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Featherweight Clara de la Torre, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, began fighting in 2003
at the age of 30. She fought in Muay Thai (Thai style kickboxing) under Khun
Kru Doug Pandorf and Kru Natalie Roy, with seminars by Ajarn Surachai Sirisute
“Ajarn Chai.” de la Torre also trained in Pekiti-Tirsia
Kali (Filipino blade-fighting) under Guru Sean Woerter, with seminars by Tuhon
Tim Waid. Ajarn Chai invited Clara to attend the 2005 Muay Thai teachers’ and
fighters’ camp where de la Torre earned the Hard Worker
award.
Ajarn Chai holding mitts for Clara at a Muay Thai seminar.
Photo courtesy of Natalie Roy
In 2005, de la Torre switched to Western Boxing, training under
coach Mario Montoya at the ANK Gym in Santa Fe, NM. During her two and a half
years in the amateurs, Clara fought 21 times. Fifteen of those bouts were
sanctioned USA Boxing bouts and the other 7 were exhibition matches. During one
exhibition match Clara fought former amateur boxer Paul Castillo when she and
Paul both had no same-sex opponent show up in their weight class. Paul Castillo
has since turned pro. Another exhibition bout occurred when Clara stepped into
the ring with a long time sparring partner—professional boxer Monica Lovato.
This bout took place when Lovato’s opponent for a 5/20/2006 pro fight card fell
through. The next week, from May 26-28, Clara fought in the National Hispanic
Boxing Tournament in Phoenix, AZ.
In July of 2006, de la Torre took second place at the Title
Desert Showdown World Amateur Boxing Championships in Coachella, California.
Shortly after that she fought several prominent amateurs including Therese
O’Toole, Kayla Combs, and Jennifer Han.
On May 23, 2007, de la Torre
turned pro on the Holm vs Hallback I undercard. Clara fought Ashella Moody of
North Carolina in a featherweight bout, and she won at 2:00 of the first round
via TKO.
Securing a second pro fight was difficult and
de la Torre did not fight again until November 3, 2007,
in a bout versus Merced Nunez at the Seven Feathers Casino & Resort in
Canyonville, OR. She weighed in at 124 pounds, and Merced at 124 ½ for their
featherweight bout. After four rounds, Nunez won by unanimous decision.
In her first fight contracted at super bantamweight, de la Torre
took on Caitlin Dance November 29, 2007 at the Prairie Meadows Casino &
Racetrack in Altoona, Iowa. After Clara suffered a brief knockdown in round two,
Dance went on to win by split decision.
February 1, 2008 Clara travelled Arizona to
fight Annette Agredano at the “Super Brawl” before the Super Bowl. The fight
took place in Fountain Hills, AZ at the Fort McDowell Casino. 15rounds.com
stated, “The best fight of an evening filled with entertaining fights, though,
was a four-round women’s super-bantamweight match between Tuscon’s Annette
Agredano (2-0) and New Mexican Clara de la Torre (1-3, 1KO.) Despite lopsided
scores in her favor—40-36, 39-37 and 39-37—Agredano knew she was in a fight
every moment of her 12 minutes with De la Torre.”
Photo by Mary Ann Owen
In March of 2008 de la Torre
took a fight with six days notice against rising star Ana Julaton. Traveling to
the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada, de la Torre and Julaton
weighed in at 123 pounds each to fight a super bantamweight bout on the Top Rank
card 3/13/08. After four rounds, Julaton won by unanimous decision. Mary Ann
Owen’s ringside report credited both fighters with a great bout, “De La Torre
and Julaton gave the fans an exciting four round fight. Both fighters went toe
to toe every round.” The fight was aired live on Versus TV.
Unable to secure any other fight, de la Torre agreed to rematch Annette Agredano
on March 8, 2008 in Phoenix, AZ, at the Biltmore “Night at the Fights XII.”
After a four round super bantamweight bout, Agredano took the win by decision.
In September of 2008, Clara and coach Mario
began training weekends at Danny Romero’s Hideout in Albuquerque, NM, by
providing sparring for World Champ Adriana Delgado. Before long they were asked
to stay on as part of the Hideout’s stable of fighters, where they remained
until Clara retired.
Photo by Mike Blair
October 25, 2008, Canadian Sarah Pucek and Clara
de la Torre fought a four round featherweight bout at the Emerald Queen Casino
in Tacoma, WA. Though for the second time in her career Clara had the crowd on
her side—fighting in her old home state in front of extensive family and
Helitack firefighting comrades—Pucek won by unanimous decision.
On May 16, 2009, de la Torre fought to a draw with Jessica
Sanchez at the Isleta Casino and Resort in Albuquerque, NM. Ringside reporter
Chris Cozzone wrote, “…de la Torre displayed tremendous heart in all four
rounds, and, by the fourth, cheers of “Clara! Clara!” from the crowd further
fueled her fire to end her on-the-road, six-bout losing streak.”
On her 36th birthday, August 15, 2009, de la Torre fighting out
of venue, took on Serrina Pino, in a featherweight bout at the Sky Ute Casino in
Ignacio, Colorado. After four rounds, The fight ended in a controversial
"split" decision, in favor of the local Colorado boxer Pino. According to
news sources, it was reported that “Although Pino won the contest she was unable
to slow down the right hand of her opponent which landed constantly on her face
throughout the fight.”
On November 6, 2009, in order to stay busy as a pro, de la Torre, fought out of
weight class at 133 lbs., taking on yet another hometown boxer, Letizia
Guerrero, of Kansas, at the Convention Center, in Garden City, Kansas. Guerrero
won by a four-round unanimous decision.
Three days before Christmas of 2009, de la Torre accepted a last minute fight as
the main event at Mr. Biggs, in Denver, Colorado, against local boxer Brittany
Cruz, of Thornton, Colorado, on an Airtight Boxing card billed as
“Season’s Beatings.” Clara agreed to fight a six rounder at a catch-weight of
126-129 due to the short notice. Cruz won the fight by a unanimous
decision.
On May 7, 2010, de la Torre fought for the last time when she fought on a
Golden Boy/Danny Romero Promotions “Crossroads” fight at the Hard Rock Hotel and
Casino in Albuquerque, NM. With coaches Mario Montoya and Danny Romero Sr. in
her corner, Clara fought an exciting four rounder against Amanda Crespin.
Crespin took the win by decision.
Clara de la Torre, is just one of many pro female boxers who have fought as
"Road Warriors" in the sport. She has fought out of venue at times, took
last-minute fights, fought in different weight classes, and local favorites as
opponents.
Sue TL Fox of WBAN had the pleasure of meeting de la Torre in person on December 2,
2011, at the Route 66 Casino Hotel, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when she
attended the boxing event, with mainliner featuring Holly Holm vs. Anna Sophie Mathis I world title bout.
Outside of the ring de la Torre runs marathons, dances Tango,
paints, writes, manages a large Estate, does independent filmmaking, and
continues to fight—though by way of social activism now—for causes she believes
in.
Page
last updated:
Friday, 02 June 2023
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