Richard Torrez Jr.’s family legacy to be honored with a mural at Tulare Athletic Boxing Club
The legacy of Richard ‘Kiki’ Torrez Jr.’s family will be honored with a mural at the Tulare Athletic Boxing Club later this year.
“I think that’s just a testament to everything that Tulare’s done for me. You know, Tulare’s been so supportive throughout my entire career, not just my career, but my entire family’s career,” said the 2020 super heavyweight Olympic silver medalist, whose professional debut is scheduled for March 4 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno.
“And for them to reflect that and to getting another mural for the boxing club it’s phenomenal,” Torrez Jr. said.
The Tulare Chamber of Commerce unveiled the mural for Torrez Jr. on the chamber’s building wall next to the murals of Olympians Bob Mathias and Sim Iness on Feb. 4, 2022, in downtown Tulare. It also unveiled the rendering of the additional mural that is slated to be completed sometime in the spring at the boxing club.
“I really can’t say thank you enough to Tulare and everyone that helps support me,” Torrez Jr. said of the mural that will honor three generations of Torrez boxers, including his grandfather Manuel Torrez, and father Richard Torrez Sr.
Chamber CEO Donnette Silva Carter said Torrez Jr.’s mural came together in record time thanks to the community coming together to raise money for the project to honor the 22-year-old boxer, who as a child, dreamed of being up on that wall with those two community icons.
“We needed the community to partner with us because we needed to raise money in order to do this mural,” said Carter, adding that every dime counted in their goal to raise $15,000. “And we raised a little over $25,000, so speaks wonderfully of our community of Tulare.”
And because the chamber exceeded its goal, Carter said, they had money to do a second mural.
In the rendering of the second mural, it shows Richard Torrez Jr. at the center with his grandfather Manuel to his right side and his father Richard to his left throwing a punch with his mouth open. The mural will also include Torrez Sr. In the ring with his son when he was younger and on the other end of the mural Torrez Jr’s grandfather throwing a punch boxing.
“We wanted to do something special to not just speak of the accomplishment of Richard Torrez Jr., our silver medalist, but also to speak of the legacy of the Torrez family in our community and the work that they do to inspire youth,” Carter said of honoring the family. “And a lot of times you are talking disadvantage youth.”
While the mural downtown honors the hard work of his son, Torrez Sr., said the mural at the boxing club will honor the legacy of his family.
“It’s like climbing up the mountain, you know, you start the first steps, and I can see that. But when you look back and say, ‘Man, we came a long way.’ And that’s like a mountain, you know. I’m looking back and say, ‘my dad, me and my boy and stuff, you know, just kind of brings back a lot of memories, sad and happy memories,” said Torrez Sr. of the mural in their honor. “I wish my dad was here, you know, he’s looking down on us, but he would love this. He would revel in this.”
Carter said there’s a lot more to Tulare Athletic Boxing Club than people would assume. It’s not just boxing club and athletics but is a place where Tulare youth have an opportunity to build their skills including reading skills, she said.
Torrez Jr. said being able to see himself next to the other two Olympians symbolizes “everything that we work for. You know, everything that my dad’s worked for and all the sweat and tears and the nights that no one got to see. Now everyone gets to see for the rest of my life, and it’s just incredible.”
As for his professional debut, Torrez Jr. continues to prepare for it one day after another.
“We’re going through practices and we’re training, we’re conditioning. We’re working really hard. And I’m super excited for what March 4 has in store,” Torrez Jr. Said.
Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 1 de marzo de 2022, 10:34 a. m..
