"Whoever they put against me, I'm definitely not going to say no," Richard Torres Jr. (13-0, 11 KOs) said in a recent interview. In his last appearance, the Tokyo 2021 Olympic vice heavyweight champion earned the right to fight in the main event for the first time. And he took full advantage of that opportunity.
The opponent of the powerful left-handed fighter was a very tough Guido Vianello (13-3-1, 11 KOs). The American defeated the Italian by unanimous decision of the judges and is sure to rise significantly in the ratings in the near future.
"I focused on body punches, and when they started to pay off, I also started throwing uppercuts. That was our plan against a much taller opponent with more experience in the Olympic rings. I want to make it clear to everyone: I am not giving up on fights and will settle for any opponent. I believe that with this performance I proved that I am a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division. I will wait a few more days for all the bruises to go away and then I will return to the training room," Torres Jr. added.
The boxer himself didn't give a specific name, but Timothy Bradley, former champion and current ESPN commentator and analyst, did it for him. On live TV, he urged Bob Arum to set up a fight between Torres and Jared Anderson (18-1, 15 KOs). They're both the same age, born in 1999, and play for the same Top Rank team.
"Right now I would like to see Richard fight Anderson. Since Jared has tremendous talent, no one can take that away from him, the question is how hungry is he for wins? This is a good test for both of them. Why not test them in a head-to-head match? Especially since the gentlemen have a history. Torres beat Anderson in the amateurs. Let's see who is better years later," Bradley stated.
