Rematched and revamped: Torres ready for Vargas
Story by Chris Cozzone
Photo by Team Pitbull
“This is the one I wanted,” says Albuquerque’s “Pitbull”, Josh Torres. “I’m way eager for this.”
Actually, Torres is “way eager” for a lot of things – but he’ll start with Joel Vargas on Friday. Fighting the co-main event on the Holly Holm-Anne Sophie Mathis card at Route 66, Torres, 5-1-1, 3 KOs, will go six at welterweight with Kansas City’s Vargas, 3-4-1, 3 KOs.
No strangers in the ring, Vargas and Torres fought an all-out war on a Las Vegas card in 2010 that resulted in a draw. A rematch was soon set up but a hamstring injury had Torres pulling out.
“I thought I was way ahead when we fought,” recalls Torres. “But that’s the way things go, sometimes – things are a lot different now. I’m a different fighter.”
For the past year, Torres has been training at the Tapia Gym under former five-time champ Johnny Tapia.
“Johnny approached me after seeing me fight at Santa Ana last year,” says Torres. “He felt I had potential – and he’s really helped to bring it out. Everything from power punching to working angles, to speed, it’s all come out.”
Vargas may also be able to say he’s a changed fighter since meeting Torres. In his last five bouts, he’s lost four – but all opponents were undefeated prospects while Torres’ foes have been locals. In addition, Torres has, for the most part, been sitting on the shelf since August 2010.
In June, he took on undefeated Janks Trotter – the guy who knocked out Arturo Crespin on ESPN2 – but when a clash of heads opened up a bad cut on Torres, the fight was stopped.
“Don’t be fooled by my ‘inactivity,’” says Torres. “I’ve been in the gym the whole time and I’m back in the right mind state. I had some fights fall out, others that were turned down, and I was slacking for a time, but I’m motivated more now than ever.”
Though turning pro in 2008, Torres, at 21, says his best years are ahead. After Vargas, Torres plans to stay busy and hit the road, if that’s what it takes.
“If I had any advice for youngsters, it would be to think about turning pro too early,” says Torres. “I think I did – I could’ve been an amateur star, I feel, if I’d stayed in the amateurs and continued fighting. And if I know what I know now.
“But you got to go with the flow. You can’t go back – you can only go forward.”
Loading ...