BJ Flores Debuts at Heavyweight: Caleb Plant, Nyambayar Win

Boxing Scene - By Boxing Clever

Three fighters advised by boxing power broker Al Haymon secured victories on Saturday night.

At the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona - BJ Flores (33-3-1, 21 KOs) made his official debut as a heavyweight, and demolished Jeremy Bates (26-19-1, 22 KOs) in the first round. Bates went down twice before the fight was waved off.

Flores, who weighed a solid 223-pounds for the fight, was having issues with making the cruiserweight limit. Last October, he squeezed down one final time to challenger WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew. After started well in the first round, Flores was caught by a punch that he never saw coming and was eventually stopped in the third round.

After Deontay Wilder retained the WBC heavyweight crown with a knockout of Gerald Washington, there were two fights which were televised on Fox Sports 1 from the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

In a super middleweight fight, unbeaten Caleb Plant (15-0, 10 KOs) continued his impress run with a ten round unanimous decision over durable Thomas Awimbono (25-7-1, 21 KOs). Plant dropped Awimbono in the first round, and then got the better of the action with hard shots for the rest of the way. The scores were 100-89, 99-90, 100-89.

Also on the card, junior lightweight prospect Tugstsogt Nyambayar (8-0, 8 KOs), who won a silver medal in the 2012 Olympic games, stopped Jhon Gemino (15-8-1, 7 KO) in the tenth and final round. Tug sent Gemino down in the third, twice in the sixth, and again in the tenth before the fight was waved off.

CALEB PLANT

"Tonight was about staying controlled. I didn't want to go out there and force anything. I just wanted to relax and settle in behind my jab, use my faints, and just take the shots that were there for me.
 
"I'm hoping that a win like this opens up some doors for me. The 168 lbs division is in my back pocket. I'm just taking it one fight at a time and we'll reach our goal.
 
"Going the distance to get a win over an experienced fighter like Awimbono shows a lot about my potential. He's been in there with some great fighters, but I fought my fight and got the win.
 
"I dropped him early with a flurry, but it's hard against a guy who didn't want to engage. You've got to take what they give you. Otherwise I risk going in too aggressive and getting caught off guard, which I can't allow. I have to remain patient and find my spots.
 
"I'm hoping for bigger fights every time. We don't want any soft touches. I've been trying to get fights with some top prospects, guys with some minor titles, but they won't take the fight. I can't let that bother me though, because I know I'm a high risk for these guys. It might be early in my career, but I can make the adjustments and do it all."
 
TUGSTSOGT NYAMBAYAR
 
"It meant a lot to get a win like that against a rugged fighter on short notice.
 
"We were looking for a knockout much earlier, but Gemino was really tough tonight. He showed a lot of heart, but thankfully we got the win.
 
"Even though this was a heavier weight than I'm used to fighting at, I had no problem handling his size.
 
"Fighting on a card like this on FS1 and FOX Deportes means the world to me. This was a big opportunity to showcase my skills.
 
"I want anyone they put in front of me next. I'll face whoever."
 
JHON GEMINO
 
"I'm not trying to make excuses, but we took this fight on very short notice. I'm very frustrated with my performance tonight.
 
"I'll do everything I can to get another fight in the U.S. and I promise to always give it my all. I hope the fans enjoyed our fight tonight.
 
"I'm willing to fight anyone, I just wish I had more time to prepare for Nyambayar."