Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Andrew Cancio - February 20, 2021 (OFF)

[Ruthless-RKO]

Gabriel Flores To Face Andrew Cancio On Feb. 20 As Co-Feature To Berchelt-Valdez

One of the most promising action-packed fights of the year will be getting a solid chief support plan.

Gabriel Flores Jr. will take on former world champion Andrew Cancio in a super featherweight showdown as the co-feature to the clash between WBC super featherweight titlist Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez on Feb. 20 from the MGM Grand Bubble in Las Vegas on ESPN, Carl Moretti, vice president of boxing operations for Top Rank, told BS.com.

Cancio (21-5-2, 16 KOs) will be making his Top Rank debut more than one year after signing a multi-fight deal with Bob Arum’s promotional outfit.

Cancio was formerly signed with Golden Boy but released from his contract on Thanksgiving week 2019 shortly after he made negative comments toward Oscar De La Hoya regarding his lack of promotion. Cancio then lost his fight and title to Renee Alvarado, and their relationship was severed.

Cancio was set to face Manuel Rojas on July 16 last year but Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett refused to sanction the match because he deemed Rojas as an unfit opponent.

There will be nothing unfit about the 20-year-old Flores Jr. (19-0, 6 KOs). The upstart Flores Jr. finished 2020 with a 3-0 record, fighting twice in the Bubble and once during the Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder undercard.

The 32-year-old Cancio should provide a tough test for the undefeated Flores Jr., who has not landed a knockout win over his last six fights.

Cancio was riding a four-fight winning streak, including two wins over Alberto Machado in 2019, before suffering the loss to Alvarado in his last fight. Cancio had beaten Alvarado in 2015, but couldn’t repeat the feat a second time.

Cancio was one of boxing’s Cinderella stories in 2019 when he successfully completed his journey out of retirement and won a version of the WBA 130-pound title by knocking out Machado, and doing it again for good measure in a rematch months later.

Cancio also works a day job doing backbreaking labor in the field for the Southern California Gas Company.

Steve Kim of The 3 Knockdown Rule podcast first reported the news that a fight between Flores Jr. and Cancio had been made.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release

Miguel Berchelt (pictured) and Oscar Valdez will face off in one of the most anticipated all-Mexican fistic showdowns in years. Cancun’s Berchelt will defend his WBC super featherweight world title against Nogales' Valdez in a special Top Rank on ESPN telecast Saturday, Feb. 20th. The ten-round super featherweight co-feature will see 20 year-old Gabriel Flores Jr. against Andrew “El Chango” Cancio, a prior WBA regular title holder. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Berchelt-Valdez and Flores-Cancio will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

“Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez are two proud Mexican warriors who will give boxing fans a memorable fight,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Top Rank promoted all three bouts between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, and I view Berchelt-Valdez as this generation’s Barrera-Morales."

Berchelt (38-1, 34 KOs) has held the WBC super featherweight title since January 2017, when he knocked out Francisco Vargas in the 11th round. His last five title defenses have ended via the quick route, including a ninth-round TKO over Miguel Roman, a sixth-round TKO over Vargas in their May 2019 rematch, and a fourth-round knockout over former world champion Jason Sosa. He fought last June in a non-title bout and knocked out Eleazar Valenzuela in six one-sided rounds.

“This fight is the one that I dreamed of since we were both amateur fighters,” Berchelt said. “Valdez is a great fighter, and it will be a great fight. I am preparing with everything to win by knockout and leave no doubt that I am the best super featherweight in the world."

Valdez (28-0, 22 KOs) is a two-time Mexican Olympian who vacated the WBO featherweight world title last year after six title defenses, which included barnburners against the likes of Scott Quigg, Genesis Servania and Miguel Marriaga. He suffered a severely broken jaw against Quigg in March 2018, returned 11 months later, and has since won four consecutive bouts. Since moving up to 130 pounds, Valdez has scored stoppage wins over Adam Lopez and Jayson Velez.

Valdez said, "Whenever there are two Mexicans in the ring, it is a guaranteed war, and it will be an honor for me to bring a great war to my fans."

Flores (19-0, 6 KOs), from Stockton, Calif., signed a professional contract with Top Rank at 16 years old and went 3-0 in 2020. He started the year Feb. 22nd on the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury II undercard, dominating Matt Conway over eight rounds. Flores shined on a pair of occasions inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, winning decisions over Josec Ruiz and Ryan Kielczweski. Flores now steps up against Cancio (21-5-2, 16 KOs), a fellow Californian who formerly held the WBA's secondary super featherweight world title. Cancio knocked out Alberto Machado in February 2019 to win the title and repeated the deed with another knockout over Machado that June. Rene Alvarado ended Cancio’s ascension with a seventh-round knockout in November 2019, and early last year, Cancio inked a promotional contract with Top Rank.

"My main goal is to win a world title,” Flores said. “Dominating a former world champion will put me in a great position to challenge for a title soon.”

Cancio said, “I’m very excited to return to battle on February 20 against Gabriel Flores Jr. I’m working hard in the gym, and I know that this fight is the first on my path to becoming a two-time world champion. I would like to thank my fans, who have been so incredibly supportive. I’ve heard you loud and clear and can’t wait to put on another great show for you.”

[bobcatbox]

Nice fight!
Good to see Flores staying active and Cancio remain in the sport.

[JxhDel.]

Either Flores wins it to the points or Cancio smashes him up.

[bobcatbox]

Either Flores wins it to the points or Cancio smashes him up.

Accurate. I hate to see Cancio reduced to an “opponent” if you will, but he’s the perfect test to see if these young unbeaten guys have the mettle to fight at the top or not.

[Las Vegas boxing guy]

This is s REAL opponent for Flores Jr. I'm not sure her has the power to legitimately hurt Cancio who is a rugged blue collar tough guy. Speed is the key in this contest and Flores Jr has that in abundance. Prediction : Flores Jr via decision, Cancio will win 3 rounds ... maybe more.

[Best Coast]

Big step up for Flores & it could go either way. That's why I selected "Draw".

[Ruthless-RKO]

So much for a good fight.

Cancio is out. Injured.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Andrew Cancio Injured, Withdraws From February 20 Fight Against Gabriel Flores Jr.

Gabriel Flores Jr. will have to find another opponent against whom he can take a step up in competition.

BS.com has learned that Andrew Cancio has suffered a back injury and has withdrawn from their 10-round junior lightweight fight. The 20-year-old Flores (19-0, 6 KOs), a developing 130-pound prospect from Stockton, California, and the 32-year-old Cancio (21-5-2, 16 KOs), a former WBA 130-pound champion from Ventura, California, were supposed to fight February 20 as part of the Miguel Berchelt-Oscar Valdez undercard.

ESPN was set to televise the Flores-Cancio clash as the co-feature of a broadcast that’ll be headlined by Berchelt (38-1, 34 KOs) and Valdez (28-0, 22 KOs) in a 12-round fight for Berchelt’s WBC super featherweight title. Both bouts were officially announced Wednesday.

Flores is expected to remain on the card, in a televised fight against an opponent to be determined.

Cancio’s injury has further delayed his debut since signing a promotional contract with Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. last January.

His first fight with Top Rank was scheduled for last April 25. Cancio was set to battle Tyler McCreary (16-1-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-rounder on the Naoya Inoue-John Riel Casimero undercard at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

That entire show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cancio’s Top Rank debut was rescheduled for July 16, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission wouldn’t approve multiple opponents proposed for Cancio to fight that night. Less than two months later, Cancio’s proposed fight against Saul Rodriguez (24-1-1, 18 KOs), which was tentatively set for September 12, fell apart over money.

Cancio, who works a full-time job operating a jackhammer for Southern California Gas Company, has not fought since Nicaragua’s Rene Alvarado (32-9, 21 KOs) upset him to win the WBA “super” 130-pound championship in November 2019. That one-sided bout was stopped after the seventh round.

Nine months earlier, Cancio upset Puerto Rico’s Alberto Machado by fourth-round knockout to win the WBA’s “super” title in the junior lightweight division. Cancio also knocked out Machado (22-2, 18 KOs) in the third round of their rematch in June 2019.

[Ruthless-RKO]

They could get Enrique Tinoco or Charles Huerta..

[margaret thatcher]

Did you know that cancio worked full time in a day job when he won a world title? im surprised that basically never gets reported

[Ruthless-RKO]

Did you know that cancio worked full time in a day job when he won a world title? im surprised that basically never gets reported

Reported on the media/news/forums?

[Best Coast]

Did you know that cancio worked full time in a day job when he won a world title? im surprised that basically never gets reported

Reported on the media/news/forums?

The ringside TV commentators mentioned that during one Cancio's wins over Machado. A legit "working-class hero".

[Ruthless-RKO]

Flores will now fight Jayson Velez

[Best Coast]

Flores should beat Velez but it's a decent test considering he's a late sub.