Featherweight Miguel Flores has so far been perfect during his seven-year professional career, although he has not yet faced top opponents. However, he is about to increase the level of his opposition so he — and everyone else watching — can get a better idea of how far he might be able to go.
Flores (20-0, 9 KOs), a 24-year-old Mexico native fighting out of Houston, will take on Ryan Kielczweski (25-1, 7 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout, which marks the season finale of the summer run of Premier Boxing Champions cards on ESPN and ESPN Deportes on Friday night (9 ET).
Also on the card, which will take place at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, welterweight Cuban defector Yordenis Ugas (15-3, 7 KOs), 30, who fights out of Las Vegas, will take on Jamal James (20-0, 9 KOs) in the scheduled 10-round co-feature. On Wednesday, James, 28, of Minneapolis, replaced Bryant Perella (14-0, 13 KOs), 27, of Fort Myers, Florida, who withdrew because of a left thumb injury.
Flores has won both of his fights in 2016, taking lopsided 10-round decisions from experienced journeymen Ruben Tamayo and Mario Briones. Kielczweski is certainly a better grade of opponent and still considered a prospect by some.
“Kielczweski is a very tough opponent,” Flores said. “He’s a very good boxer with a tremendous amount of skill. He only has one loss, which was a split decision, so to me, he could easily be an undefeated fighter. With that being said, I know I have to be at my best.
“Training camp has been very hard, but I know that hard work will pay off when it’s all said and done. I’ve had a lot of time to prepare for this fight so I’ll be at my best. My longtime trainer, Aaron Navarro, and my strength and conditioning coach, Edward Jackson, have been pushing me really hard. Together as a team, we will be ready to shine this Friday.”
“Training camp has been very hard, but I know that hard work will pay off when it’s all said and done. I’ve had a lot of time to prepare for this fight so I’ll be at my best.”
Miguel Flores
Kielczweski, 27, of Quincy, Massachusetts, has won three fights in a row since an eight-round split decision loss to Danny Aquino in April 2015.
Flores, who will be fighting outside of Texas for only the third time — he boxed once in Arkansas and once in Washington — said he is excited to be facing a quality opponent as well as to be in his first main event on ESPN.
“I’m very thrilled to be fighting in my first main event on ESPN because I know many boxing fans from around the world will be tuning in,” he said. “I feel I bring an exciting style to the ring that the fans will enjoy. It’s fights like this, on a major TV network like ESPN, that take your brand to another level. So the goal is to perform at my best ability and bring even more excitement to the featherweight division.”
The featherweight division is a loaded one in which Flores would love to make a name for himself. It boasts newly crowned titleholder Carl Frampton along with titleholders Oscar Valdez, Gary Russell Jr., Lee Selby and Jesus Cuellar, as well as former titleholders Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares.
There are plenty of top fights to make, and since all but Valdez are involved with manager/adviser Al Haymon, they are unencumbered by politics.
“The featherweight division is loaded with great fighters,” Flores said. “Carl Frampton, Leo Santa Cruz, Gary Russell and all the other titleholders are very skilled fighters. With each win, I’m inching closer to facing all of them.”
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