Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres might be in a slump as of late, but her head coach in Rene “The Challenger” Catalan is not losing faith in her.
In fact, Catalan thinks Torres is finally due for her redemption.
The 23-year old will duke it out with Malaysian wushu star Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan in a three-round atomweight affair at ONE: Masters of Destiny, which takes place at the Axiata Arena in Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia on July 12.
Coming from a tough setback in Yangon last March, Catalan was impressed with how Torres quickly re-focused herself as she prepares for her showdown with Radzuan both physically and mentally.
For all her struggles inside the ONE Championship Circle, Catalan is certainly loving the ‘relentlessness’ he’s seeing in his prized pupil.
“She really wants to be successful in this sport, and I can see that she has improved her game even if the results didn’t really favor her lately,” said Catalan.
“For her, she learns every time she competes. Though she wasn’t lucky enough to get the win, getting experiences is just as valuable.”
The 40-year-old Filipino star commended Torres for always having an open ear and making her easier to teach.
Torres’ preparation even brought her to Indonesia, joining his coach as they look to add new facets to their respective games.
“The nice thing about Jomary is that she’s open to our feedbacks, and you’ll see that she’s eager to apply everything that we teach. Last April, we trained for one month in Indonesia and I can say that it’s a very good development for her career,” said the streaking ONE Strawweight Contender.
“After Indonesia, she quickly went back to training here and that’s why I expect a different Jomary in Malaysia.”
Still, Catalan knows that good preparation simply won’t cut it in the Circle.
Knowing Radzuan, the 40-year old pride of Iloilo City warns Torres that this would be far from a walk in the park.
“I told her all the things that we need to do to win. Regardless of the hometown advantage, if we’re focused and we’re able to show everything we’ve trained for, we can get that win,” said Catalan.
“It’s her determination, alongside her talent, that will give her the victory,” he added. “She just needs to execute our game plan and I’m confident that we’ll go home to the Philippines with a win.”
