In the Top Rank co-main event in Hinckley, Minnesota, Giovanni Cabrera maintained his perfect record by defeating former prospect Gabriel Flores Jr. by unanimous decision.
At the age of 17, Top Rank signed Gabriel Flores Jr. in the hopes that he would one day win the world championship. Those hopes most certainly vanished forever after he lost to Giovanni Cabrera on July 23 for the second time in his career.
At the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota, Cabrera dropped Flores for the first time in just seven seconds. Flores was thrown onto the seat of his pants by Cabrera’s direct left out of the southpaw stance. Flores stood up awkwardly.
Cabrera defeated Flores twice in the final minutes of the round. To end an incredibly lopsided round, Flores once more stood up and held off Cabrera’s powerful attack.
Flores struggled to adjust to the lighter weight class in his debut bout as a lightweight. He got his feet back under him in round 2, but Cabrera’s jab knocked him out in round 3. In round 5, he hit the deck a third time.
Flores was knocked out by a right hook from Cabrera (21-0, 7 KOs). Flores protested, stating the shot was clean but that he was struck in the back of the head.
On ESPN+, Giovanni Cabrera made a statement by three-punching Gabriel Flores Jr. en route to a unanimous decision victory
Despite finishing the round, Flores (21-2, 7 KOs) needed a knockout to win, but it never materialized. Although he had his moments, Cabrera was too powerful and precise. Flores’ left eye began to swell, and finally a cut appeared.
Flores appeared to be crying in the corner prior to the tenth and final round. His dissatisfaction increased as the fight went on, and perhaps his career dwindled more.
In round 10, there was a brief break in the action when the ring’s middle resembled an ice rink. Sweat-drenched, they both put on the middle logo. After the fight restarted, Cabrera started to close it out by firing multiple shots at Flores.
For Cabrera, the final score was 98-89 from the three judges. Despite winning the Chicago Golden Glove, Cabrera didn’t have Flores’ level of amateur success.
Flores won the national amateur championship 12 times. His website states that Flores has a 91-7 amateur record.
After Freddie Roach started training Cabrera, Cabrera got his big break as a professional. As Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partner, Cabrera gained experience, and he now resembles a totally different boxer than he did earlier in his career.
For the first time in 2021, Luis Alberto Lopez defeated Flores. Again, losing and doing so poorly indicates that Flores has likely reached the limit of his potential, but Cabrera demonstrated that even at the age of 28, he is still improving.
