BJ Flores doin' work in Las Vegas. Flores took some time to answer a few questions from Pugilism & The Pen on May 1, 2009.
By Brian M. Rodriguez
There is nothing like a megafight to bring the boxing glitterati out in abundance. Whether it’s promoters like Bob Arum or Oscar De La Hoya, boxing journalists such as Bert Randolph Sugar or Thomas Hauser, or prominent pugilists too numerous to name, the lure of a big-time prizefight functions as a sort of central hub for the fistic world.
The most recent superfight was, of course, the showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 2, 2009. One member of the boxing fraternity who was in attendance for the weekend’s festivities was current NABO cruiserweight titlist, BJ Flores (23-0-1, 14 KOs).
Flores was taking in the action at Top Rank’s boxing card on Friday, May 1st at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. During a break between fights, Flores was gracious enough to answer a few questions for readers of Pugilism & The Pen (P&TP).
P&TP: Hey, BJ. Thanks for taking a little time to answer a few quick questions for Pugilism & The Pen.
BJ Flores: No problem, man. I’m just having a good time watching the fights. Go ahead and ask away.
P&TP: When are you expecting to get back in the ring? We saw your last fight against Jose Luis Herrera on Square Ring Promotions’ boxing/mixed martial arts pay-per-view card [March 21, 2009]. What’s next for you?
Flores: Well, I’m hoping to get back into the ring soon. Right now, we are looking at fighting in possibly June or July, maybe in Springfield, Missouri. I’m not sure yet who the opponent will be, but I am looking forward to defending the NABO belt. I just want to stay busy because I have been out of the ring so much these last two years.
P&TP: Can you talk a little bit about the proposed fight with Tomasz Adamek that fell through a few months ago? There was talk that you had been offered a fight with Adamek but you turned it down. Why did you decide not to take the opportunity to fight for the cruiserweight title?
Flores: All that talk that was going on in the boxing media; that was all speculation. The fact of the matter is that there was never a legitimate offer from Main Events [Adamek's promoter]. Main Events wanted a fight at The Prudential Center in New Jersey and the gate for that fight would have done around $750,000. The thing is that Main Events only offered me $30,000 for the fight and I thought that was way too low. So, I just didn’t think it was a legitimate offer by Main Events.
P&TP: Is there a cruiserweight out there you would really like to fight?
Flores: Yeah. Right now we are looking at trying to get a fight with Victor Emilio Ramirez [current WBO cruiserweight title holder]. The tentative plan is to fight in June or July and then I would like my next fight to be against Ramirez in the late summer or in the fall.
P&TP: We’ve seen you a few times in-studio during ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” this year. How do you like doing TV?
Flores: I really enjoy it. It is a ton of fun. I love working on ESPN and working with Joe [Tessitore], Teddy [Atlas], and Brian [Kenny] is great. They are really good guys and there is nothing better than talking about the sport I love. I just love boxing and so it is a perfect outlet for me to talk about it and give some insight on the sport from a boxer’s perspective.
P&TP: Well, I see that the fighters for the next bout are making their way to the ring, so one more quick question. Tell me about your recent signing with Roy Jones Jr.’s promotional company, Square Ring Promotions. What did you think of Jones’ fight with Omar Sheika?
Flores: Roy, obviously, is a truly great fighter. I have always looked up to him and I thought we saw flashes of the old Roy Jones Jr. in there against Sheika. I think if he keeps training and stays in the gym he should fight as long as he wants. He can still compete and he still has all that great talent. As far as Square Ring goes, Roy and the entire promotional side of the Square Ring team have been great to me. They have been great for me and I am looking forward to the future with them.
P&TP: Thanks again for your time, BJ. I really appreciate it. Enjoy the rest of the fights.
Flores: No problem, man. Anytime. I’m a fan of boxing just like you and all the readers out there. You have fun watching the fights, too.
June 9th, 2009 - 11:49 am
if bj really thinks RJJ should keep fighting he must be crazy. but he has to say that to keep the boss happy. i still think he should of taken the Adamek fight. at least people know who adamek is. anybody out there besides te hardcore know Victor Ramirez? bj is going for the low hangin fruit.
June 9th, 2009 - 1:17 pm
just what I thought aikenboy. i remember seeing bj school ding-a-ling wilson and i thought it was going to be a big boost to his career. but since then, he really has done nothing. he needs to get out there and fight cuz the cruiserweight division is actually pretty good right now.
funny how adamek got low-balled in his proposed fight with B-hop and now we hear that bj feels adamek low-balled him. da fight game….dog eat dog….what makes it fun!