FORMER WORLD FLYWEIGHT CHAMP EFREN TORRES PASSES AWAY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 26 Feb 2010
Former WBC flyweight champion Efren “Alacran” (Scorpion) Torres who was one of the most exciting fighters in the 1960’s and a Mexican idol has passed away in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Torres won the WBC flyweight title with an 8th round TKO of Thailand’s Chartchai Chinoi on February 23, 1969, in a celebrated rematch after having lost to Chinoi by a 13th round TKO on January 28, 1968.
After losing a ten round decision to Japan’s Susumu Hanagata, Torres engaged the Japanese in a rematch in his second title d efense and won a unanimous 15 round decision on November 28, 1969.
In his first title defense Torres beat Japan’s Susumu Hanagata by a 15 round decision and also hammered out a decision over Chinoi on March 20, 1970. Regarded as one of the greatest flyweights in the history of Mexican boxing, Torres beat some of the finest fighters of that era including the Philippines Leo Zulueta over whom Torres won a ten round decision in his hometown of Jalisco on March 15, 1964.
In many ways Torres and several Filipino boxers of that era saw their careers intertwined. Chartchai Chinoi lost his title to Erbito Salavarria who scored a sensational 2nd round knockout in Bangkok”s Army Stadium on December 7, 1970 in a fight telecast in the Philippines by ABS-CBN.
Hiroyuki Ebihara who scored a 7th round TKO over Torres at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on May 7, 1965 when the Mexican was down in rounds one and seven later on lost his WBA flyweight title to the little Filipino whirlwing Bernabe Villacampo by a 15 round unanimous decision in Osaka, Japan on October 19, 1969
Ebihara himself scored a 3rd round knockout victory over Deo Espinosa, the late father of two-division .world champion Luisito Espinosa on April 24, 1966 in Tokyo. Other prominent Filipino boxers in the international arena at that time included Fernando Cabanella, Baby Lorona, :Al Diaz, Rudy Alarcon and Willie Asuncion among others.
Aside from his sterling victories over Chinoi and Hanagata, Torres also defeated Pascual Perez of Argentina, Jose Medel and Octavio “Famoso” Gomez of Mexico, Eduardo “Raton” Mojica of Nicaragua and Bob Allotey of Ghana.
The World Boxing Council headed by its president Don Jose S ulaiman and his son and secretary general Mauricio Sulaiman have declared a day of mourning and has sent its most sincere condolences to the family of the late, great fighter.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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