Richard Torrez Jr. showed some new wrinkles in his game as he went to the scorecards for the first time as a pro.
The 2020 Olympic silver medalist went all 10 rounds in a well-earned unanimous decision victory over Guido Vianello. Torrez overcame a four-inch height disadvantage and a cut over his right eyelid to win by scores of 97-92, 98-91 and 98-91 in their Saturday headliner at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Tonight taught me they don’t all go down,” Torrez said after his first distance win. “He’s a strong fighter, he’s resilient.”
The crossroads bout was a battle of Olympians at vastly different stages of their career. Torrez, a 25-year-old southpaw from Tulare, California, is a well-educated heavyweight on the rise. Vianello, who represented Italy in the 2016 Rio Olympics, has quickly reached win-or-go-home status at age 30 after already suffering multiple professional defeats.
It was Torrez (13-0, 11 KOs) who fought with the greater sense of urgency right from the opening bell, though not always to his advantage. The 6-foot-2 southpaw pushed the action and fought through Vianello’s constant clinches. Vianello, a 6-foot-6 heavyweight from Rome, enjoyed select moments of success with his straight right hand against an onrushing Torrez.
Vianello (13-3-1, 11 KOs) was warned by referee Thomas Taylor early in the second round to adjust his clinch-first approach to the fight. The advice didn’t take, as he suffered a point deduction less than five minutes into the main event for repeated offenses of the infraction.
Torrez enjoyed a sizable lead through two rounds but failed to make Vianello further pay. Action was stop-and-start in the third, but the best moments were enjoyed by Vianello, who landed several straight rights and an uppercut as Torrez was caught rushing inside.
That right 😬@RichardTorrez21 absolutely belongs at this level. pic.twitter.com/SsRVQfZZ4J
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) April 6, 2025
An accidental clash of heads left Torrez with a cut over his left eye in the fourth. Both fighters were warned for their constant holding, while the crowd also voiced its displeasure over the lack of sustained action. Torrez drew far more favorable reviews when he landed a right hook over the top near the end of the round.
Both men picked up the pace considerably in the fifth round. Vianello slammed home a right hand but was rocked moments later by a Torrez right hook. ...
