Gabriel Flores Jr vs Jayson Velez
Scott Christ (4-1-1)
Velez is what he is, a solid gatekeeper sort at this point in his career, so the question is mostly whether or not Flores gets past the gate. Flores is young, doesn’t turn 21 until May, and has some good skills, which he’s been able to show off on various Top Rank undercards and in one makeshift main event last summer.
Velez is a step up for him, though. Now 32, Velez has generally lost to the better fighters he’s faced, and while I think he’s a good matchup for Flores right now, I expect the prospect to get through it. Velez will basically have to overpower Flores to have any chance. Flores’ lack of pop is really his biggest concern, because while he’s clearly a good boxer, the question of whether he’s a great one is also still up in the air. I think he’s good enough already to get past this step, but the jury will still be out further up the ladder.