04.10.08 – by James Slater: Unbeaten 28-year-old cruiserweight contender, BJ Flores of Missouri meets the big-punching Darnell ‘Ding-A-Ling’ Wilson on the 8th of February. At stake will be the USBA 200 pound title, as well as the number one position in the IBF rankings. An explosive bout is all but guaranteed, and the fans who will be tuning in or present live just might be in store for a fight of the year candidate.
Indeed, the internet chatter has been plentiful with regards to this fight for some time now. Seemingly close to a 50/50 fight according to those who follow boxing, Flores-Wilson is, quite simply, one of the very best available all-American match-ups at cruiserweight – and the fans are understandably excited as a result.
With just over one month to go until the fight, BJ Flores very kindly took time out to speak with this writer over the phone today. The friendly and accommodating Flores, currently 20-0-1(13) had the following things to say.
James Slater: Thank you for your time, BJ. Firstly, is the fight with Darnell Wilson definitely signed?
BJ Flores: It’s about 99% signed right now. You see, Dino Duva wanted me to come aboard and has offered me a full promotional contract – it wasn’t just this one fight. There was a lot to consider, obviously. He [Duva] has been real good with me and he brought a lot to the table, but of course I had to think a lot about it all. I’d say everything is almost finalised.
J.S: Have you been in proper training for the Wilson fight though?
BJ F: Yes. I’m weighing around 209 pounds right now, and still have five weeks to go before the fight. I will make weight for this fight very easily.
J.S: Who have you been sparring with?
BJ F: Oh, local guys. In the recent past I’ve also sparred with Vassiliy Jirov and Rob Calloway.
J.S: I heard you KO’d Jirov, any comment?
BJ F: All I’ll say is look it up on You Tube and see for yourself. That’s the only comment I’ll make on the subject.
J.S: So far you are unbeaten at 20-0-1. What about that draw?
BJ F: That was in my fourth pro fight [Vs. Semisi Bloomfield, in November of 2003]. It was actually at heavyweight, that fight. I was knocked down in round 2 and it’s tough coming back [points-wise] in only a four-rounder. I nearly had him out in the 4th, but it went to a draw. I was kind of lucky to get a draw, really.
J.S: Is this fight with Wilson the toughest fight yet for you?
BJ F: Definitely. It’s a risky fight, in that Wilson can punch, he’s got a great chin and everything. But I’m so motivated for this fight. It’s going to be a real exciting fight and it’s not only for the USBA cruiserweight title, it’s also a final eliminator for the IBF world title, held by Steve Cunningham. So, yeah, there’s a lot on the line.
J.S: Do you feel Wilson is as big a puncher as they say?
BJ F: Absolutely. Wilson can punch, I’d say next to David Haye, he’s the hardest punching cruiserweight in the world. But Wilson may be a harder puncher than me, but he’s also one dimensional. I’ve had 130 amateur fights, against guys in all different countries. Wilson hasn’t had that experience. I’m real effective against short guys too (Wilson is 5’10’ to Flores’ 6’2′). The thing is, I’ll match Darnell Wilson whatever he does in there. I’ve fought a lot of guys like Wilson, but he’s never met a fighter like me before.
J.S: How do you rate your own punch power?
BJ F: I can hit hard too, but I don’t go all-out looking for a KO like Wilson does. I’m more versatile in the ring.
J.S: Talking about you amateur fights, did you fight Devin Vargas?
BJ F: I actually fought Devin Vargas three times. I beat him, but he took my spot on the Olympic team in Sydney 2000. What happened was, I was offered too much money to turn pro – money I couldn’t afford to turn down. So, I didn’t go to the Olympics, but I got a real good head start on my pro career instead.
J.S: And who has given you your toughest pro fight so far?
BJ F: I wouldn’t say anyone has really pushed me so far. This fight with Wilson, this is my biggest test so far. This should be a tough fight, a risky fight.
J.S: It’s commendable that the two of you have agreed to face each other. It’s kind of like the old days, where fighters earned a world title fight. Are you looking forward to facing Steve Cunningham?
BJ F: Absolutely. After the Wilson fight, I’ll get the chance to really prove myself against Steve. After that, I’d really like to unify. But, really, I’m not looking past Cunningham at all, so I don’t even want to talk any other names at this point. Obviously, I’d love to face either [Enzo] Maccarinelli or David Haye – if he sticks around at Cruiser. But I have to prove myself against Steve Cunningham first.
J.S: What T.V audience will the Wilson fight get do you think?
BJ F: It’s being shown live on ESPN 2, so it should get to around two million homes. The fight will be all over the place really. A lot of people have been talking about this fight for quite a while. It’s got a lot of fans excited, because it will be a great and very exciting fight. People have wondered for a while what would happen if us two fought each other.
J.S: And what will happen? Do you have a final prediction, BJ?
BJ F: You know what? I’m going to say I will win by KO. The reason is, I don’t think he’ll be able to deal with me for the full 12 rounds. He’ll be strong early, but I figure I’ll stop him in the middle to late rounds.
J.S: Well, best of luck and thanks very much for your time. I really appreciate you talking to me.
BJ F: Thank you. I appreciate you also.