Richard Torrez Jr. and Guido Vianello have been paired in a heavyweight clash set for April 5 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, airing on ESPN+.
Originally, Top Rank planned on Raymond Muratalla vs. Zaur Abdullaev for the vacant IBF interim lightweight title, but with Abdullaev unavailable until May, Torrez and Vianello got the call to headline. Both are Top Rank prospects - Torrez a 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, Vianello a 2016 Italian Olympian - and they’ll finally meet in a big step-up fight for both.
The 25-year-old southpaw Torrez has been building buzz with a string of highlight-reel knockouts, though he’s yet to face a serious threat. In his last outing, he fought tough veteran Joey Dawejko, who was on his way to getting stopped before being disqualified in the fifth round for spitting out his mouthpiece. Torrez believes the Vianello matchup is exactly what he needs to prove himself and show that American heavyweights remain a force to be reckoned with.
Watch Torrez Jr. vs. Munoz highlights: Watch
Vianello, 30, comes in off the biggest victory of his career: an impressive eighth-round stoppage of Arslanbek Makhmudov last summer. Before that, he dropped a split decision to Efe Ajagba, but the win over Makhmudov signaled that Vianello is on a mission for a title shot of his own. He says he’s ready to prove he’s Top Rank’s top big man, and sees Torrez as just another step toward challenging the heavyweight elite.
Watch Vianello vs. Makhmudov highlights: Watch
Also on the card, not yet official but rumoured, junior welterweight contenders Lindolfo Delgado (22-0, 16 KOs) and Elvis Rodriguez (17-1-1, 13 KOs) will square off in a 10-round co-feature.
Fight card:
▪️Richard Torrez Jr vs. Guido Vianello, 10 rounds, heavyweight
▪️Lindolfo Delgado vs. Elvis Rodriguez, 10 rounds, super lightweight
▪️Abdullah Mason vs. Carlos Ornelas, 10 rounds, lightweight
▪️Jahi Tucker vs. Troy Williamson, 10 rounds, middleweight
▪️Albert Gonzalez vs. Dana Coolwell, 8 rounds, featherweight
▪️Steven Navarro vs. Juan Esteban Garcia, 8 rounds, super flyweight
▪️Demler Zamora vs. Hugo Alberto Castaneda Marroquin, 8 rounds, super featherweight
▪️Art Barrera Jr. vs. Daijohn Gonzalez, 6 rounds, super welterweight
▪️Samuel Contreras vs. Robert Jimenez, 4 rounds, super lightweight
