Gabriel Flores Jr., the 18-year-old phenom and former U.S. amateur standout, will make his ESPN debut on Friday, Sept. 14 as part of the world championship card headlined by Jose Ramirez’s WBC super lightweight title defense against Antonio Orozco at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California, as part of the television portion of a really exciting card.

Last week it was announced that Maxim “Mad Max” Dadashev suffered a torn bicep in training and has been forced to postpone his originally scheduled co-main event NABF super lightweight title defense against Antonio DeMarco on this Friday’s undercard. Jamel Herring versus John Vincent Moralde for the vacant USBA junior lightweight title has been elevated to the ESPN-televised co-feature underneath Jose Ramirez’s WBC super lightweight title defense against Antonio Orozco at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif, with Flores Jr. serving as the third and final televised bout on television.
Flores (9-0, 5 KOs) will face Roger “El Puas” Gutierrez (7-1-1, 1 NC, 4 KOs) in a six-round junior lightweight bout and serve as the swing bout.
“It’s going to feel good to fight on ESPN in California so close to home, to be on a big stage to inspire the kids in Stockton, my hometown,” Flores said. “I want to open their eyes for them to know they can accomplish their own dreams. This opportunity is a dream come true.”

“Flores has the whole package, and without question, he is going to be a major star,” said Rick Mirigian, Flores’ adviser. “With his ESPN TV debut on the sport’s biggest weekend in front of 14,000 people near his hometown, a star will be born.”

Flores won U.S. Junior National Championships in 2015 and 2016, concluding his stellar amateur career with a 91-7 record. In November 2016, at the age of 16, he became the youngest fighter ever to sign a promotional contract with Top Rank. He made his professional debut on May 5, 2017, only four days after his 17^th birthday. Trained by his father, Gabriel Flores Sr., the recent high school graduate has kept a busy schedule as a pro fighting on high-profile undercards. He is 4-0 thus far in 2018, most recently scoring a six-round unanimous decision against James De Herrera on July 7 at the Save Mart Center. Flores also appeared on the Terence Crawford-Jeff Horn card June 9 in Las Vegas, notching a shutout four-round decision against Jorge Rojas Zacazontetl.

Gutierrez represents Flores’ toughest test to date, as he may not have the amateur pedigree of Flores, but has only lost once in the professional realm as well as has upset a few a-side fighters on the club circuit of boxing.

Ramirez-Orozco, Herring-Moralde and the television debut of Gabe Flores Jr. will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET. Tickets are still available for this event, please visit TopRank.com