BJ FLORES: Unless I’m No. 1 I Get No Shot! - Interview
BJ FLORES: Unless I’m No. 1 I Get No Shot! - Interview By Ken Hissner, Doghouse Boxing (Aug 17, 2012) Doghouse Boxing - Tweet
Over the years in the
history of the fight game there have been many “uncrowned champions”.
Some have gotten a shot and got robbed like Tyrone Everett losing to
Alfredo Escalera and Dave “TNT” Tiberi losing to James “Lights Out”
Toney. Both Everett and Tiberi had the crown “stolen” from them.
Then
there’s the case of the boxer who never gets the shot at the crown
though he deserves it. I can remember George Benton being one of them.
Others like Willie “The Worm” Monroe, Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts and Eugene
“Cyclone” Hart couldn’t get a title shot. In the 70’s these fighters
made great fights for Herman Taylor and J Russell Peltz but didn’t get
title fights. I’ve told Peltz this and he just smiles like saying “they
were great fights” weren’t they?”
Now we have a boxer not from Philly but fought in nearby Dover, DE, some 4 years
ago
in an elimination” fight that never resulted in a title shot. I’m
referring to BJ “El Peligroso” (meaning Dangerous) Flores who has been
in the top ten for some time. I was there the night he beat
“Ding-A-Ling” Wilson and had a real problem getting a 6 rounder after
that. Roy Jones, Jr. tried promoting him and now Don King. I doubt if
King would put him in with his WBA champion Guillermo Jones who fights
every 2 years and hasn’t had a title defense since last November.
Some
say Flores is a good commentator with good looks and should take
advantage of that and stick to it and forget boxing. If he does than he
will never know if he had what if takes to become a world champion if
given the opportunity.
Flores paid his dues in the amateurs
winning the 1997 Gold Gloves at light heavyweight and in 2001 and 2002
the US heavyweight champion. At the age of 24 he was 110-9 in the
non-paid sport of amateur boxing he decided it was time to go into the
play for pay of the professional ranks. His dad, Frank Flores was his
amateur coach. When he turned pro Kenny Adams stepped into the picture.
As a trainer he had many Olympic and Military champions as well as 14
professional champions. “I was with BJ for 6 years. He improved a whole
lot but he wanted to
be a banger,” said Adams.
Flores turned
professional in May of 2003 stopping Dallas Lane, 3-2-1, in the 1st
round in Las Vegas. Next was Jim Franklin, 7-1, in Atlantic City with
Flores winning every round. Fighting in fight cities continued when
Flores defeated Caesar Carbajal, 2-2, at the Olympic Auditorium, in L.A.
in the 1st round. Headlining was IBF super bantam champion Manny
Pacquiao. Also on the
undercard were future world champions Fernando
Vargas and Sergio Mora. Then fighting in Houston Flores stopped Gabriel
Taylor, 2-0-1, in the 2nd round. No opponents with losing records and in
big cities.
Flores would finish out year 2003 fighting to a 4
round draw with Tongan Semisi Bloomfield, 1-2, back in Houston. Hopes
for a rematch went out the door when Bloomfield was stopped by Chris
Arreola in his next fight and never fought again. Flores would again
travel to Atlantic City before a full house with Arturo “Thunder” Gatti
headlining. Flores came back to score the first of 3 wins, 2 by
knockout. In July of 2004 in his third fight at the Reliant Park
Pavilion in
Houston he stopped John Turlington, 4-2, in the 4th round. Turlington would
become the first fighter to go the distance with then 18-0, David “Nino” Rodriguez
the following year.
After
a dozen fights Flores in his first 8 rounder defeated Philly’s Frank
Walker, 10-1-1, putting him into retirement. In May of 2006 it was
decided that Flores would get down to 200 and fight in the cruiserweight
division stopping Ali Supreme, 15-6, in the 1st round for the vacant
WBF All-Americas title. Several fights later he would defeat Chris
Thomas, 16-6-2, for the WBF and NBA Super cruiserweight titles over 12
rounds. In his next fight he defeated Patrick Nwamu, 12-1, for the IBA
Super cruiserweight title over 12 rounds.
In February of 2008
Flores now rated in the IBF ratings would take on Wilson, 22-5, as
mentioned earlier for the USBA cruiserweight title. “I really liked BJ
(Duva co-promoter), said, Dave Tiberi. This writer was in the dressing
room after Flores scored the decision win when the trainer of Flores,
Kenny Adams came in and threw a pillow at the trainer of Wilson, Charles
Mooney (from the 1976 Olympic team) “here’s the pillow that Ding-A-Ling
said before the fight BJ would need when he put him to sleep. We didn’t
need it,” said Adams. This was supposed to be an elimination match for
the IBF title that never happened.
Flores couldn’t buy a fight
after that. It would be 6 months later when this writer would see Flores
at the Ibiza Nightclub in DC hoping to fight in a 6 rounder. As it
turned out this ESPN2 show was shortened when the promoter was told
there was a curfew and the show had to end. Flores never got to fight
that night. Here was Flores who should have been fighting for the IBF
title being reduced to a 6 round fight in a nightclub. He was just
trying to keep busy after 6 months being idle.
It would be almost
a year before Flores coming in at 207 would get another fight since the
Wilson win and giving up 54 pounds to Matt Hicks, 13-3, who he would
stop in the 3rd round of a 6 rounder. Next back at cruiser Flores
defeated Jose Luis Herrera, 16-5, for the vacant WBO NABO title. The
promoter of the show was Roy Jones, Jr., who would win the WBO NABO
light heavyweight title in the main event. This was held in Jones
hometown of Pensacola, FL.
It looked like Jones would try moving
Flores who 5 months later defended that cruiser title stopping Epifanio
Mendoza, 29-7-1, in 4 rounds. Jones defended his WBO NABO title also
stopping Jeff Lacy. On the same card Australia’s Danny Green won the
vacant IBO cruiser title. Instead of Flores getting a shot at Green at
that time it would be Jones though both he and Green would come in under
180 fighting for the 200 pound IBO cruiser title with Green winning
with a 1st round stoppage.
While all this was going on once again
Flores became idle for 15 months then he would travel to Australia and
get his shot at Green’s IBO title. Green had 2 knockout defenses over
former WBA Super middleweight champion Manny Siacca and Paul Briggs who
was defeated twice in WBC light heavyweight title bouts. Briggs hadn’t
fought in over 3 years. Was he more qualified than Flores for that title
shot?
Flores lives in Las Vegas, and trains in various gyms
there. His trainer is Jacob Chavez. He is self managed and promoted by
Don King. Rumors are Flores may be fighting September 8th in
Springfield, MO, where he had his last fight in January of 2012. Per
Marc Abrams Flores was offered a WBO vacant interim title with Ola
Afolabi on 3 weeks notice and declined needing at least 6
weeks. Afolabi informed this writer they hope to get a rematch with
Marco Huck the WBO champion whom Afolabi drew with in May after winning
the interim title in March. Either way, Flores should get the
Huck-Afolabi winner or if Afolabi wins the interim title would become
vacant and Flores should be qualified for that title.
Through Marc Abrams of Banner Promotions and www.GFL.tv this writer was able to do a Q&A with Flores.
KEN
HISSNER: Back when you were an amateur in the early 2000’s you lost to
Arthur Palac who was a 2000 Olympic alternate whom I did a story on
recently. What was your opinion of him?
BJ FLORES: Tall (6:05) and rangy. Held a lot on the inside. A good fighter.
KEN
HISSNER: Early in your career in 2007 you defeated Patrick Nwamu, 12-1
for the IBA Super cruiser title. He would never fight again. At 18-0-1
was it your most important if not toughest fight up until then?
BJ FLORES: Nwamu
refused to engage. Didn’t want to exchange at all after I caught him in
the second round. Just ran around the ring the whole time and he had
great movement.
KEN HISSNER: I covered your ESPN2 fight
in Dover Downs in 2008 with Darnell “Ding’A’Ling” Wilson. You won the
USBA title big and fought a smart fight but didn’t please the crowd by
not standing in with the big puncher enough. How did you see it?
BJ FLORES: I disagree with you. (Please review the fight. I did and have to say he
did spend more time in front of Wilson then I remembered but was too
fast for him) You can’t win a fight in a fighters hometown (30 min away
in MD) on his promoter card (Dino Duva) by retreating the whole time.
There were 2 rounds that I moved but besides that I was right in front
of him. You can’t land more punches then your opponent when you are only
retreating. Yet all 3 judges gave me the unanimous decision (15-113m
116-112 & 118-110) regardless of the fact I was in his hometown,
brought in on his promoters show, brought in as the opponent. (I know
for a fact Dino offered co-promoter Tiberi BJ’s contract prior to the
fight). Probably figuring since he was going to stiff Tiberi with the
entire bill less the ESPN money.
KEN HISSNER: I gather Danny Green was your toughest career fight.
BJ FLORES: I
was weight drained. I was forced to weigh 195 instead of the normal
limit of 200. I was only over there 5 days early and didn’t get
acclimated. Was just a shell of myself and coming off a 16-month layoff.
Green changed his whole game plan after the first round. He stopped
coming forward and just jabbed and moved. I chased him the entire fight.
Was a close fight but he gets the nod in his home town. (Australia)
KEN HISSNER: What is your opinion of your former trainer Kenny Adams?
BJ FLORES: Kenny
Adams is a great trainer and a great guy. He is responsible for all
that I am and all I do in boxing, as I would have never boxed if Kenny
didn’t take my father Frank Flores under his wing at the Ft. Hood
training center and help my father with the fundamentals of boxing.
KEN HISSNER: What’s next for you and getting a title shot?
BJ FLORES: I’m
No. 2 WBO and No. 3 WBA. I’ve tried to fight Guillermo Jones and spoken
to Don King many times. (Jones will defend title in Russia Oct 20th
against No. 1 contender) I’m willing to fight any champ with proper
notice but the champs don’t ever offer me the voluntary defenses because
they know I got a good chin and I’m in good shape and strong. I will
have to be in the No. 1 mandatory position to get fair opportunity.
KEN HISSNER: Final question, are you voting (as I am) for Romney? (Flores is also a Mormon like Romney)
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