Gabriel Flores Jr Closes Strong to Win Split Decision Over Abraham Montoya
In his latest in-ring contest, super featherweight boxer Gabriel Flores Jr (21-1, 7 KO’s) picked up a hard fought split decision win. The Californian pugilist notched the victory over Mexican bruiser Abraham “Fily” Montoya (20-3-1, 14 KO’s).
It was a solid follow-up performance after losing his first professional prizefight to Luis Alberto Lopez on September 10, 2021. In all actuality, the defeat at the hands of Lopez stood as a crushing upset loss. Conversely, Montoya has now violently been thrust back in the loser’s column having secured two wins following his November 2019 unanimous decision loss to Huhammadkhuja Yaqubov. It will be interesting to see where the two fighters go now.
BACK TO BUSINESS
Flores got off to a great start landing punches in bunches, with the great majority of them sailing straight down the pipe. Throughout the first round, he was able to float around the ring and fire his shots at his choosing. Meanwhile the more lumbering Montoya followed him around the ring landing periodic thudding shots. This general template was maintained for the next umpteen rounds.
Flores was able to dominate and sweep rounds on the strength of his footwork and hand speed alone. This was largely because Montoya suffered from near criminally slow hand speed and a conspicuously tight fighting style. It was like he was plucked from a frozen lake and made to fight immediately. As the fight wore on into the second half, Fily found more success as Flores slowed. This is not to suggest that he was winning rounds, because he was not.
CLOSING STRONG
The dynamics of the showdown altered swiftly in the eighth. While he was not wobbled or anything that drastic, it was clear that Montoya’s punches were causing serious effects just as Flores’s energy appeared to be waning. Fily then began the ninth landing the same wide thumping hooks and lip stretching uppercuts that he started connecting with in the eighth.
No doubt reliving flashes of his previous loss, Flores dug deep and opened the tenth with a renewed fire. Here he retook the initiative and dictated the terms of engagement much more effectively. When the final bell had rung and the scorecards were read, Gabriel Flores Jr won a split decision to the tune of 95-95 and 96-94 twice.
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By: Bakari Simpson
