More accustomed to battling bad guys, PSPD’s Torres hopes to make supporters proud, aid charity by boxing a fellow officer

When Mike Torres steps into a boxing ring in Cathedral City on Oct. 14, he won’t only be in there with his opponent and a referee. He’ll be thinking of the countless hard-working volunteers who helped train him, the nonprofit he’s raising funds for, and a city he’s sworn to serve that he hopes to make proud.

Torres, recently promoted to sergeant with the Palm Springs Police Department, is fighting in the main event at Battle in the Desert, an evening of amateur boxing featuring a dozen bouts, against Santa Monica police officer Carlos Madrid. Both are undefeated, with Torres now a three-time defending champion at the desert event that dates back to 2016.

The participants aren’t just any amateurs. They represent police, fire, and sheriff’s departments in the valley and as far away as Houston, in addition to the US Customs and Border Patrol, the US Army, and the US Air Force. Organized by Cathedral City police officer Jesus Gonzalez, himself a former participant, the event is designed to provide an evening of entertainment and an opportunity to give back.

Some proceeds will go to charity, including the Cathedral City Police Explorers and the Diaz Brothers Boxing Foundation. Torres is raising funds for Grandparents Love, an organization created to support and assist grandparents in raising their grandchildren, with whom he also works as vice president of the Palm Springs Police Officers Association (PSPOA).

“This event is fun, and it’s intended to be all about fun and games,” Torres said Saturday during a media event to promote the fights. “But at the end of the day, it’s for a good cause. All the funds I raise are going directly to Grandparents Love.”

One of Torres’s grandparents played a prominent role in his boxing career. “I started boxing when I was seven,” he said. “It was my grandfather who first introduced me to it.”

While he participated in boxing events “here and there” as an adult, a chance to step into the ring representing the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department helped spur his interest in these types of charity events.

As if he’s not busy enough working the narcotics beat at all hours in Palm Springs, he starts training for the charity boxing events about four months before they take place.

While it will be Torres stepping into the ring to put an undefeated record on the line next month, he’s quick to point out he didn’t get to this point alone. He credits Antonio and Joel Diaz for helping him along the way and Jamaal Brooks at Elite Boxing Academy and Benjamin Hernandez at Innovative Athletics, who helped train him and get him in shape.

He also knows he couldn’t have gotten to the main event without the support of the city of Palm Springs, his department, and the PSPOA.

“We’re all one unit,” he said. “We’re all one team.”

---

Details: Battle in the Desert will take place at the Cathedral City Community Amphitheatre, 68526 Ave. Lalo Guerrero, on Saturday, Oct. 14. Tickets are $40 and available at the event. Gates open at 5 p.m. To purchase a shirt supporting Team Torres and Grandparents Love, click on this link.

---