 (L-R) – BJ Flores & Shumenov Beibu  |
Flores is boxing’s all-purpose guy: Боксерот, television color commentator, and trainer.
Неговиот татко, Ralph Flores, was a military person who earned his “boxing coaching bones” преку Kenny Adams, head coach of the 1988 USA Boxing Olympic Team and assistant coach four years earlier. The ’88 USA Olympic Boxing Team included Рој Џонс, Џуниор., Riddick Bowe, Реј Мерсер, Andrew Maynard и Kennedy McKinney.
BJ started going to the gym with his father when he was four. His grandfather and older brother were also boxers. “My father wasn’t a boxer, but he learned how to coach boxing from assisting Kenny Adams,” BJ explained. “He fell in love with boxing while working with Kenny and learned his way to teach boxing. Kenny is still like a grandfather to me.”
Flores also loved football and he was offered a full scholarship to attend Brigham Young University. He took two years off from BYU to serve a mission for The Church of Latter-day Saints in Mexico, where he lived in one of the poorest sections of Mexico in Culiacan. He began training there in the same gym where legendary Хулио Цезар Чавез trained as a kid. Goodbye, фудбал.
Како аматерски боксер, Flores had a superlative 110-11 рекорд, highlighted by gold-medal performances at the 1997 National Golden Gloves and 2000 Western Trials, in addition to the 2001 & 2002 US Championships as a heavyweight. He was the only American to win gold in 2002 на 4 Nations Tournament in Alabama versus Germany, France and Australia.
Flores targeted a berth on the 2004 USA Boxing Olympic Boxing Team, and he was a top contender, Меѓутоа, he received an offer from Main Events to turn pro that BJ described as too lucrative to pass up.
“BJ’s decorated career as an amateur boxer, professional boxer, and broadcaster place him in a top tier of well-rounded USA Boxing Alumni,” said Chris Cugliari, USA Boxing Alumni Association Director. “His valuable experiences inside and outside the ring serve as great examples for the next generation of champions.”
Flores fought professionally from 2003 на 2018, compiling a solid 34-4-1 (21 КО) рекорд, including three major World title challenges, both as a heavyweight and cruiserweight. He captured eight regional titles, as well as the IBA and WBF World super cruiserweight championships.
During his boxing career, network officials discovered that he was a gifted boxer, as well as well-spoken, handsome and knowledgeable with a smooth delivery. More than anything else, he could effectively break down fighters and fights and instead of only noting what had happened, he explained why and what was going to happen for fans watching.
Цвеќиња’ break as an announcer came, according to BJ, after his 2008 fight against Darnell Wilson live on ESPN. “I was a 4-1 underdog against Wilson,” Flores said. “He was coming off five straight knockout victories and we were fighting in his hometown (Dover, Делавер). He was ranked No. 2 and I was No. 15. He came into the ring carrying a pillow for me, but I beat him for 10 на 12 рунди.
“I was then brought into ESPN’s studios to be interviewed. Boxing was my life! I worked withБрајан Кени and we immediately had chemistry. By the end of that year, I was an ESPN in-studio commentator every three weeks.”
Flores ended up being hired as a ringside analyst in 2012 and he became part of the PBC (Премиер бокс шампионите) broadcast team on NBC. He worked with giants in boxing and media industries such as Шугар Реј Леонард, Ал Мајклс и Marv Алберт.
Although Flores didn’t represent his country at the Olympic Games, he was a CBS Sports color commentator in 2012 и 2016. He is looking forward to calling Olympic boxing once again next year on CBS.
“Anytime you can represent the USA is a tremendous honor and great opportunity,” Flores added. “I called the 2012 Олимписки игри (Велика Британија) и во 2016 (Бразил). We called the action from a studio, but I’d love to call next year’s Olympics from ringside in Japan. Ми се допаѓа. Nothing else in life matters to me versus the Olympics.”
Асоцијација за алумни на боксери во САД
Создадено за шампион доживотно, взаемно корисни односи меѓу САД бокс и нејзините алумни, –боксери, службени лица, тренери и boxубители на боксот — Здружението на алумни ги поврзува генерациите на шампиони, инспирирање и враќање на идните шампиони во боксот во САД-боксот, во и надвор од прстенот.
Асоцијацијата за алумни во боксот во САД е отворена за секој што има forубов кон боксот и би сакал да остане поврзан со аматерскиот бокс. Членовите имаат пристап до широк спектар на специјални настани организирани од Асоцијацијата на алумни, вклучувајќи го и неговиот годишен прием во академија за боксери на алумни во САД.
Да се придружиме на Здружението на алумни, едноставно се регистрирате на alumni@usaboxing.org за $40.00 годишно членарина. Новите членови ќе добијат маица, key-chain and e-wallet.
Денес, Flores is a retired prizefighter living in Arizona. He still attends amateur boxing tournaments in Las Vegas and California. For the past six months he’s been training “Internet boxer” Jake Paul и, се разбира, BJ remains an accomplished color commentator/analyst.
When boxing fully returns on television, BJ will serve as a color commentator for The Impact Network, which plans to promote three shows a month.
Few active pro boxers have been television announcers at the same time they were fighting like Flores. Even though he’s now moved on from fighting to teaching as a trainer, he continues to be one of boxing’s most knowledgeable and popular commentators. Не се сомневам, BJ Flores is boxing’s all-purpose guy.
ИНФОРМАЦИИ:
www.usaboxing.org
Твитер: @USABoxing, @USABoxingAlumni
Instagram: @USABoxing
Фејсбук: /USABoxing
| ЗА САД боксер: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to enable United States’ athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence, развиваат карактер, поддршка на спортот на боксот, and promote and grow Olympic style boxing in the United States. The responsibility of USA Boxing is not only to produce Olympic gold, but also oversee and govern every aspect of amateur boxing in the United States. |