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

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> You were on a roll and in good position in mid-1969. Then what happened >

I had gone 7-1-1 with {4 KO's} since August 1968 {1-Year}. I was only a little
over 20 years-old, and was ranked as the #10 WBA Lightweight.

My record looked good too at 19-4-1 {7 KO's}.

Then I had '4' incredibly tough bouts in a row.

* September 13, 1969 ...... Ricardo Arredondo
* November 4, 1969 ......... Shozo Saijo
* February 4, 1970 ........... Kuniaki Shibata
* March 28, 1970 ............. Roberto Duran

That was '4' hard bouts in just 5 1/2 months.

I lost a close 10-Round Decision to Ricardo Arredondo in Mexico City. He went
on to win the WBC Super-Featherweight Championship in October 1971.

I lost a 10-Round Majority Decision to Shozo Saijo in Hawaii. He was the WBA
Featherweight Champion, and it was non-title bout.

He was the '1st' guy to ever knock me down {2nd-Round}. But I got up, and gave
him a good battle right until the end.

Then I fought Kuniaki Shibata in Tokyo. He was very strong. He went on to win
the WBC Featherweight Championship in December 1970, and also went on to
win the WBA Super-Featherweight Championship in March 1973, and the WBC
Super-Featherweight Championship in February 1974.

Then for the 'topper', I fought Roberto Duran in Mexico City. Of course, he went
on to win the WBA Lightweight Championship in June 1972.

After those '4-Bouts' {all 10-Round Decision losses} I dropped to 19-8-1 and
out of the World Ratings.

That's '4' World Champions in just 175-Days.

I was burnt out after that. I needed some time off, and I moved to Mexicali and
rested for 5-Months.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> Of those '4' World Champions, who was the best at the time >

Well, Ricardo Arredondo was the same age as me {Age; 20} at the time.
We were both young and evenly matched. He was a good puncher, and
stayed busy the entire 10-Rounds. He really surprised me on how good
he was. I just underestimated him that day.
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Shozo Saijo was an accurate and pin-point puncher. He wasn't a big-puncher,
but he floored me in the 2nd Round. He jumped in and caught me with a
beautiful 'left-right' to the chin. He was the only to floor me up to that point.
He was only {Age; 22} and was a Champion already. He was a true World-Class
boxer.
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Kuniaki Shibata was really strong. He was powerfully built, and could punch
real hard. He was also {Age; 22}, and was a World-Class fighter as well. He
was good, real good. He beat me up pretty good that Night, and won just
about every Round.
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On Roberto Duran. Well, he was only {Age; 18 1/2}. He was raw, only had a
record of 15-0-0 {13 KO's}. I was his 'first' real test. We fought in Mexico City
at the Arena Coliseo.

He got off to a quick start, and won the first 2-Rounds. But I started to nail
him coming in during the 3rd-Round. He bounced back and threw everything he
had at me. Rights, lefts and combinations. But he couldn't hurt me at all.

Then I came on in Round 6, and I stunned him with a 'left-right'. Then I
smashed him good with a right-hand and he wobbled backwards. I had him
in big trouble, but he snuck away.

In Round 7, I caught him again. And he 'staggered' sideways and into the Ropes.
I tee'd off on him, but he took everything that I threw. I almost had him out.

But Roberto was tough, and had a lot of heart. He came roaring back during
the 8th and 9th Rounds, and took the play away from me.

The last Round, he played it smart, and boxed cautiously. He ended up winning
a close 10-Round Decision.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall, I would have to say that Kuniaki Shibata was the best fighter of those
'4' at the time.

[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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 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.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> After you lost those 'two' important bouts in a row, were you written off >

No. I was still the California State Lightweight Champion.

I was supposed to defend my Title against Angel Mayoral at the Devonshire Downs
in Northridge, California. I was giving him the rematch that he wanted. But he got
sick {flu}, and pulled out.

George Parnassus and Don Fraser locked up a deal to promote bouts at the
Devonshire Downs which was a run-down {25 year-old} Horse Racing Track in
Northridge.

They fixed it up, and set up a Boxing Ring with a seating capacity of about 4000.

I was to be on the 'first ever' Fight Card held there, and set for September 11, 1971

The bout was to be telecast on KTLA-TV {Channel 5}.

Once - Angel Mayoral pulled out, they scrambled around and got this scrappy kid
Juan 'Kid' Collado to come in. He was from the Dominican Republic, but had relocated
to Santa Ana, California to get some West-Coast bouts. He was also Managed by -
Angelo Dundee.

He was a pretty good Lightweight with a record of 28-9-2 {10 KO's}, and he had been
in the Ring with a 'Who's Who of Lightweights.

* Rodolfo 'El Gato' Gonzalez
* Leo DiFiore
* Ruben Navarro
* Shinichi Kadota
* Jimmy Robertson
* Antonio Gomez

I was favored {10-8}, but we knew that this would be a tough bout.

It was another 'slam-bang' affair. We went after each other right away, and rocked
each other with right-hands at Center-Ring.

The place went wild after each Round, as neither one of us would step back or
give ground, as it was toe-to-toe for most of the 12-Rounds.

In the end, he was a little busier than me, and he got the Unanimous 12-Round
Decision, and took my State Lightweight Title.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> Felipe, you lost 3-Straight bouts again in 1971. Did you want to continue. >

Well, I didn't want to give up. I was only 22 years, old and my record wasn't
all that bad at > 22-13-1. I knew that I could still give anybody a good fight.

I got an offer to go up to Kennewick, Washington on November 17, 1971 -
and to take on Al 'Scooter' Meza. We had fought once before earlier in our
careers, back in 1968 {3 1/2 years earlier}.

He was the Pacific Northwest Lightweight Champion, and he was out to salvage
his career. He really wanted to get his revenge on me, because I had beaten
him by a 10-Round Split-Decision on National Television at the Olympic Auditorium
on February 29, 1968.

He trained real hard for our rematch, and stated that he was in the best shape
of his life. He was 27 years-old, and had a record of 20-5-0 with {17 KO's}.
And boy, could he punch.

The Fight Promoter {Herman Morantes} listed my record at > 30-9-1 {19 KO's}
to make me look a little better on paper. That was OK with me and my Managers,
Larry and Memo Soto.

They built me up pretty good in the 'Tri-City Herald', and said I was one of the
Premier Lightweights, and was Rated as #11 in the World.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> You had a big win when you Knocked Out - Al 'Scooter' Meza. >

Yes, the Tri-City Herald posted our action, and I had a good write up.

'Scooter' came right at me, and threw bombs. But he came in straight ahead
and wide open.

I timed him coming in during Round 3, and side-stepped his charge and
cold-cocked him by comimg up with a right-hook.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> So Felipe, you were 'hot' again after stopping 'Scooter' Meza >

Yes. It was like I was on a Roller-Coaster ride.

Just 10-Days later {Saturday ~ November 27, 1971} - I was down in Long Beach
at the Municipal Auditorim to fight Cesar Sinda.

My Managers {Larry and Memo Soto} got me a decent fight purse {$2000} to take
on African - Cesar Sinda.
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> Did the Promoters list you with your 'new-and-improved' record. >

Yes, they had me listed with a record of > 31-9-1 with {17 KO's}.
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> Who was Cesar Sinda. >

Well, he was a 20 year-old Lightweight from Congo in Africa. And he was managed
by Mexican - Cuco Conde and trained by - Johnny Flores.

He had a record of 14-2-2 {10 KO's}, and was the African Amateur Champion {60 Kg}
back in 1968.

He was also in the 1968 Olympics at Mexico City. He stayed in Mexico City after the
Olympics, and turned professional where he went 6-2-0 {6 KO's}. Then he moved to
Long Beach, California at the end of 1970, and had gone 'unbeaten' at 8-0-2 with
{4 KO's} while campaigning here in the States.

Cesar was powerfully-built, and was an extremely fast-handed fighter who had
excellent footwork. He too, was another really good fighter.

We were supposed to fight for the California State Lightweight Title, but for some
reason I could not make weight and get down to 135 lbs. I ended up coming in
at 137 lbs.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview from 1976

> I saw that bout with Cesar Sinda. You made a tremendous comeback to win. >

Well, Cesar was really fast. He would come in and unload a barrage, and then
slide outside.

He won the first 4-Rounds easy. Then he cut me 'bad' under my left-eye in
Round 5 with a sharp 'left-right'.

He thought that he was on his way for an easy win, and he got a little too confident.

I started to come on in Rounds 7 and 8, as I worked his body with some of my
left-hooks. He started to slow down.

But, he came back in Round 9, and he boxed me silly. But at the end of the Round,
I sunk a great look-hook into his mid-section, and he nearly caved in.

When he came out for Round 10, he was up by {3, 3, and 4 Points} on the Scorecards.

In Round 10 > He tried to move and circle, but I hunted him down. Then real late, I
caught him with a great left-hook to the ribs, and I came over the top with a big
right-hand to his chin. He went down and out.

There were only 13-Seconds left in the bout. It was an unbelievable comeback to win.

[Bill Paxtom]

Felipe 'The Flash' Torres

'A Good West-Coast Kid'

Interview for 1976

> Felipe, you got a lot of good press from that win over Cesar Sinda. >

Yes, the 'Independent-Press' in Long Beach gave me a nice write up. That
got me some more attention in the Lightweight rankings.

I was hoping for a big money bout with Rodolfo 'El Gato' Gonzalez at the
Olympic Auditorium after that.

There was talk and some preliminary negotiations, but they stalled.