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BJ Flores: ‘I will take Tony Bellew to school’

Fighters Network
05
Aug

The color analysis gig has been humming along nicely these last couple years but if BJ Flores does what he aims to on Oct. 15 in England, his designation will surely be fighter first, analyst second.

The Premier Boxing Champions announcer has been tapped to challenge WBC cruiserweight titleholder Tony Bellew in Liverpool and seems over the moon with fiery confidence.

“The Liverpool Takeover,” Flores, who sports a 32-2-1 (20 knockouts) mark, is calling the tango.

We chatted right after the news of the scrap broke.



The opportunity is massive; how will the 37-year-old Flores, currently unranked by any of the four major sanctioning bodies, exploit it?

“The truth is,  I should have been champ last July (he lost a decision to Beibut Shumenov with an interim belt on the line) but I take it all in stride and all I have been through has made me like a chiseled piece of iron,” said the Arizona resident. “Nothing Tony can do will break me down or surprise me. Yet he will greatly underestimate me and be very surprised in the very first round. I will take him to school before I KNOCK his ass clean out!”

Good stuff. I like to hear people make clear that leaving it to judges, especially in the other guy’s home zone, is pure folly.

Readers, talk to me. THE RING’s No. 5-ranked cruiserweight Bellew is 33, holds a 27-2-1 (17 KOs) mark and many thought he’d lose to Ilungu Makabu when they vied for the vacant WBC 200-pound title. Instead, the Brit scored a third round stoppage. He will be favored, having been in with more names, but is that righteous? Is the American maybe more suited to the weight class? What happens in this Bellew vs. Flores clash?

Follow Michael Woods on Twitter @Woodsy1069 and check out his brand new podcast TALKBOX, sponsored by Everlast.

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