Former light heavyweight champion Jose “Chegui” Torres passed away Monday from what is being reported as a heart attack in his home in Puerto Rico.
Torres claimed the light heavyweight title by stopping Willie Pastrano in 1965. Torres ended his career with a record of 41-3-1, 29 KOs and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997.
But while Torres will always be remembered as a great champion ( I ranked him # 7 among the greates Puerto Rican fighters of all time), his legacy as a humaitarian and ambassador for the sport will be the true mark of his greatness.
After retiring from the ring, Torres would become a respected Representative for the Puerto Rican community in New York, as well as served as chair of the New York State Athletic Commission. Torres also wrote two biographies – “Sting Like a Bee”, a biography on Muhammad Ali, and “Fire and Fear”, on Mike Tyson. It is said that acclaimed American writer Norman Mailer gave Torres pointers on how to write in exchange for boxing lessons.
Not only has the world lost a great man, but the sport of boxing lost one of its most respected ambassadors.
We here at the Queensberry Rules wish to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Jose Torres. Though gone, he will never be forgotten.
