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Saturday, January 14, 2006
Another Filipino boxer in ‘The Battle’ undercard
Aside from the Cebu-based Jimrex Jaca, another Filipino boxer is also scheduled to appear underneath the Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales “The Battle” rematch on Jan. 22 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
But unlike Jaca, who had to beg for a visa from the US Embassy in Manila, Davaoeño Vernie Torres need not worry as he was already in America long before Pacquiao made his US debut in 2001.
Torres, a childhood friend of Pacquiao, has been living in the US since July of 1999 and is a green- card holder.
Promoter
Dipolog City-native Fil-Am lawyer Pex Aves said that Torres got the chance to show his skills in big promotions when Pacquiao himself asked the promoter, Top Ranks, to include Torres in his card.
“Vernie Torres is a boyhood friend of Manny and in fact they were together ever since they started in amateur fights,” Aves said in his e-mail to Sun.Star Cebu.
However, the opponent of the 31-year old southpaw is yet to be known.
“Usually it will be known only a week before the fight,” Aves said.
The super-flyweight Torres is no stranger to Cebu as he has fought Felix Marfa here in September 1998.
Since July 1999, Torres has fought in different states and cities in the US where he had acquired several titles that includes the State title of Florida and a United States Boxing Association (USBA) super-flyweight title.
While in America Torres, also acquired the WBO Inter-Continental superflyweight title and successfully defended it twice. He had three encounters with Columbian Julio Coronell, twice for the International Boxing Association (IBA) bantamweight titles.
TKO
Torres lost in their first two encounters – the first fight by a six-round knockout, while the second by disqualification in the 12th round. But Torres got his revenge when he beat Coronell by TKO in the 10th round for the IBA title.
He had a shot at the WBC Latin American bantamweight crown but lost to Angel Antonio Priolo of Cordoba by split decision in June 2003. He then scaled back to 115lb where he beat Puerto Rican Miguel del Valle by unanimous decision in August of that year.
His last recorded fight was last June 10, where he won by technical decision over Mexican Salvador Casillas.
Torres holds a 27-6-0 (15 KOs) win-loss-draw record. (RCM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 14, 2006 issue)
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