Gabriel Flores Jr continues to roll!
Gabriel Flores (13-0, 6KOs) will look to continue his undefeated start against Salvador Briceno (15-3, 9KOs) in an eight round fight.
This will be Flores’ first test against a fighter with power. Therefore, he’ll need to be sharp and aware of distance. For Briceno, an upset could get him off the journeyman track and back in the valued prospect lane.
The Breakdown
The fight starts out fast as both fighters look to establish their jabs. The tenor of the fight is as expected, with Briceno looking for counters while Flores is utilizing his speed and footwork to control his opponent.
The Sacramento native is definitely making his point with his quick counters and accurate jab. The Stockton native dominates the first part of this fight with his athleticism and ring generalship on full display. Briceno is landing in spots and making a concerted effort to attack the faster fighter’s body.
Going into round five, Briceno has made a tactical shift and is stalking very aggressively and being physical. This style seems to suit the challenge presented, as the challenger had his best round.
At the start of round seven, Briceno makes another adjustment and decides to man the center of the ring. This decision has mixed results, as it allows Flores to move in and out more, which leads to some dazzling combinations.
Briceno was able to land some solid counters of his own but, it’s not as judge-friendly as the work by the young phenom. The final round was action-packed, with Flores making sure to put a stamp on the action with three consecutive pull-counters in a row!
Flores won a unanimous decision with two cards at 78-74 and one 73-75. He’s shown that he’s ready for the next step. The young prospect stated he’d be ready to fight again in two to three months.
By: Corey Cunningham
