The Hall of Famer won a silver medal in the light middleweight class at the 1956 Olympics and became the first Latin American light heavyweight champion nine years later. After retiring in 1969, Torres served as New York State Athletic Commission chair and as a boxing analyst for ESPN Deportes.
Torres was fiercely proud of his Boricua heritage, as New York Daily News columnist Jose Gonzalez recalled:
On March 30, 1965, Torres electrified the Latin American world when he defeated Willie Pastrano by a technical knockout at Madison Square Garden to become the first Hispanic light heavyweight champion.Below is a brief clip of Torres’ aforementioned victory over Pastrano:
Before the match, Torres exhibited his fierce pride in his Puerto Rican heritage when insisted he would not get in the ring unless Madison Square Garden officials agreed to play the island's national anthem as well as the Star Spangled Banner. Garden officials agreed…
"He used his celebrity status to do good for the Puerto Rican community and for all youth," said U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, a close friend of Torres for decades.
Online Sources- YouTube, AHN, IHT, New York Daily News
