PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (Nov. 13, 2023) — The heavyweight division’s fastest-rising prospect looks to close out 2023 in crushing fashion. Richard Torrez Jr., the Olympic silver medalist from Tulare, California, will test himself against the cagey Curtis Harper on Saturday, Dec. 9 at Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
This will be the first scheduled eight-rounder for Torrez, who has ended all seven of his professional outings in three rounds or less.
Torrez-Harper will stream LIVE & exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ before the ESPN-televised doubleheader (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) featuring Robeisy Ramirez’s WBO featherweight world title defense against Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza and undefeated junior middleweight sensation Xander Zayas versus Spain’s Jorge Fortea.
“Curtis Harper is a tough, experienced heavyweight, and I look forward to the challenge,” Torrez said. “He has been in with some of the division’s best fighters, and we felt the time was right to step up and take on someone of his caliber.”
Torrez (7-0, 7 KOs) shined at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021 and turned pro the following March with a second-round stoppage over Allen Melson in Fresno, California. He went 4-0 in 2022 and opened his second professional year with a second-round knockout over James Bryant in February. An injury kept Torrez out of the ring for six months, but he returned with a first-round stoppage over Willie Jake Jr. in August and a second-round blitzing of Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in October. Harper (14-10, 9 KOs) is a durable veteran who has gone the distance with numerous top prospects and contenders, including Chris Arreola, Brandon Moore, and Guido Vianello.