Trevor Bryan Crushes BJ Flores, Wins Interim WBA Heavyweight Title

PHOENIX, AZ (August 11, 2018) — Unbeaten contender Trevor Bryan (20-0 14KOs) delivered a convincing fourth-round knockout of B.J. Flores (34-4-1 21KOs) in the WBA Interim Heavyweight title bout on Saturday night in Phoenix. 

Bryan floored Flores three times each in the third and fourth rounds as the faded former cruiserweight champ took a loss in his first real competition at heavyweight.  

Flores was the busier fighter in a slow first round before Bryan stepped up his workload in round two.  Both fighters began mixing it up in round three, and a body shot sent Flores to his knees.  He kept popping up, but Bryan was quick to send him back to the canvas and he notched six total knock downs.

Bryan is now the third heavyweight titlist in the WBA, behind regular champion Manuel Charr and Super Champion Anthony Joshua.  He made it known after the fight that he’s ready to unify his belt with Charr, who is scheduled to fight Fres Oquendo next month.

“Whoever wins out of Charr and Oquendo, I want to fight.  I want to unify.”

Flores took the tough loss in front of his hometown crowd and his career is now at a crossroads.  He has lost three of his past six fights, and this was his one shot to make a mark at the heavyweight division.  Flores admitted that he abandoned his game plan and it cost him.

“For seven weeks my game plan was to stay outside and box,” Flores said.  “He took that away from me and I give him credit.  I got off my game plan.”

That was Bryan’s intention, knowing he’d be facing a quicker, smaller former cruiserweight.

“I knew once I cut the ring off it was over.  I kept going to the body.”

The hungry Bryan is ready to face all comers now that he has a belt.  Don King made an appearance as Bryan’s promoter.

In undercard action, gatekeeper Roberto Yong (6-14-2, 4KOs; age 34) ended an eight-fight losing streak with a majority decision win over the elder Fidel Hernandez (19-5, 10KOs).  Yong’s length, speed and counterpunching gave him the advantage over the older Hernandez, who turns 41 later this month. 

Lightweight and crowd favorite Trini Ochoa (3-0 1KO) earned a four-round unanimous decision win over Mexican challenger Arturo Izaguirre (1-1 1KO).  Featherweight Jesus Ibarra (5-0 3KOs) made quick work of Enrique Almada (0-2) with a sharp kidney shot to end the fight inside the first minute.  Luis Espinoza (9-1 3KOs) knocked out Christian Raudry (3-6-1 3KOs) twice in the first round and held on for unanimous decision victory in six rounds of super flyweight action.  In a rematch between local heavyweights, Dante Stone (2-1 1KO) avenged his only loss with a four-round split decision win over Waldo Cortes Acosta (2-2 1KO).  Stone knocked Acosta down twice in round two.  In the night’s first bout, welterweight Isaac Luna (2-0) battled to a unanimous decision win against Eric Montoya in a scrappy fight.  Montoya was making his pro debut.