Evelyn Bermudez vs Silvia Torres Preview
By Felipe Leon
The Bermudez sisters’ invasion has begun.
This Saturday night from Mexico City, Mexico, undefeated Evelyn “La Princesita” Bermudez (12-0, 3KO) makes the hours long trek north from her hometown of Rosario, Argentina, to defend her IBF light flyweight title against hometown favorite Silva “Guerrerita” Torres (20-1-1, 7KO).
The scheduled ten-round affair is the main event presented by Zanfer Promotions and televised live in Mexico by the Azteca channel.
“We are ready and prepared for this fight,” Bermudez said at the public training session earlier this week. “We did everything my father asked for who is also my trainer. It’s going to be a good fight, we always prepare 100%. We are always in the gym, we are always ready for a fight since this is my job.”
It is a dangerous proposition to travel outside your country and defend your title in hostile territory but Evelyn, 23, doesn’t have to look far to see it can be done. Back in the summer of 2016 Evelyn’s older sister, current WBO bantamweight champion Daniela “La Bonita” Bermudez, traveled to the same city to take on the legendary Mariana “Barbie” Juarez. Daniela nearly dominated the affair taking over in the second half of the fight and defeating Juarez, who was making her debut at the 118-pound limit, via a unanimous decision.
“I feel good here in Mexico,” “La Princesita” Bermudez revealed. “I am ready, I am well-prepared. It is going to be a great fight because she is a tough fighter. We are used to this kind of fight. I am calm here in Mexico, not nervous at all. Sometimes fighting at home is more pressure.”
Besides Daniela and Evelyn there is another sister, super flyweight Roxana, who makes up the Bermudez punching trio.
Evelyn went pro in the fall of 2016 and quickly proved her mettle. Her first test was in September of last year when she defeated the experienced Vanesa Lorena Taborda for the vacant South American super flyweight title in her first ten rounder. In her very next fight, three months later, she took a split decision over Mexican Guadalupe Bautista to capture her first world title.
She’s defended it once less than 30 days after she won it with a fifth round TKO over Venezuela’s Luisana Bolivar. Her second defense this Saturday night marks the first time she travels outside of her country as a professional fighter.
“I have to do what I have always done,” Bermudez said of how to go back home with her title. “I just need to listen to my father. I know if I do what he tells me to do everything is going to be ok.”
Mexico’s Torres sisters
The 28-year-old Torres also comes from with a world-class sibling. Her older sister is former WBC super flyweight champion Ana Maria “La Guerrera” Torres. Despite having defended that title numerous times, Ana Maria is best known for her two wars against Tijuana’s Jackie Nava. Those two fights in 2011 propelled the two women to astronomical levels of fame in Mexico and within the female boxing world.
Silvia has big shoes to fill.
As a pro Torres has more experience than the champion. She went pro in 2013 after an extensive amateur career where she won Mexican national tournaments. She scored a draw in her first step up as a pro against the aforementioned Guadalupe Bautista in the summer of 2016 and after that scored important wins over the likes of Brenda Fernandez and current interim WBC atomweight champion Brenda Flores of Tijuana.
With the win over Flores, Torres captured the vacant interim WBA 108-pound title.
Her only loss came in April of last year when she faced off against Jessica Nery Platas in her first defense of her strap. After 10 tough and rough rounds Nery Platas came out the winner via a close split decision.
Since the loss she has strung together two wins over the unheralded Esmeralda Torres Esmeralda Torres and once-beaten Norleidys Graterol of Venezuela stopping the latter in five.
“It is going to be a good fight,” Torres said at the same public training session. “We are going to leave everything in the ring so that our country can have a new world champion. I want to make history and be the first set of Mexican sisters to win world titles.”
“We know it is not an easy fight,” she continued. “Thank God I am getting another opportunity for a world title. She is a strong fighter, quick, she is always throwing punches so we have worked for and ready for her style.”
Torres admitted that she feels she has the upper hand since they will be fighting in her hometown. “I am among my people. That motivates me to give a good fight. All I want is for the fans to leave the venue happy.”
Another important factor for Torres is the fact her sister, Ana Maria, will be in the venue the night of the fight and as a matter of fact her older sister trained with her for this fight.
“I am very motivated because she is with me,” Torres said. “I am motivated to have my whole team here since I got ready in Mexico City for the fight. We are ready for the ten rounds. If the knockout comes then I will be happy but we are ready for the ten rounds.”
In an interesting historic footnote, the fight marks the first time a set of sisters of world champions face each other for a world title.
###
(Photo by El Siglo de Torreon)