Torres passed away at his home in his native Puerto Rico, his wife said.

Torres knocked out Willie Pastrano at Madison Square Garden in 1965 to claim the WBC and WBA light heavyweight title, which he defended three times before losing to Dick Tiger in 1966.

After retiring in 1969, Torres remained involved in boxing in multiple capacities. He worked as a television analyst, journalist and author and also served as both chairman of the New York State Boxing Commission and president of the World Boxing Organization in the 1980s.

Torres, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997, won a silver medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics while fighting for the United States.