New Faces: Heriberto Flores
HERIBERTO FLORES
Age: 22
Hometown: Guadalajara, Mexico
Weight class: welterweight
Height: 5-foot-7 (174 cm)
Amateur record: 36-4
Turned pro: 2021
Pro record: 13-0 (11 knockouts)
Trainer: Martin Gallegos
Manager: Martin Gallegos
Promoter: Promociones del Pueblo, Giber Lopez and Marco Antonio Barrera
Instagram: @heribertofloresg
Best night of pro career and why: Flores scored a dominant win over a more seasoned opponent in May.
“[The] most important was his last fight,” Flores told The Ring. “I was nervous to fight [2016] Olympian Juan Pablo Romero. I got through that tough test and am now ready for bigger challenges.”
The youngster paced himself well and displayed impressive poise in what was by far his toughest assignment to date.
Worst night of pro career and why: The 22-year-old believes that while the Romero win was his best it was also one he was least happy with, but served as valuable learning curve nonetheless.
“My last fight,” he said. “I was nervous and also underestimated fighting in the high altitude of the State of Mexico.”
What’s Next: The rising young fighter will return against former world title challenger Dante Jardon in Puebla, Mexico on Friday.
Jardon (36-10, 26 KOs) turned professional in 2006. The Mexico City native has scored wins over former world titleholders Gamaliel Diaz (KO 8) and Juan Carlos Salgado (UD 12), as well as long-time contender Miguel Roman (UD 12). He also challenged then-WBC junior lightweight titleholder Takashi Miura in December 2013 but was stopped in nine rounds.
The 35-year-old veteran has moved up in weight and was stopped by once-touted Omar Aguilar (TKO 1) but upset unbeaten Artem Oganesyan (UD 10) to claim the NABF junior middleweight title. That earned him a trip to South Africa where he was outboxed by Rourke Knapp (UD 10). He has won one and lost one since then.
This should provide Flores with more experience and rounds against a savvy veteran. A stoppage would appear to be the goal.
Why he’s a prospect: Flores won three national titles in his 40 amateur contests before turning professional at 19.
He feels two things will help him reach the top.
“I believe I’m not well known yet but soon everyone will see my power,” he said. “[Another] attribute is balls, we Mexicans have those. The rest I will learn, to throw combinations or defend myself but I enjoy getting in the ring to slug it out.”
He’s clearly not lacking in confidence.
“They say I fight similar to [Ring and WBO junior welterweight champion] Teofimo Lopez, which I don’t agree, I’m better than him,” he said.
One of his promoters, Oswaldo Kulche of Promociones del Pueblo, was tipped off about the young prospect.
“[Marco Antonio] Barrera told me about him, so I saw him and I put him some tough tests and liked the kid, so we went and signed a multi-year contract,” said the promoter. “Barrera knows what it takes to be a world champ.
“He impresses me that he enjoys fighting, he is a very fun guy to watch.”
The aforementioned Barrera, who won world titles in three-weight classes during a hall of fame career, feels his fighter could make some noise on the world stage.
“Heriberto Flores is a really good fighter from Guadalajara,” he said. “I got him signed with Oswaldo so that he could get more out reach, so we are working as partners.
“He had his first fight headlining [against Ve Shawn Owens] in Mexico City. Usually how it goes is when a fighter not from there fights in Mexico City they lose, but he came and won in an amazing way [getting an eighth round stoppage.]
“He still has a long way to go but I see him as a future world champion.”
Ernesto Sandoval, who was with Eduardo Sanchez in July 2023, was impressed by Flores when he stopped his fighter in nine rounds.
“I think he is a great boxer,” said Sandoval. “I was surprised by his strength and effectiveness of his punches, he is also an intelligent boxer, who prepares his physique very well before each fight.
“I know that he will go a long way in this business.”
Flores, is a stocky, but well-built power-puncher, something you can’t teach and has confidence and demeanor that will help him be successful.
Why he’s a suspect: Flores is typically Mexican in his approach: an all-out attack.
“I need to improve in my defense to not get hit,” he said. “I have confidence in my power, so I lower my hands a lot. I feel strong, it is not a lot of height but I feel strong and without giving [away] advantages.”
If he can find a way to tighten things up and keep the same or similar offensive output that would certain help him as he looks to step into contender status.
He believes in his power but he can’t let that blind him from following a plan and simply go looking for the knockout, sooner or later that would find him out.
Storylines: Flores hails from Guadalajara but grew up in Puerto Vallarta.
“Sports wasn’t that easy for me,” he said. “I lived in Vallarta until I was 12 when my grandfather was unable to run his house rental business and we took over.”
He found boxing when he was 15, after following his older brother, Leonardo, who was an amateur boxer, to the gym.
“I started with the purpose of losing weight, since I was overweight and got into fights in high school because of bullying,” he recalled.
Guadalajara was a tough place for him to grow up in and one where there is a lot of competition in boxing gyms.
“I love it but the boxing gyms are tough,” he explained. “There’s hundreds of kids that have a dream of being Canelo Alvarez and world champions, all of them are tough to beat.”
Not surprisingly, given his style, he lists Mexico’s finest amongst his boxing heroes.
“Julio César Chávez, like all the Mexicans and [Gennadiy] Golovkin,” he said. “Stunning styles, always fighting forward without thinking about taking a step back.”
He hopes to one day follow in their illustrious footsteps.
“First, being a world champion,” he said. “And thinking about unifying the welterweight division and then moving up to junior middleweight and middleweight.”
Away from boxing, Flores likes to stay active.
“I like to spend time with my friends but without staying up late or falling into vices or bad behavior,” he said. “I go to sleep early because I have the responsibility to train early.
“I also enjoy going to the Chapala and Cajitlán lagoons, it is something that relaxes me and I can take advantage of the fact that it is about 40 minutes from my house.”
Fight-by-fight record
2024
May 24 – Juan Pablo Romero – UD 10
March 8 – Miguel Macias – TKO 4
2023
Dec. 2 – Ve Shawn Owens – TKO 8
July 21 – Eduardo Sanchez – TKO 9
March 25 – Franco Ola – TKO 2
2022
Nov. 19 – Ernesto Sanchez – TKO 2
Sept. 10 – Alexis Rios – MD 8
Aug. 12 – Ricardo Banos – TKO 3
May 21 – Felipe Orozco – RTD 3
March 5 – Mario Martinez – TKO 1
2021
Oct. 30 – Braulio Barajas – TKO 1
Oct. 9 – Alberto Reyes – TKO 3
June 26 – Geovanny Lopez – KO 1
Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected].
