Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr (1-0, 1 KOs) successfully made his pro boxing debut when he faced Allen Melson (6-4, 3 KOs) at Fresno’s Save Mart Center on Friday March 4, which made it Saturday March 5 in the UK and Australia. The pair met in the chief support bout to Jose Ramirez vs Jose Pedraza fight card live on ESPN+ in the US and FITE in other countries.
The scheduled for six rounds heavyweight bout was stopped and waved off by the referee at 1 minute and 20 seconds into the second round after Torrez Jr once again sent Allen Melson to the canvas. Torrez landed 15 of his 40 power shots. Check out the video of stoppage below and full fight highlights up top.
Richard Torrez Jr TKO’s Allen Melson in Round 2
“After the cut, I knew I had to get back to basics, and that’s what I did,” Torrez said post-fight. “I made sure to avoid additional head clashes, and I got the job done in the second.”
“Sure, the cut is frustrating, but I’m not going to let it ruin the celebration. What a night. It was everything I’d hoped it would be.”
“I didn’t know what to expect. I wanted to make a good first impression, especially in front of my home fans. They brought the energy, and I fed off the energy they gave me. The Central Valley is home, and I am proud to represent my people.”
Get Ramirez vs Pedraza full fight card results.
