Super featherweight prospect Gabriel Flores Jr 20-1 (7) has vowed to come back stronger than ever following his professional loss to Luis Alberto Lopez 23-2 (12) at the Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona on Friday night.
The bout was the main support to the WBC 130-pound title defence of Mexican champion Oscar Valdez 30-0 (23) against Brazilian challenger Robson Conceição 16-1 (8).
The 28-year-old Mexican Valdez jumped on Flores Jr from the opening bell and immediately made the light-punching rising star uncomfortable.
There was no respite for Flores Jr either throughout the bout as the 21-year-old Las Vegas-based Californian struggled to mount any meaningful offence and simply could keep the short Lopez off his chest.
As early as the seventh round the commentators on ESPN+ were calling for the fight to be halted after Lopez battered Flores Jr around the ring.
The one-sided beating continued for two more rounds before Flores’ father and trainer Gabriel Flores Sr tried to stop the fight before the 10th and final round. Somehow he allowed his son to talk him out of it.
The beating continued throughout the 10th with Flores Sr finally deciding with less than 20 seconds remaining on the clock. But instead of throwing in the towel, he stepped onto the ring apron out of the line of sight of referee Robert Velez.
When Flores Sr realised Valez couldn’t see him, he simply stepped of the apron and allowed the fight to finish.
At the end it was 100-90, 100-90 and 98-92. The last card seemed overly generous to Flores Jr whose face was badly swollen by the midway point of the fight and even worse by the final bell.
“I really was expecting the fight to be stopped,” Lopez said. “I was looking at the referee or even at his dad. I was looking at him, and he didn’t want to keep going, but I couldn’t stop fighting. I just kept going and they didn’t stop the fight.
“When I fought [Andy] Vences [to a 10-round split decision win], I had a broken hand, and I wasn’t 100 percent. I was 100 percent tonight.”
Flores Jr, who was clearly struggling to process the loss when he was interviewed in the ring immediately after the fight, praised Lopez for his effort and wished him the best for his future while vowing to return.
“I give a lot of respect to this man. He’s a 126-pounder and he fought me at 130.” Flores Jr said.
“I was talking all that shit and I meant it. And I knew what I was saying was true. I just couldn’t pull it off tonight.
“This man should be fighting for a world title if he wants to fight for one at 126 because he was fighting at 130 and he’s a true 126-pounder.
“He fucking embarrassed me and for me, he was fucking my body up. But I wasn’t hurt. I give it up to him. For me, this ain’t the end.”