Flores vs Chavez Predictions: Flores floundered in the first fight

Manuel Flores gets a second bite of the cherry on Friday, January 16 as he meets Jorge Chavez in a rematch. The sequel takes place at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California. The event is headlined by another rematch from a recent draw, as Alexis Rocha goes back in with Raul Curiel. DAZN will carry the event live on their platform.

Read on for my Flores vs Chavez predictions ahead of this super bantamweight barnburner.

Flores vs Chavez Odds

Flores is priced at 4/6 to get his long-awaited win over Chavez. The underdog is priced at 13/10 while a repeat of their previous draw weighs in at 16/1.

Flores vs Chavez Fight Preview

The first fight between Flores and Chavez took place in July of last year and it was a highly-controversial affair. The fight saw favourite Flores struggling to get a handle on the movement and speed of Chavez. To the naked eye, it looked for all the world like the 25-year-old underdog was racking up the rounds with intelligent defence and quick-fire salvos that took advantage of the static southpaw in front of him. 

Flores got some shots off in the exchanges but Chavez controlled the distance and had the superior timing. ‘Gucci’ looked ragged, throwing right jabs out of range and eating counter-shots for his trouble. It was a stirring fight and it should have been a star-making night for Chavez.

Instead, Chavez won the fight on just one of the three scorecards. Fernando Villarreal’s sensible 97-93 marker was cancelled out by a brace of 95-95s from Rudy Barragan and Jerry Cantu. The idea behind the fight was an ascension for Flores. Instead, Chavez fought like the boxer destined for better things. On the night, two of the judges clipped his wings.

Credit where it is due, Flores is keen to remove the doubt and get a win over the Mexican at the second time of asking. There has been no shying away from the man who gave him a torrid time this past summer.

Chavez’s motivations are even clearer. The 25-year-old will feel he won the first fight and is battling to put a victory over Flores on his record where it belongs. 

Rematches are always about adjustments, because someone involved will not have got what they wanted in the first fight. This sequel could see a shift in the approach of both men, given the fact Flores took away a draw in a poor display and Chavez was handed a stalemate in exchange for a winning performance.

The need for change where Flores is concerned is clear. The 27-year-old boasts 16 knockouts in 20 victories. That is the sort of power that can change a fight. But against Chavez, he spent too long looking for that one tide-turner. Rather than create openings, he kept his head on a straight line and ate counters when his own offence proved too tentative. If he is to turn the tide, ‘Gucci’ must be prepared to mix it with more gusto than his limp first-fight showing.

Chavez must tread carefully with his own adjustments. Another three, or even two, judges would have given him that first fight. Perhaps his rounds spent on the back-foot did not stick in the minds of the attack-minded scorers, despite Chavez out-landing Flores in those sessions. But if the Mexican chooses to stand and trade too often, it only takes one crack from Flores to end his night.

This should be a good fight this one. The first outing was plenty of fun and this time each man has an incentive to fight with even less caution. Let’s hope that whatever the state of the scorecards this time, it accurately reflects what happens between the ropes.

Flores vs Chavez Full Card

Alexis Rocha vs Raul Curiel

Manuel Flores vs Jorge Chavez

John Ramirez vs Byron Rojas

Jordan Panthen vs Jean Rivera-Pacheco

Joel Iriarte vs Jireh De Los Santos

Fabian Guzman vs Jose Gabriel Rodriguez

Cayden Griffiths vs Lesther Espino

Flores vs Chavez Prediction

Flores will be disappointed with his display in the first fight. He was slow and sluggish against a quick-thinking and fast-moving foe. I reckon ‘Gucci’ Manny fights with more urgency this time and puts those powerful fists to better and more frequent use. I’m picking Flores to win the rematch at 4/6.

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