Gabriel Flores Jnr received a learning lesson on ProBox TV’s “Wednesday Night Fights” – knowledge that went down much easier with a win.
Flores’ performance against Jose Arellano in the main event at the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort in Jamestown, California, wasn’t his best. But he still gained a lot from it – including the unanimous decision.
Flores, 24, dropped Arellano in the first 10 seconds of the fight, and later scored another knockdown in the 10th and final round. But he was lured into a competitive fight by seeking the knockout. Flores was cut over his left eye in the fourth round by an accidental clash of heads, and muddled through some ugly middle rounds before coming on strong to win the last round emphatically.
“I thought he adapted well,” Gabe Flores Snr told BoxingScene of his son’s performance. “I am happy with the maturity he showed. “With that being said, I think he needs to work out a few more wrinkles.”
The outing marked the fifth win in a row for Flores Jnr, 26-2 (8 KOs). The previous four had come in Stockton, California – Flores’ hometown – though Jamestown is just an hour away. Flores, ranked No. 10 by the WBO and No. 12 by the WBA, feels the urge to step up in competition.
“I want a more intense fight,” he said. “I had a lot of gas in there, a lot in the tank. I felt great. I had a lot more to go. I wasn’t really tired.”
The 30-year-old Arellano, trained by Javiel Centeno – who is best known for his work with junior middleweight star Xander Zayas – fell to 11-3 (8 KOs) and now is on a two-fight losing streak. Arellano, from Aurora, Colorado, trained in Florida with Centeno for this fight.
Flores Snr, who trains his son, explained the immediate plan for his future.
“We are going to take it fight by fight,” Flores Snr said. “We want to step it up and maybe come back in June.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @LukieBoxing.
