International Boxing Hall of Famer Ana Maria Torres made her debut in the super flyweight division in 1999 and retired with a storied legacy in the sport in 2012. She went five years undefeated before retiring. She won the WBC super flyweight title twice, in 2007 and 2012. She was nicknamed “La Guerrera.”
Torres, now 44, has boxed 34 times as a professional, with 28 wins (16 of which were stoppage wins), three losses and three draws.
Boxing Scene: How does it feel to come to the International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum and see your plaque on the wall?
Ana Maria Torres: I'm really happy and feel like all the hard work I've put in has paid off, and I want to thank Canastota and the Boxing Hall of Fame for recognizing women and us for what we are.
BS: Did you think a time like this would come?
Torres: No. I never thought about it. I always dreamed of being a boxing champion, but I never thought about this. People who paid to see me fight in Mexico were excited, but even when I was champion I never imagined I would be in the Boxing Hall of Fame. And now this is the pinnacle of my career.
BS: Women's boxing is now very popular, but was it a struggle back then?
Torres: It was really hard in the beginning. Nobody was interested in women's boxing. It was hard for us to get our doors open. But once we got our doors open, we showed them that there was a lot of action in women's boxing and it was worth buying a ticket to see us. Once we did that, promoters also realised there was a business in women's boxing, so the door was opened and now it's a reality.
BS: Do you feel like you helped pave the way for what we see today?
Torres: All the female boxers around the world have worked hard and now there is an opportunity for new boxers to come in. I'm very happy to be able to create this opportunity with other boxers in Mexico. Now it's a reality and women can get paid. That's what we wanted, for women to get paid in boxing.
BS: Many boxers struggle after retirement and are reluctant to give up. Was it difficult to retire?
Torres: For me, it wasn't difficult because I was planning a new phase of my life. I was going to be a wife, a mother, and my husband told me to realize that even if I come back after the kids are born, it's going to be the same thing over and over again. I was in a new phase of my life, and I wanted to live this new phase, so it wasn't difficult.
BS: Who do you like to watch right now?
Torres: I think both are good things. [men and women] Men watch the games, but now when there is a big match, women also watch and support both sides.
BS: If you could encourage fans to watch one of your matches, which one would you choose?
Torres: There were a lot of great matches and tough matches against great champions, but the match against Jackie Nava was [who she fought twice] It is the highest WBC Diamond belt and is considered one of the greatest belts in boxing history.
BS: Have you ever experienced a greater feeling than the excitement of standing in front of your fans in boxing and celebrating a victory?
Torres: It's hard to find anything that gets me as excited as the adrenaline of the ring and people cheering, but now when people come up to me and ask for a photo or an autograph, or come into my gym and ask for a photo or an autograph, it feels amazing. And I'm a mother now, which is great. I've been out of the ring for 12 years, and it still makes me feel like what I did was amazing.
