STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA – Local favorite Gabriel Flores Jr. continues his busy year of defending his home turf tomorrow night as he takes on Dennis Contreras in the eight-round lightweight main event of an eight-bout card at Adventist Health Arena. Fighters on the card, dubbed “Nightmare in the Arena,” weighed-in Friday morning at the host venue.
Flores (24-2, 8 KOs) of Stockton is back indoors at the venue where he will be competing for the third time in his last four bouts. Last time out, Flores, an excellent ticket seller in his hometown, scored an eight-round unanimous decision over tough Ronal Ron at the open air Banner Island Ballpark that sits a few steps down from the arena. Despite some fairly wide scores in his favor, Flores was challenged in the bout by Ron, who gave a solid account of himself. Flores, the WBA #11 ranked lightweight, will be fighting for the third time under the G-Squad Entertainment banner, as he and his father-promoter Gabe Flores Sr. chart their course towards bigger and better game, while creating some excitement at home. Flores came in just under the contracted weight at 134.6-pounds on Friday.
Contreras (24-14-1, 22 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico enters the bout with an eye-catching knockout to win ratio, but he will be coming up in weight to the 135-pound lightweight division for the first time in his career. Contreras has fought as low as 118-pounds and only recently moved up to 130-pounds from featherweight three fights back. In his first bout at super featherweight, Contreras was stopped by Michael Magnesi in a failed bid for the lightly regarded IBO title in 2022. Contreras failed to make the contracted weight, coming in 1.6-pounds over at 136.6-pounds. As of press time, Contreras was attempting to drop the extra poundage.
In the co-feature, Dominique Francis (15-0, 9 KOs) of Opa-Locka, Florida will take on fellow unbeaten Julio Carrera (18-0-1, 14 KOs) of Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico in an eight-round super featherweight bout.
Francis, whose hometown was affected by Hurricane Milton this week, has been well-traveled for a 23-year-old U.S.-based prospect, having competed in Mexico, Argentina and Colombia in his last five bouts. Two fights back, in a bout internationally-televised by TyC Sports, Francis showed his resiliency and ring smarts, surviving a knockdown early in the ninth round of a bout he was winning handily on the cards en route to a ten-round unanimous decision over Argentinian Braian Ariel Arguello in Argentina. On the other hand, Carrera has fought his career entirely in his native Mexico and his one small step-up opponent, Nazario Castro Nieblas, accounts for the draw on his ledger. Francis and Carrera both scaled in at 130.8-pounds.
Returning to Stockton, super flyweight prospect Andrew Rodriguez (4-0, 1 KO) of Salinas, California will meet Marcelino Rangel (1-0) of Toledo, Ohio in a four-rounder. The 21-year-old Rodriguez was matched with tough Alejandro Robles and dealt with a bad cut between his eyes, but scored the decision win in an entertaining U.S. debut at Banner Island Ballpark in July. Rangel turned professional in May with a four-round unanimous decision in Fostoria, Ohio. Rodriguez made 114-pounds, while Rangel weighed-in at 114.6-pounds.
In a six-round super flyweight bout, Jessie James Guerrero (4-0-2, 2 KOs) of Gilroy, California returns to the ring for the first time since the birth of his first-born daughter as he takes on rugged Bryan Santiago (1-1-1) of Weslaco, Texas. Guerrero, who was last in the ring in March, scoring three knockdowns en route to a second-round knockout at this same venue in Stockton, came in at 112.8-pounds. Santiago, who engaged in two crowd-pleasing brawls with Ricardo Castillo in Hidalgo, Texas this year, winning the first and ending up with a draw in the second, made 114-pounds.
Making his long awaited professional debut, former amateur standout Steve Canela of San Jose, California will take on debuting David Music of Findlay, Ohio in a four-round lightweight bout. Canela had been slated to debut on the last G-Squad Entertainment card in July, but the California State Athletic Commission would not approve his short notice opponent due to having fought the week prior. Canela did end up fighting that night, but in an exhibition. Canela came in at 136.2, while Music scaled 136.8-pounds.
Multi-combat sport star Jennah Creason (1-0) of Visalia, California meets tough Seta Vatuvei (0-2) of Hayward, California in a four-round junior middleweight bout. Creason, who has had many potential opponents drop out after researching her accomplishments, moved up in weight to make the fight happen Saturday. Vatuvei has not shied away from tough competition in her brief pro career, having taken on well-regarded former amateur standouts in every fight thus far. Creason stayed closer to her normal fighting weight at 148.8-pounds, while Vatuvei came in at 154.8-pounds on Friday.
Vicky Zhao of Capitola, California by way of Chongqing, China will make her professional debut against Tatiana Almaraz (0-4) of Pittsburg, California by way of Guatemala City, Guatemala in a four-round light flyweight bout. Despite her record, Almaraz, 110.6-pounds, is a very capable fighter that has been matched tough in her career to this point, but should provide a solid test for the debuting Zhao, who scaled 108.8-pounds.
Former amateur standout Kyle Lacanlale (1-0, 1 KO) of San Ramon, California will take on Ricardo Antonio Luna (0-1) of Glendale, California by way of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico in a four-round super bantamweight bout. Lacanlale is fresh off an impressive pro debut in August where he scored a first-round knockout in a bout that lasted one minute. Lacanlale weighed-in at 122.6-pounds, while Luna scaled 124.8-pounds.
Quick Weigh-in Results:
Lightweights, 8 Rounds
Flores Jr. 134.6
Contreras 136.6*
Super featherweights, 8 Rounds
Francis 130.8
Carrera 130.8
Super flyweights, 4 Rounds
Rodriguez 114
Rangel 114.6
Super flyweights, 6 Rounds
Guerrero 112.8
Santiago 114
Lightweights, 4 Rounds
Canela 136.2
Music 136.8
Welterweights, 4 Rounds
Creason 148.8
Vatuvei 154.8
Light flyweights, 4 Rounds
Almaraz 110.6
Zhao 108.8
Super bantamweights, 4 Rounds
Lacanlale 122.6
Luna 124.8
*1.6-pounds over contracted weight, attempting to shed weight at press time
Tickets for the event, promoted by G-Squad Entertainment, are available online at Gsquadent.com
Photo by Julio C. Sanchez/G-Squad Entertainment
Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com