JAMESTOWN, CALIFORNIA – In the ten-round main event of tonight’s ProBox TV broadcast emanating from the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort, world ranked lightweight contender Gabriel Flores Jr. will take on TV-friendly action fighter Jose Arellano in what could be an intriguing clash of styles. With the preparation complete, both fighters expressed their feelings about the bout on Tuesday. 

“I feel great,” proclaimed Flores (25-2, 8 KOs) of nearby Stockton, California, just before getting on the scale on Tuesday. “I feel ready. All my confidence comes from the preparation and training. I don’t cut no corners. I work as hard as I can and I get great sparring in the city of Las Vegas.” 

With tonight’s fight being broadcasted by a readily-available outlet, there is extra onus on Flores to perform the way that he knows he is capable of, as the eyes of the boxing industry will likely be tuned into the contest. 

“It just makes me excited for everyone to get to see how I am progressing as more of a pro,” says Flores, the WBO #10/WBA #12 ranked 135-pounder. “I started at 17-years-old. Now I am here to show my man strength, my man mentality and all that follows.” 

Flores took exception to the claim that Arellano presents more of a pressure style than recent previous opponents. 

“He’s aggressive, but I don’t know if he is more aggressive than my last three opponents,” says Flores. “He’s probably just as aggressive. I don’t see him being anymore aggressive. Julian Rodarte was pretty aggressive. Ronal Ron, he was coming forward, he was on me. And in my last fight, I was throwing shots and [Dennis Contreras] kept on coming and kept on coming. So I can’t imagine him bringing any more pressure, but if he does, good for him, but I don’t think it is going to make much of a difference. I am ready.” 

Flores, who will be defending his regional WBA Continental USA lightweight title, plans to put on a show for his fans on Wednesday night. 

“Intensity and an explosive Gabriel Flores,” predicts the Stockton native. “Always doing something entertaining.”

Arellano (11-2, 6 KOs) Aurora, Colorado by way of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico is no stranger to the bright lights of ProBox TV, having engaged in some memorable, at times bloody, bouts on the streamer. 

“I feel good,” said Arellano, just after Tuesday morning’s weigh-in. “I am ready. Everything is done, so we just wait for the last thing and that is the fight tomorrow.” 

For Arellano, who campaigns as a super featherweight, the regional lightweight title bout on Wednesday does not mark a permanent move up in weight for the Colorado resident. Instead it was the opportunity to fight Flores that felt like the right fit for Arellano and his team. 

“We are just fighting at this weight for the opportunity,” explains Arellano. “We will beat him and then go back down to 130. My coach Javiel Centeno liked the fight for me. He believed that I could beat him and I went on board with it, so now we are here.” 

One thing that Arellano and Flores agreed on was that the Colorado fighter is not simply a pressure fighter. 

“They call me a pressure fighter, but I consider myself something else,” says Arellano. “It is a match-up of styles and we are going to clash either way, so it should be a fun fight, period. Whether he has to box or I have to box, it is going to be a very good fight. He is gifted, he is a very good boxer, but we are going to have to fight because of our styles. I take nothing away from him, but we will be there.” 

Tickets for the event, promoted by G-Squad Entertainment and Robert Garcia’s House of Champions, are available online at gsquadent.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

JAMESTOWN, CALIFORNIA – Lightweight contender Gabriel Flores Jr. aims to continue his rise up the 135-pound ladder and state his case for a title opportunity on the national stage as professional boxing comes to the former California Gold Rush town for the very first time on Wednesday night. Flores, the classy boxer, will take on pressure-fighter Jose Arellano in the ProBox TV-broadcasted ten-round main event from the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort. Fighters for the six-bout card weighed-in on Tuesday morning at the host venue. 

Flores (25-2, 8 KOs) of Stockton, California has reeled off four consecutive victories at home since suffering a ten-round decision setback to Giovanni Cabrera in July of 2022. The last three were fought under his father-trainer Gabe Flores Sr.’s G-Squad Entertainment promotional banner, as Flores and his team have carefully charted a course that has led to a WBO #10/WBA #12 world ranking. Traveling roughly 60 miles from home, Flores will still have the home crowd advantage as he hopes to successfully defend his regional WBA Continental USA title for the third time. Flores weighed-in at 134.8-pounds on Tuesday morning. 

Hoping to spoil any world title hopes for the hometown favorite Flores, Arellano (11-2, 6 KOs) Aurora, Colorado by way of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico moves up from super featherweight and brings an aggressive style that Flores has not encountered with his most recent opponents. Arellano is no stranger to the ProBox TV audience, having gone 1-2 in action fights, notably scoring an upset over 6’3” Oscar Alvarez two Octobers ago in Florida. Arellano scaled 133.4-pounds on Tuesday. 

In the co-feature, 19-year-old prospect Emiliano Moreno (11-0, 6 KOs) of Long Beach, California will take on Cesar Francis (13-2, 8 KOs) of West New York, New Jersey in a ten-round welterweight bout. Moreno was last seen in a stay-busy bout, dispatching Sergio Gil in four rounds last November. Francis, who holds a win over former world champion Raymundo Beltran, did not fight last calendar year and was last in the ring in December 2023, stopping once-beaten Windry Martinez in two. Moreno made 149.6, Francis came in at 146.6-pounds. 

In an eight-round lightweight bout, DeMichael Harris (12-0-1, 11 KOs) of Smyrna, Georgia meets Anthony Cuba (8-1-2, 4 KOs) of Fontana, California. Harris is taking a step-up from recent competition in meeting Cuba on Wednesday. Harris’ two 2024 opponents combined to have a 14-42-1 record, whereas Cuba’s lone defeat came at the hands of mega prospect Curmel Moton, who was extended the distance for the only time in his career to date on that night in March of last year. Harris made 134.2-pounds. Cuba first tipped the scales at 137.4, but returned to make the contracted 137-pounds. 

Heavyweight Antonio Mireles (8-0-1, 7 KOs) of Des Moines, Iowa will look to remain unbeaten in an eight-rounder against Josue Vargas (5-9-2, 2 KOs) of Panorama City, California. Mireles did not make a ring appearance last year and will be making his first start since his majority draw to fellow undefeated Skylar Lacy in November of 2023. Vargas has dropped three straight, albeit against fairly solid opposition. The towering Mireles came in at 274-pounds, while the shorter Vargas scaled 244.2-pounds.

Super flyweight prospect Andrew Rodriguez (5-0, 1 KO) of Salinas, California will take on fellow unbeaten Kevin Soltero (3-0, 2 KOs) of Kansas City, Missouri in a six-round bout. Rodriguez moves up to the scheduled six-round distance for this first time, coming off a dominant four-round decision last October in Stockton. Soltero, with his national level amateur pedigree, figures to be a tougher test on Wednesday. Rodriguez made 116.4, Soltero came in at 116.6-pounds.

Multi-sport star Jennah Creason (2-0) of Visalia, California seeks win number three against Samantha Ginithan (1-0, 1 KO) of Las Cruces, New Mexico in a four-round junior welterweight bout. Creason, who plans to simultaneously pursue her career in MMA, weighed-in at 139-pounds. Ginithan, who also posted a 9-2 record in single round bouts during season two of Team Combat League, made 140.2-pounds   

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBA Continental USA Lightweight Championship, 10 Rounds

Flores 134.8

Arellano 133.4

Welterweights, 10 Rounds 

Moreno 149.6

Francis 146.6

Lightweights, 8 Rounds

Harris 134.2

Cuba 137*

Heavyweights, 8 Rounds

Mireles 274

Vargas 244.2

Super flyweights, 6 Rounds

Rodriguez 116.4

Soltero 116.6

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds

Creason 139

Ginithan 140.2

Tickets for the event, promoted by G-Squad Entertainment and Robert Garcia’s House of Champions, are available online at gsquadent.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com