge guys and getting my hand raised at the end of it, that's a great feeling. It's definitely nerve wracking when you have to look up at a guy to touch gloves because he's close to seven feet tall [212cm] and huge. But then you get back in the corner, and you think about how hard you trained for the fight. You think about all the time and dedication. Everything you sacrificed. Then it just becomes a matter of, 'Let's do this'." (olympics.com, 05 May 2021)

COACHED BY DAD
His father has coached him throughout his career. "It's never fun going home with the coach, right? When I was young and wanted to do regular kid stuff, dad always reminded me of the tournaments coming up. He'd push me to run. To train extra hard, even when I didn't want to. And I couldn't be more grateful." (olympics.com, 05 May 2021)

PRO LIFE
He plans to turn professional after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and then focus on his education. "My goal right now is the Olympics and to win a medal and once I go pro, then I will figure out my goals as a professional fighter. As a pro, I just want to be the best fighter out there. I will go to college once I turn pro. I will be able to settle down a bit more because I will not have to travel as much, which will give me more time to take classes. I plan on taking general education classes in the beginning and then take classes in my major over time. I am lucky that I have friends and people back home that can help me out with my education. It will be difficult, but I will make it work." (boxing247.com, 13 Aug 2020)