Manuel ‘Gucci Manny’ Flores seeks redemption in fight at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
On a humid afternoon in the Coachella Valley, the rough exhales and rapid footwork of the boxers at the Diaz Training Camp in Indio can be heard between the yells of two coaches providing feedback about the form and technique of boxers amid their training.
Among the trainees at the gym is super bantamweight fighter Manual “Gucci Manny” Flores, who will co-headline the card at the Golden Boy Boxing at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio on Thursday, Sept. 7. The main event will feature former Mexican Olympian and current North American Boxing Federation welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar” Curiel against Brooklyn, New York’s Courtney “BKNY” Pennington.
“Gucci Manny” Flores was undefeated with 15 wins, 11 of which were knockouts until his first professional loss in June against Walter Santibanes. Now, the 24-year-old fighter from the Coachella Valley is looking to redeem himself.
“In my last fight, I was a little too comfortable,” he said. “With this next one, we’re resting, eating and doing everything right by the book. I want everyone to see that the last fight was an off day and that I am an A-class fighter.”
Flores began boxing at the age of 13 and was instantly attracted to the results of discipline and hard work. He also had support from his now 18-year-old cousin, Grant Flores, who joined him early on in training at a boxing gym. Grant will also be part of the fight card on Sept. 7.
The two cousins train with world-renowned brothers and coaches Joel and Antonio Diaz. The Diaz brothers have trained fighters from several countries, including Latin America and Eastern Europe. Some of the most notable fighters include Olympic gold medal winner Bakhodir Jalolov, former welterweight champion and boxing Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley Jr. and Dmitry Bivol, the fighter who beat Mexican boxing superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who had only lost one fight before that in his career.
“I’ve been training with the Diaz brothers all my life,” Flores said. “They’re really close friends with my family from way back, even before I came into the picture. When I came into the gym for the first time, I felt a spark, and it felt like I was supposed to be here.”
In preparation for his matches, Flores spends time with his coaches reflecting on what he could improve for his next fight and sharpening his advantages, including his long reach and increasing his movement around the ring. Another aspect of training involves studying the fighting style, strengths and weaknesses of his opponents.
“If they hate going backward, I’m going to try and push them back; if they don’t know how to fight forward, we’re going to box them out, and if they’re very big, we got to tire them out,” he said. “I also try to remember the fundamentals of boxing because sometimes people forget the basics like the one-twos and straight punches. Those work very well.”
Fighting out of the Coachella Valley, Flores has experienced much support from the locals, which he considers a blessing. The night of his first loss against Santibanes, roaring boos could be heard throughout the venue when the official scorecards by the judges were announced.
“I felt like I let my city down (with) the last fight,” he said. “But that crowd was beautiful; I relive that moment of coming out on that ring. That environment really helps you out.”
According to the U.S. Census, Hispanics in Coachella make up 96 percent of the population, and in Indio makeup 66 percent. Flores, who is Mexican-American, said he feels blessed to share a background and lineage with the hard-working Latino members of the Coachella Valley who cheer him on.
“There are still people in the fields trying to make a dollar and support their family, and when I look at that, It makes me want to give back to the whole community,” he said. “There’s not much here, but there are fighters.”
Golden Boy Boxing
When: 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7.
Where: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio.
Tickets: $35-$65 at fantasyspringsresort.com.