Heavyweight prospect Richard Torrez Jr., the U.S. Olympic silver medalist who has knocked out every opponent he has faced, will try to extend his streak of fallen foes when he meets fellow unbeaten Brandon Moore on May 18 at Pechanga Arena San Diego.
The eight-round televised opener will be part of a loaded bill headlined by a vacant lightweight world-title showdown between Mexican three-weight titlist Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and Ukraine’s Denys Berinchyk. The 12-round welterweight co-feature, a match of undefeated contenders, will see San Diego native Giovani Santillan fight Brian Norman Jr.
Navarrete-Berinchyk, Santillan-Norman and Torrez-Moore will broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
“Richard Torrez Jr. is one of the most explosive and powerful young heavyweights I’ve seen, and he’s in for a big test against Brandon Moore,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “These are two unbeaten, skilled big men and a great addition to an already loaded card at Pechanga Arena San Diego.”
Torrez (9-0, 9 KOs), from the Central Valley town of Tulare, California, has been a whirlwind during his two-plus years as a pro. He has five first-round knockouts on his ledger, including a first-round TKO over Don Haynesworth last month in Glendale, Arizona. A high school valedictorian who can complete a Rubik’s cube in minutes, Torrez hopes to solve his most difficult puzzle as a professional.
Moore (14-0, 8 KOs), a 6-foot-6 boxer-puncher from Lakeland, Florida, signed with Top Rank last year. He has since won a pair of eight-round shutouts, turning away Robert Simms last November and overcoming a hard-charging Helaman Olguin in March.