Sunday, January 25, 2009
SecondsOut Radio: The Life and Legacy of Jose Torres, with Paul Johnson
On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman presents a tribute to the late former light heavyweight champion and Hall of Fame fighter, Jose "Chegui" Torres, who passed away January 19. He was 72.
Jose Torres retired in 1969 with a record of 41-3-1 with 29 KO's after fighting in 45 fights and 300 rounds. He won the world light heavyweight championship in 1965 by stopping Willie Pastrano in the ninth round in Madison Square Garden. After three successful defenses, he lost that title to Dick Tiger in 1966 by decision, also in Madison Square Garden.
He was also known as an author and writer, a former chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, and a fighter for social justice and many causes, including the movement for boxers to form a union.
To remember and honor Jose Torres, we spoke with his long-time colleague and friend, Paul Johnson, the chairman of the Boxers Organizers Committee. He attended the funeral for Jose Torres held this past week in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
We spoke about Jose's life, his legacy, and a project in which he was involved, to call a conference of the major players in boxing, including the fighters, to create some unified structure for the sport.
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Labels: Boxers Organizing Committee, boxing, Chegui, Eddie Goldman, Jose Torres, light heavyweight, New York State Athletic Commission, Paul Johnson, Ponce, Puerto Rico, SecondsOut Radio
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