Interview: B.J. Flores

By G. Leon

19/11/2007

Interview: B.J. Flores

GL:  Tell us about it.  What's the latest and greatest with BJ Flores?  I got this message earlier today, saying you want to drop some names.  Here we go, tell us about it. "I want to fight some of these undefeated guys, there's a lot of us.  I'm 28-0, there are a lot of guys who are undefeated right now that don't necessarily have fights coming up.  Matt Godfrey has a big fight coming up with Jeremy Williams, besides that there are a lot of other guys.  There's Shawn Hawk, he's 18-0, there's Fredo Escalera?, he's 17-0. Francisco Palacio is with Don King.  He just knocked out Luis Assir?, who's 14-0.  There are a lot of good cruiserweights out there, and I want to make a fight. That's where I'm at."

GL:  Any idea on when you might be returning to the ring?

B.J. Flores:  I don't.  It's difficult putting these deals together with these guys, because right now I don't have a promoter.  Call my advisor, call up Lou Messorana, and make the fight.  Even some of the heavyweights like Mike Marrone, and some of the other heavyweights, like J.D. Chapman, and David Rodriguez, and guys like that.  I've been fighting different kind of guys, and I would make a fight with anyone of those guys.  Undefeated guys, are the guys that I want to target right now.  A lot of us are coming up right now, and I want to make sure that I get the opportunity to fight those guys, and start knocking them off. 

GL:  Based on your discussions with your advisor, are there any promoters who are making strong pushes to acquire your services?

BJF:  We don't have anything set in stone yet.  I want a break-out fight, I want to fight another undefeated guy right now to make a statement.  After we make that statement, then we can talk to promoters.  Greg, to be honest with you, I've been kind of dead the past eight months.  I haven't done anything, and I feel it would be an injustice to myself to sign with a promoter based on what I've done in the past year, because I haven't done a whole lot in the past year.  I'm ready, I'm hungry, I'm ready to fight some of these undefeated guys.  There's a lot of them out there.  Their promoters are protecting them, and don't want them to fight people.  I'm here, I'm willing, and I'm ready to fight.  Those undefeated guys out there, they know who they are.  Call up Lou, let's make the fight.  As long as there's two or three weeks notice, I'm ready to take on those type of guys.

GL:  Is part of the reason you haven't signed with anybody yet beacause you're looking for a signing bonus?

BJF:  Not necessarely, I'm just looking to get in a good situation.  It's not about the money to me, it's about someone that's going to put me in a good situation to make the right fights.  I want to fight two or three TV fights, I want to fight undefeated guys, and then I want to go for a big one.  I've already been offered Hawk in Germany, and Maccarelli for the November 3rd fight, so the big guys know who I am, as far as wanting to fight.  They want to take advantage of the time off I had, I'm sure.  I want to fight two or three undefeated guys, get some good wins on TV, and get some of these guys that people think are good.  Then I want to go for the big one.  It's time, I'm 28, I feel able, willing and ready to fight any of those guys that I mentioned.  Maybe the cruisers, but I would even entertain a heavyweight.  I want to get something to get some buzz back out there about my name, whatever it takes. 

GL:  Did you see the Haye-Mormeck fight?

BJF:  Yes I did, it was bad-ass, man.  It was a great fight.  I saw just the 6th and the 7th round.  I heard Haye went down in the 4th, and was almost out.  Then, I heard he came back, and I saw that part.  He's tough as hell, he's a good puncher, he's going up to heavyweight.  I heard he might already have clearance to fight the WBA cruiserweight champion . He's going to make a lot of money right there.

GL:  Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

BJF:  Something   I could put him on the top.  Shawn Hawk, they're fighting this guy 18 or 19-0.  Supposedly he's really good, with all that punching power, put him in with me.  The Escalera kid, we saw him on ESPN, his father is a great fighter.  He's undefeated, about the same record as me, put him in with me.  Palacios, he just knocked out, Luis Azile, put him in the ring with me.  Palacios and I have already fought twice.  I heard about what he was saying, about me getting tired, and him headbutting me, or something like that.  The first time, I beat the hell out of him.  The second time, they stopped the fight.  I'm not saying it was a clean knock out.  In the second fight, there was an accidental head-butt.  In the amatuers, they just stop the fight in a situation like that, so I'm not saying the second fight was fair.  The first fight was clear cut, don't make excuses to do it again in the pro's.  It's going to be the same result.   

M

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