Jay Harris vs. Gabriel Flores | IFL tv - 26 November 2021

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release | Jay Harris vs. Gabriel Flores Tops MTK Card, November 26, ESPN+

A new main event has been added to this month's MTK Fight Night in Cardiff - as Welsh star Jay Harris makes his return to the ring against Hector Gabriel Flores.

The card is a co-promotion between MTK Global and Mo Prior and takes place at the Vale Sports Arena on Friday 26 November - and will now be broadcast in the USA on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and on IFL TV for the rest of the world.

Former world title challenger Harris (18-2, 9 KOs) drops down to light-flyweight for the fight, as he goes in search of another crack at world honors in a new division. Standing in his way is unbeaten Flores (18-0-4, 9 KOs) with the dangerous Mexican looking to build on his run of 10 straight victories.

Elsewhere on this month's card, Jacob Robinson (8-0, 2 KOs) and Angelo Dragone (5-2) clash for the Welsh Area featherweight title, former British and Commonwealth champion Akeem Ennis Brown (14-1, 1 KO) returns, while two-time Commonwealth Games medallist Sean McGoldrick (11-1, 3 KOs) is back for his second fight in quick succession.

On the undercard, heavyweight Miles Gordon (2-0) makes his long-awaited comeback after nearly five years out, plus Ethan George will make his professional debut.

Rashid Omar, Kyran Jones (1-0) Mano Lee (4-2, 1 KO) and Ben Crocker (1-0) will all be on the bill too, in what looks set to be another action-packed evening in Cardiff.

MTK Global Promoter Lee Eaton said: "We're delighted to add this great fight between Jay Harris and Hector Gabriel Flores to our event in Cardiff this month. It was already a stacked show and this has just made it even better.

"This new weight class will suit Jay massively, and we're hoping to have a title added to the fight as well. With the likes of Jacob Robinson vs. Angelo Dragone, Akeem Ennis Brown, Sean McGoldrick and more all in action too, it's a card not to be missed."

[THEBUTCH]

Jay Harris at 7st 10lbs.....

Not sure that's a good idea. He didn't look he had another 4lbs in him to shift.

[brilo33]

tough lad jay throws himself in to the deep end looks like he needs this one , to eeeeees himself back in ,really sorry about the spelling there

[margaret thatcher]

ive never seen flores fight, but mexicans are one of the best fighting nations in terms of not being roll over kings https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/639184

at the start of his career he managed 4 draws and a no contest in under 2 years, a bit of a specialist in not winning or losing

[Ruthless-RKO]

Was Flores not signed with Top Rank?

[Counter-puncher]

Jay Harris at 7st 10lbs.....

Not sure that's a good idea. He didn't look he had another 4lbs in him to shift.

That was my first thought. He has a tendency to bruise up badly and cut too and I don’t suppose the extra weight cut will help that

[THEBUTCH]

I hope Harris proves us wrong but I would have thought an extra 3 lbs and a move to super flyweight would have been the order of the day.

If he can make Flyweight ok, he should stay there. It almost seems like every loss these days is blamed on weight....which is shite !

[bennie]

Jay is trained by his father Peter, a former British featherweight champion who spent much of his career trying to convince everyone (and himself) that he was a bantamweight when he clearly wasn't. Peter even came in two pounds over for a final eliminator at bantamweight against Belfast's unbeaten Roy Webb in 1986. Webb made the weight and went through with the contest, knowing that a British title shot was guaranteed. Webb did well early on but Harris came back and forced the Irishman to quit on his stool after eight rounds, claiming an injured shoulder. Webb later lost his mandatory status when Birmingham's unheralded Rocky Lawlor stopped him in seven rounds.

[THEBUTCH]

And when Peter Harris finally became British featherweight champion he had the misfortune to run into future world champion Paul Hodgkinson

To make matters worse Harris tried to reclaim his title against Hodgkinson...as if the first defeat wasn't clear cut enough.

[bennie]

And when Peter Harris finally became British featherweight champion he had the misfortune to run into future world champion Paul Hodgkinson

To make matters worse Harris tried to reclaim his title against Hodgkinson...as if the first defeat wasn't clear cut enough.

Harris fought pretty well in the rematch but Hodkinson proved too strong in the end. I always liked Peter because he had freakishly short arms, almost as if he were Thalidomide, but used it to his advantage by standing close to his opponents and getting the hooks off quicker. Once he came to his senses about his best fighting weight, he prospered and took the vacant British featherweight title (made vacant by stablemate Robert Dickie after a serious car crash) with a hard-earned decision over Rochdale southpaw Kevin Taylor in 1988.
Taylor was a nightmare to fight because he was squat and swung away with big punches that were hard to get under but Harris had the edge in most of he exchanges. As you say, he lost the title to Liverpool's Hodkinson but remained a solid domestic operator well into the 1990s and outscored decent Scot Wilson Docherty in a final eliminator for his old title in Glasgow in 1995, although for some reason he never got a crack and he fought out the rest of his career overseas.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release | Jay Harris Hopes Big Win Can Fast-Track Him To Title Shot

Jay Harris hopes a victory over Hector Gabriel Flores can put him on the fast-track to a world title shot at 108lbs - as the two men prepare to meet for the vacant WBA Intercontinental light-flyweight title on Friday's MTK Fight Night.

They collide on the co-promotion between MTK Global and Mo Prior at the Vale Sports Arena in Cardiff on Friday - with the event broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and worldwide on IFL TV.

Harris (18-2, 9 KOs) is dropping down from flyweight to compete in a new weight class when he faces unbeaten Flores (18-0-4, 9 KOs), and the Swansea fighter has big ambitions in this weight division.

Harris said: "I'm really excited to be fighting back in Wales. I haven't fought there since 2019 and I'm looking forward to a home crowd. I'm taking a lot of fans up there from Swansea, and we've got another local Swansea lad on the bill in Ben Crocker, so I believe it will be rocking.

"I'm happy with this new challenge in this new weight division. I made 8 stone comfortably last time, so now I'm ready for this new chapter. My opponent Hector Flores is unbeaten with 18 wins and 4 draws, and I've seen a couple of videos of some of his fights.

"I can't see him being better than Julio Cesar Martinez and Ricardo Sandoval. I've fought those two and I believe they're the two best Mexicans in the world at these lower weights. He'll definitely be game and strong, but I'm ready for anything.

"I've trained and sparred hard, and I think the fans will be in for a treat. I think he'll come straight forward, so it should be explosive and there will be fireworks. It's great to be fighting for a title straight away too. It gives you that extra buzz, and I can't wait to add a WBA Intercontinental belt to my collection.

"The light-flyweight division is very competitive. I've had a look at all of the world champions and those challenging near the top, and I'm looking forward to competing with them. I'd be happy to jump straight into a world title shot after this fight. I'll see what MTK Global think and if it comes around, but I'll be more than ready."

[NoScoutingReports]

Surprised Harris has dropped down a weight class, was expecting him to go in the other direction actually but hope it goes well for him, always enjoy his fights.

[Coco]

It will be tough moving down but more opportunities at the weight.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Night!

[Counter-puncher]

this is going to be on the youtube channel?

[Ruthless-RKO]

this is going to be on the youtube channel?

I can't see it yet on the youtube channel but it's still early.

[NoScoutingReports]

[THEBUTCH]

Is anyone getting a transmission ???

[Ruthless-RKO]

Is anyone getting a transmission ???

Nope

[Coco]

Is anyone getting a transmission ???

Nope

[THEBUTCH]

cheers chaps....not just me then

[THEBUTCH]

Here we go....just started

[THEBUTCH]

The sound is completely out of whack !

[THEBUTCH]

Oh great..."boxing historian" Spencer Fearon doing punditry