Diary Day 2: Torres moves to semifinals

Mission amateur boxer Isaac Torres is competing in USA boxing’s Last Chance Qualifier in Cincinnati from July 4-9 for a chance to compete in the Olympic Trials later this month. Every day he will write about his experiences trying to make the Olympic Trials, as told to The Monitor.

CINCINNATI — It was a chess match.  Today, it was a chess match. It was counterpunch, counterpunch. It was a good fight.

At the end of the first round (Patrick Harris) was winning 6-5. My coach Hylon Williams told me, “Isaac, it is only one point. Stay relax.”

(Williams) told me he wanted me to stay in the pocket a little longer because (Harris) was only throwing three-punch combinations and moving out. That was my time to start jumping on him.

In the second round, every time he would throw, I would throw with him. I would throw exchange punches and double up my right hand. A southpaw never expects that, doubling up on the right hand.

I would switch my stance on the inside and I would throw (a three-punch combination) off a southpaw stance. I was catching him. That is how I started racking up the points. We changed it up and after the second round it was 11-11. It came down to the last round.

My experience took over. My corner man told me, “Let your experience take over. You’re smarter than this kid in the ring.”

I let me experience take over and I ended up pulling out the fight. At the end of the fight it was 20-17.

— Isaac Torres