David Torres Prepares to Step Up At the Playboy Mansion

By Ricardo Ibarra

Rising above regional obscurity and catching the attention of the boxing public at large can be a tricky endeavor for a fighter. Making a serious run at the upper echelons of boxing can be even trickier. In recent years many fighters from the Pacific Northwest have tried to successfully step onto the world stage and failed. Wednesday, June 25th, at the Playboy mansion in Beverly Hills, California, David Torres, one of the Northwest's most promising prospects will try to capitalize on a huge opportunity as he takes on one of the best lightweights in the world in former IBF lightweight title holder Julio Diaz. With the eyes of the boxing public upon him, Torres will attempt to pull a major upset and graduate from regional prospect to serious world contender.

Hailing from the rural Eastern Washington farming community of Othello, Washington, Torres finds himself in an unusual position for a small town resident. It's a position most fighters can only dream of being in; on the brink of possibly scoring a life altering victory. For someone from a town of only six thousand residents, it's an opportunity that rarely comes along twice and he expects to take complete advantage of it. "It will be a huge step forward for my career," says Torres. "I'm going out there to show people who I am and what I can do. I know this is a huge opportunity for me." Fully capitalizing on the opportunity will be a tough task though. His opponent is currently ranked number five by Ring magazine and recognized as one of the best lightweights in the world.

With the expertise that comes from having fought some of the best fighters in the world for the last seven years, Julio Diaz comes into this fight with a solid edge in experience. Throughout his career Diaz has faced most of the division's best, including Jose Luis Castillo, Juan Diaz and Jesus Chavez. While the boxer-puncher from Coachella, California is coming off a rough stoppage loss at the hands of Juan Diaz, he's still a highly durable, experienced and technically proficient fighter. No push-over for any lightweight in the world. But, those familiar with Torres believe he has the tools to pull off the upset and defeat the heavily favored Diaz.

For the last four years Torres has built a record of twenty consecutive wins, thirteen by knockout. The all action brawler with a bull-like tenacity has rolled past the regions best, along the way defeating the noteworthy Rob Frankel and Oscar Leon. He's managed to build a strong following in the northwest, particularly in Tacoma, Washington where he's fought the majority of his fights. True fighters are easy to like and local fight fans have found it easy to follow the career of Torres. Over a hundred of those fans will be making the trip to California to root for their local favorite. Expectations are high and supporters feel the aggressive nature of Torres gives him a good shot at scoring the victory

In order to score that victory though, Torres must step into what is essentially his opponent's backyard. But, that is something that Torres says he is fully comfortable with. "Most of my fights have been in Washington, but I feel fine about fighting in California. I'm getting the opportunity to fight on ESPN and I hope to give the fans a great fight and a great show and get my name out there." A win in this fight would not only get his name out there, it would catapult Torres to the top tier of the lightweight division. It is a moment Torres has been waiting for. "I'm ready," says Torres with a confident demeanor. "He has more experience, but I've trained hard for this fight and I feel well prepared for this fight."

Preparation is something his team has not taken lightly. For the last month Torres has been in training camp preparing for this fight and, while it has been a different situation for the fighter, it is something that is showing results. "Physically I feel stronger," says Torres. "The different training regiment has been hard, but I feel much stronger for this fight than I have in the past. I am more focused."

As training camp winds down and fight night approaches, Torres grows anxious to step into the ring "I want to fight already," says Torres. "This will be a great fight. I can't say this fight will be short, but, I don't think we will go ten rounds."

When asked who will win, Torres delivers the answer with the confidence you hope to see in a prospect. "We're coming into this fight to win, we won't look for the knockout, but, if the opportunity present itself, great."

Defeating Julio Diaz will be no easy task. Regardless of the outcome, Torres can be expected to give a solid effort and give fight fans watching on ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights a great fight. Giving a great effort would be a victory in itself. But, those that know Torres know that anything less than a victory would not be enough for him. After years of toiling on the outskirts of the boxing cognizance, Torres will finally get a chance to prove himself and show the public that he belongs among the world's best.