Long Island boxer Pete Latorre's one-two punch

Pete Latorre likes to talk about the duality of man.

“I beat up people during the day,'' he said, "and then I talk about their feelings at night.” 

It’s quite the paradox. As a professional fighter, Latorre is capable of extreme aggression. As someone who studies mental health, he also demonstrates an incredible capacity for compassion.

“I am a good listener,” Latorre said. “But I enjoy fighting. I thrive in that environment.”

Latorre (6-0) will have another opportunity to thrive on June 27 at the Paramount in Huntington. The welterweight will be fighting Peru’s Cesar Diaz (10-2) in an eight-round bout. It’s Latorre’s first scheduled eight-rounder and part of a seven-bout card being promoted by Joe DeGuardia.

Like most fighters, Latorre dreams of winning a world title, but his ambitions extend beyond boxing. The former U.S. Marine spends his evenings at Hofstra University, pursuing double master's degrees in science in rehabilitation and mental health counseling. His goal is to work with veterans as they navigate life after military service.

“I hope to make an impact bigger than myself,” he said. “I want to work with veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse or depression and anxiety.”

Latorre, 28, hopes his boxing career will give him a platform to speak about issues that concern veterans. He understands that being a successful pro fighter may open doors, but he also knows that once he’s in a position to effect change, he has to deliver. That’s why he takes his classwork as seriously as his training. At the end of the spring semester in May, Latorre was inducted into the SALUTE National Honor Society with a 4.0 GPA.

“Peter brings the discipline from his sport and military career into the classroom, making sure he has a balanced approach to managing his responsibilities,” said Dr. Andrea Nerlich, one of Latorre's professors and the chair of Hofstra’s Counseling and Mental Health Professions Department. “He comes into each class with a natural curiosity that’s humble, acknowledging there’s always room to grow.”

Latorre, who was born and raised in Elmont and now lives in Mineola with his wife, took a circuitous route to boxing. Although he was trained in many forms of combat in the military, the sweet science was not among them, but he and a friend in his platoon, Eric Nolan, would wage informal sparring sessions.

“We had crappy gloves, no headgear, no mouthpiece,” Latorre said. “We’d spar for like 10 minutes straight. No technique. We’d just find a space and box.”

Latorre enjoyed the challenge those “sparring” sessions presented. He looked forward to trying to outwit — and outpunch — Nolan. That eventually led him to the Westbury Boxing Club in November 2019. He went to the gym with a cousin and sparred a few rounds in front of one of his trainers, Joe Gadigian, and co-trainer Scott Lopeck. Later that night, Latorre played the cellphone footage of the sparring session.

“I wasn't even watching, I was just listening to Scott,” Latorre said. “He was saying, ‘This kid could make something out of himself, he could have a career.’ I’ve been an athlete all my life and no one's ever said that about me.

"I had just gotten out of the Marine Corps and I was sleeping on my dad's sofa. I was lost. I didn't know what to do with myself. I felt like there was just this energy that was inside of me that I wasn't able to redirect. But then I found boxing.”

Latorre was a quick study. He reached the finals of several local amateur boxing tournaments, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted his momentum. He turned pro in August 2024.

In the ring, Latorre exhibits the poise of a much more experienced fighter and the punching power of a much bigger man. All six of his wins have been by knockout. No one has yet to go past four rounds with him.

"Pete’s biggest asset is that he’s calm inside,” Gadigian said. “Even though he’s aggressive, you watch Pete when he’s throwing his biggest, hardest punches, his hands are in the right place. His head is down. He’s always composed. But don’t let that fool you. He can hurt you.”

Latorre and his wife, Isabel Barrios, met while Latorre was in the Marines and she was in the U.S. Navy. Latorre comes from five generations of combat veterans in his family. After enlisting in 2015, he served four years. He was part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and his job was to board potentially hostile ships. Each day, each assignment, was fraught with danger.

“We would be boarding ships off the coast of Yemen or Somalia,” Latorre said. “We were tasked with trying to find high-value targets, drugs, explosives, firearms, anything like that. I was in an environment that was so high-risk and so heightened. But when I got back home, it was like, hey, act normal. I felt like there was just this energy that was inside of me that I wasn't able to redirect.”

Latorre channeled that energy into boxing while balancing his passion to help others, particularly veterans

“Pete processes everything,” Gadigian said. “He’s very intelligent. He’s showed me that’s there’s a softer side to him, a vulnerable side. It’s kind of cool, because he can really hurt you in the ring. There are definitely two very different sides to him.”

On one occasion, Nerlich went to see Latorre fight. He took the time to explain that on fight night, she might not recognize the student she sees in class, saying, “Dr. N., I’m going to be a little different that night.”

“As soon as his match was over, he was right back to himself, thanking my family for coming to support him and chatting with my son about boxing,” Nerlich said. “Intensity is an asset as an athlete, though not always as useful in everyday life. However, being able to compartmentalize different sides of yourself can be protective as a counselor . . .  Boxing can be used as an outlet for energy and a way to recharge physically and mentally to continue the work [as a counselor].”

Nerlich says that because of his life experiences, Latorre brings authenticity and representation as a counselor.

“I just want to be there for veterans,” Latorre said. “Sometimes it feels good to sit across from someone that knows exactly how you feel and what you went through. I’ve been in their shoes, had sand in my boots. I plan on being there to listen. Sometimes that's all you need.”