19-year-old Gabriel Flores Jr. is everything you would want out of a boxing prospect. He’s young, talented and likable. But there is more than what meets the eye when it comes to this up and coming boxer.
Gabriel Flores is from Stockton, CA and has made it clear from the beginning of his career that his allegiance lies with his city. And his city reciprocates that love ten-fold.
He has the kind of story that makes it impossible not to root for him. Flores’ mother was killed by a stray bullet in 2013 when Flores was just 12 years old. Since then, Flores has made it his personal mission to combat gang violence. He uses his platform to shed light on a problem that is personal to him.
But not only is Flores a respectable young man, he is an extreme talent. In 2016, Flores became the youngest prospect ever to sign a contract with Top Rank, at the age of 16 years old. Since turning pro in the spring of 2017, Gabriel Flores remains unbeaten, with a record of 14-0, with 6 knockouts. His last fight took place in June 2019, where he beat the more experienced Salvador Briceno (15-3 at the time) by unanimous decision.
A month before, in May 2019, Flores beat Brazilian fighter Eduardo Pereira Dos Reis by knockout in front of a sold-out crowd of over 10,000 in his hometown Stockton, CA with a huge left hook. The crowd rallied behind their young hometown hero who had received a key to the city days before the fight and Flores responded with a devastating knockout.
Before that, a unanimous decision win versus Alejandro Torres Ryan. In 2018, 6 consecutive victories; 1 by knockout and the other 5 by clear, unanimous decision.
At 19, Flores’ youth can sometimes show, manifesting itself as a willingness to brawl and over engage. It is a confidence in the ring that can get a young fighter in trouble versus a seasoned veteran. But these moments are infrequent, and more often than not what you get with Flores is a patient, intelligent fighter who throws crisp jabs sometimes four at a time, using them to set up his huge left hook.
Flores is trained and managed by his father Gabriel Flores Sr. and his potential for growth is infinite, especially if he transitions and adds a more experienced trainer to his corner. The sky is the limit for the hometown kid.
Flip the page for not just his boxing highlights, but his amazing life story.