Richard Torrez wants to take on Frazer Clarke: ‘He’s one heck of a guy, and that would be one heck of a fight’ | Boxing News

Richard Torrez sees himself as part of a new generation in heavyweight boxing looking to take over the division in the coming years.

USA’s Torrez wins super heavyweight silver medal at Tokyo Olympics.

He sees himself, Olympic bronze medalist Frazer Clarke and gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov as some of the next generation of heavyweights who will make their mark in professional sports.

“Hopefully. I think it’s the best time in heavyweight boxing. You see the guy up there who’s been kicked down the door again. And you look up and come through as well,” he told Sky Sports.

“A lot of good talent, a lot of power, speed, technique and variety and variety of heavyweight boxing as well. This will be one of the few years to come and I’m proud and grateful and honored to be a part of it and I just want to go out on top of it.

“I don’t think we can rule out Jared Anderson either. Jared’s a big guy and I think he’ll move up the ranks very well,” he said.

“There’s a lot of good competition, so we can’t say who’s going to be the best man right now.

“One of the things that drives me a lot is that there’s a lot of competition, so I’m not going to sit back and relax.

“I’m working hard because I know there are things I need to improve and things I need to improve when I face these guys.”

The Americans are happy to travel to England to take on Clarke.

“I think it will be an amazing fight. Frazer Clarke, it’s one of my friends. When I was 17, it was the first time I sparred Frazer at the Olympic training center in the United States. Then we were in a bunch of tournaments. together. We only ever really meet up in the same fight but one heck of a person and that will be one heck of a fight,” said Torrez.

“It’s going to be a lot of action. I think if the fight goes into the next round and I think if it’s a heavyweight fight, somebody’s going to shoot. I think that’s the way it is. technique.”

In the modern heavyweight division, Torrez is one of the smaller fighters. But he still has the nature to trouble big men like Clarke.

“I think while it is negative in the long game, it is more effective in the short game. So that I can receive those short shots, I can receive those uppercuts, hooks and with big people I will be able to hook harder and have more time to land close people,” he said.

“To be able to go in, just soak up that distance and use my situation when I’m in there to keep hitting, I think it’s going to bother a lot of bigger guys.”

He took inspiration from how Oleksandr Usyk rose from cruiserweight to WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion. A southpaw himself, with an Olympic background like Usyk too, Torrez aspires to follow that template.

“Look at Usyk, see what he’s done, and be able to try and copy some styles as well. It’s incredible,” he said.

“It’s really shined again for the smaller heavyweights and I really appreciate it.”

Torrez plans to continue moving forward and put his high-octane style to work against James Bryant on the Emanuel Navarrete vs. Liam Wilson undercard. He looks forward to delivering some more drama.

“I believe. After the fight, if I don’t die of exhaustion, I feel guilty,” he said. “I train to have a very high punch output and you will see that in the fight.”

Watch Richard Torrez vs James Bryant on the Emanuel Navarrete undercard live on Sky Sports Arena at 2am on Saturday morning.