Torrez Jr vs Moore Predictions: Torrez to win via stoppage the way to go

Unbeaten heavyweights Richard Torrez Jr and Brandon Moore will meet on Saturday, May 18. The bout takes place at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California. It makes up part of the undercard for Emanuel Navarrete’s WBO lightweight title bout against Denys Berinchyk.

Here are my Torrez Jr vs Moore predictions for this intriguing battle live on Sky Sports Action.

This fight was always going to struggle for attention, given a certain meeting of other unbeaten heavyweights taking place this Saturday. It was inevitable that every other bout this weekend would exist in the shadow of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

Torrez and Moore will have designs on one day occupying the sort of stage Fury and Usyk will walk onto on Saturday. That sort of climb is harder than ever. During the heavyweight wilderness years of the mid-2000s and early-2010s, a few knockout wins at a low level could propel you into the picture. But now, even the tiers below championship level are fearsome.

Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz Jr are all former champions looking to reclaim their throne. Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce are all in the mix despite coming off losses. Filip Hrgovic is circling for another crack while Daniel Dubois is working his way back into contention. Then you have Frank Sanchez, Agit Kabayel, Arslanbek Makhmudov, Martin Bakole and hot prospect Moses Itauma waiting in the wings. 

A deep division is a blessing for fans, but a curse for those looking to break into the top 10. For Torrez and Moore, the route to breathing that rarefied air runs directly through each other.

The eight-round distance suits where these two men are in their careers. Torrez has never fought in a bout scheduled for longer. Moore has taken two previous 10-rounders, but won them by first and fourth-round knockouts. For now, these men are at their performance peak over a shorter distance.

Torrez will certainly be looking to make his night as short as possible. The 24-year-old is 9-0 with nine knockouts and he’s aiming for a perfect 10. The Californian has some serious pedigree to back it up, too. He won Olympic silver at the Tokyo 2020 games, losing in the final to professional boxer Bakhodir Jalolov. One wonders if Torrez would have gone all the way had the rules not been amended in 2016 to allow established pros to compete against amateurs at the event.

Moore has no such pedigree, but you cannot argue with his unbeaten record. It has been amassed at a fairly ordinary level of competition, but his bravery in wagering it against an undefeated former Olympian is admirable.

Moore is 14-0 with one No Contest, an overturned decision win over Curtis Harper due to a failed drugs test. The Florida man has sparred with top heavyweights like Fury, Wilder and Luis Ortiz. But at the age of 30, the race is on to start putting meaningful victories together in order to emulate those men.

Torrez and Moore have largely competed at the same sort of level so far in their careers. They have put valuable rounds in the bank against a parade of journeymen and club-level fighters while awaiting a call to step up. That call has now come, with each man arguably fighting the best opponent of their pro career here.

I think Torrez is ready for his spotlight. Moore is a solid heavyweight who has done everything asked of him so far, doping infraction aside. But Torrez looks like a fighter capable of going all the way. The southpaw’s left hooks look tailor-made to sail over Moore’s often-low right hand. 

Torrez’s speed, relentlessness and power will be enough to secure him a knockout here I feel. If you agree, you can get odds of 2/5 on Torrez by stoppage at any time. This won’t be the heavyweight fight everyone is talking about this weekend. But watch closely. You just might be seeing a lot more of Richard Torrez Jr. 

Get up to £5 in Free Bets if your PickYourPunt on Fury v Usyk loses!

How to qualify?

• Place a bet on any PickYourPunt market on Fury v Usyk (odds of 3/1 or greater) after 10:00 on 17/05/24.
• Receive 50% of your stake back in Free Bets up to £5 within 24 hours if your bet loses.

You can find all our latest boxing tips and analysis at our Betfred Insights Boxing page