Felipe 'The Flash' Torres ~ 'A Good West-Coast Kid'

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> After you took some time off {5 Months} did you come back stronger >

Well, I got a new Handler. He got me a good bout in September 1970, but
it was against Enrique Jana.

He was ranked as the #6 Light-Welterweight, and he was an experienced guy
who really knew how to fight, especially on the inside.

Enrique was too strong for me, and wiped the floor with me. He won an easy 10-Round
Decision. That was my 5th-Straight loss.

9-months later, Enrique was fighting for the WBC Light-Welterweight Championship.
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Then in late-October, I got another bout. It was against Al Robinson in Oakland.
He was a 'rising star', as he was the 1968 Olympic Silver Medalist in the Featherweight
Division.

He was a tall and lanky guy. Well, he out-boxed me pretty good over the first 6-Rounds,
and won every Round. But he started to fade, and I rallied strongly over the last 4-Rounds.
I hit him with some solid head punches, and nearly knocked him out in Round 10. He just
barely made it.

He won the Decision, but he was in bad shape at the end of the bout.

He suffered from a bad headache after the bout, and he couldn't fight for 6-Months
after that.

He started training for a comeback in April 1971, and he suffered an injury in the Gym
on April 30th and fell into a coma.

He was in a coma for 2 1/2 years, and died on January 24, 1974.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> Felipe, that's a lot of losses you had in a row >

Yes, I lost 6-bouts in a row, and 7 of 8 by the end of 1970. My
last win was 21-Months earlier back in March of 1969.

At the end of 1970, my record was 19-10-1.
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> Did you get discouraged about continuing >

No, not really. In every bout that I lost, I was right there and was
competitive.

The Boxing Matchmakers still knew I was a good fighter, and nobody
gave up on me, despite losing all those bouts.
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> How was the fight purse situation for you >

Well, it dropped off a little. I couldn't demand the {$2000 plus} Fight Purses
that I got earlier. I had to take what was offered.

But, I still had a good job at the Los Angeles Pants Factory, and I was
always available as a sparring-partner for the top Featherweights and
Lightweights in Los Angles.
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> So you were no longer considered a future Title Challenger >

Correct.

Back in November 1968 they called me a rising star, after I stopped {TKO 5}
Centavito Hernandez.

Then in January 1969, I was called the 'flashy junior lightweight', and a
future Title challenger after I stopped {TKO 6} Bobby Valdez.

Then in March 1969, I was East Los Angeles 'newest hero' after I upset
Petey Gonzalez

And then by the end of 1969, I was the 'tough and rugged little fighter'
from East Los Angeles.

And by the end of 1970, I was only {21 1/2 years old}, but I was now labeled a
tough-nosed trial-horse for other Lightweights.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> Felipe, you were able to turn your career around in 1971 >

Yes. My Manger got a call from Fight Promoter - Don Fraser, and he wanted to
put me on a Fight Card at the Valley Music Theatre for January 23, 1971.

They wanted to bring me in, to be a 'test' for Angel Mayoral. He was a 'hot shot'
21 year-old southpaw Lightweight from San Diego. He had a nice record of
17-3-0 with {10 KO's}, and was lightning fast.

His Manager {Sid Flaherty} felt that I would be a 'good name' to be on his
fighter's record.

Lucky for me, our bout was broadcast on KTLA-TV {Channel 5}, so everybody
in Southern California got to see this fight.

Well, he was fast for sure. He boxed my ears off for the first 3-Rounds. But then
I started to get to him, and I cut him badly over his right-eye. Then I hurt him
bad in the 5th Round with a big right-hook, and battered him all around the Ring.

They ended up stopping it before the 6th Round, and I was awarded a TKO.

I got a lot of attention after that win, and I was back in demand.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> Tell us about your biggest win >

That would be for the California State Lightweight Championship.

On March 13, 1971 ~ I fought Raul 'Lobito' Montoya for the State Championship
at the Valley Music Theatre.

I had fought Raul to a 10-Round Draw back in August 1968 at the Arena in
San Bernadino when we were both coming up.

But now, Raul was World-Ranked as the #8 Lightweight. He had an impressive
record of 56-7-2 with {32 KO's}. He could really punch hard.

It was a 'sell-out' with a crowd of 3000, and the Gate was nearly $14,000. The
place was wild that night.

We gave the fans their money's worth.

Raul came out fast, and he rocked me in the 1st Round. Then in Round 2 he
'dropped' me with a hard right-cross to the jaw. It was only the '2nd-time' in my
career that I had been floored.

In Rounds 3, 4 and 5 - he kept coming. But then he started to slow down, and
I started to work his body with left-hooks. In Rounds 6 thru 9 - I wore him
down and took the steam out of him.

I swept the last 3-Rounds big, and won a Unanimous 12-Round Decision.

I was finally the California State Lightweight Champion.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash Torre

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> Felipe, you really had a Roller-Coaster Ride career >

Yes, I had some ups and I had some downs. After I beat Raul 'Lobito' Montoya,
I defended my California State Title right away.

I was right back at the Valley Music Theatre 5-weeks later {April 17, 1971} and
against Oakland's - Lovelle Franklin.

He supposed to take my head off, and was talking trash to the Press. He was a
real big-hitter who was making a comeback after a 2-Year lay-off.

But I walked right through him, and buried my fists into his body. I put him down
in the 5th Round, and down-and-out in Round 6. I dropped him in his own Corner,
and in front of all his fans that he brought down with him to the Valley Music Theatre.

Then I was supposed to fight Angel Mayoral in a rematch. But we couldn't get the
money that we wanted, to go down to his hometown in San Diego.

I had won '3' in a row, and was back up to the #18 World-Ranked Lightweight in the
May 1971 ratings.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> Felipe, tell us about the big fight with JimmY Robertson at the Olympic Auditorium >

It was a really big build up for our fight. Don Chargin did a great job of promoting
the bout for May 20, 1971.

Jimmy was ranked as the #4 WBA Lightweight, and was also the NABF Champion.
And he was the 'house fighter' at the Olympic Auditorium, so he had a big support
base there. Jimmy had a record of 22-2-0 {12 KO's}, and was a very good boxer
with a great left-hand.

If he beat me, he was supposed to get a fight with WBA Lightweight Champion -
Ken Buchanan.

I trained for 4-Weeks, and was planning on going after his body. I looked good in
the Gym and was all pumped up for the bout. My record at 22-10-1 {9 KO's} didn't
look as good as Jimmy's, but everybody knew that I was tough and had the best
body-attack of any Lightweight in Los Angeles.

They pulled in a crowd of 9000, and the Gate was around $40,000. The place was buzzing.



> What happened in the bout with Jimmy. It was supposed to be an even match-up >

Well, I hung with him for the first 2-Rounds. I was able to get in close, and worked
his body.

But then he changed up, and boxed from the outside. He kept doubling-up with his
left-hand, and he boxed my ears off. He had me groggy in the 9th and 10th Rounds.
It was the '1st-time' that anybody ever had me in trouble.

Overall, I took a one-sided latethering. He won 9 of the 10 Rounds, and gave me an
old-fashioned ass-kicking.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> Did the loss to Jimmy Robertson set you back >

I guess it did. But I got a good fight purse {$5500} for the bout. That
was my largest pay-day.
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> Where did you go from there >

My Managers {Larry and Memo Soto} hooked me up with Fight Manager -
Harry Kabakoff. He got me into sparring with Jesus Pimental.

Then he got me on a Fight Card in Honolulu, Hawaii - on the undercard bout
of a Main Event featuring Jesus Pimental set for June 22, 1971 at the
International Center Arena.

I got a decent fight purse {$3000}, plus a trip to Hawaii.
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> How did the bout in Hawaii go >

I was brought in to 'test' Masataka Takayama. He was another one of those
Japanese Lightweights who was making some noise. He was ranked as the
#12 WBA Lightweight.

He was a 'tough-cookie' with a record of 13-1-1 with {2 KO's}. He was not a
big puncher, but he was tough and very fast.

We went at it 'tooth-and-nail' for 10-Rounds. It was close all the way. I almost
got him in the 10th-Round. But he edged me out and earned the close 10-Round
Decision.