For those of you not familiar with the Puerto Rican community, or with boxing, you may not know the name of our beloved "Chegui".
Jose 'Chegui' Torres dies
By Jose Fernandez Colon
Ponce, PuertoRico - Jose "Chegui" Torres, a former light heavyweight world champion and Olympic silver medalist, died Monday, his widow said. He was 72.
He died of a heart attack at home in his native Puerto Rico, Ramonita Ortiz told The Associated Press.
Torres won the light heavyweight title by beating Willie Pastrano by technical knockout at Madison Square Garden in New York. He made three title defenses before losing to Dick Tiger on a close decision in 1966.
Torres began fighting when he joined the US Army as a teenager, and won a silver medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics while competing for the United States.
After retiring in 1969, he became a representative of New York's Puerto Rican community, chaired the New York State Boxing Commission in the 1980s and served as supervisor for the World Boxing Organisation. He also wrote two biographies - "Sting Like a Bee" on Muhammad Ali and "Fire and Fear" on Mike Tyson. Torres was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997.
"Puerto Rico has lost a great Puerto Rican, a very valiant person who aside from being a great athlete, was a great human being," David Bernier, president of the US territory's Olympic committee, said in an interview with radio station WKAQ.
The mayor of Ponce, on the island's southern coast, declared three days of mourning and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Torres.
Ortiz said Torres will be buried Thursday in Ponce. - Sapa-AP
You may wonder why I'm posting this here. Chegui was our local Muhammad Ali - a staunch defender of our New York Puerto Rican community, and an activist for civil rights.
I first met Chegui, when as a young member of the activist Young Lords Party we took over church in East Harlem in 1969 and instituted a free breakfast program for children, and a free health clinic. We renamed it "The People's Church" and he showed up to support us and to participate in the takeover.
Those of you who follow boxing may know this classic photo:
or remember this fight:
Jose Torres vs Willie Pastrano, when Chegui stopped Pastrano to win the world light heavyweight championship.
but I remember a man who didn't just fight in a boxing ring, who also stood up to fight against injustice.
Chequi went on in his life to work as a columnist for local New York papers, and was active in NY politics.
My condolences to his wife and family and to all those who knew him and loved him.
Adios Chegui.