Boxing
Manuel Flores vs. Jorge Chavez II: Who has the edge heading into their rematch?
Flores vs Chavez II: Subscribe to watch - Friday
After fighting to a majority draw in July, Manuel Flores and Jorge Chavez seek a resolution to their rivalry when they clash in a super bantamweight rematch.
The sequel takes place Friday night at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California, and live on DAZN. Flores-Chavez II will serve in chief support to the Alexis Rocha vs. Raul Curiel II headliner.
When they fought roughly six months ago, Flores (20-1-1, 16 KOs) and Chavez (14-0-1, 8 KOs) could not declare a winner as judges scored it 97-93 for Chavez and 95-95 twice for the majority draw after 10 rounds of action. Each man will look to have his hand raised convincingly this time around.
Will Flores use his reach and power to do just that? Or will Chavez remain undefeated with his biggest win to date? With the anticipation building toward Friday night, DAZN News weighs in with who has the edge entering Flores-Chavez II.
Boxing Styles
Manny Flores owns 3½ inches of reach on Jorge Chavez, but elected to stalk and walk Chavez down instead of trying to use his advantage from the outside off the jab.
The strategy worked in some sequences and backfired during others.
Chavez, very much a rhythm fighter, got to his punches with the better footwork and hand speed. Plus, Chavez was aided by his opponent’s lack of head movement as Flores proved to be a stationary target for much of the bout.
Until Flores shows that he could keep his head off the center line, Chavez might have the edge in this clash of styles.
Edge: Chavez
Power
Flores touts the heavier hands and counts eight more knockout victories to his ledger than Chavez. However, Flores’ lack of movement often negates some of his punching power as he does not leverage the maximum impact of many of his shots.
Meanwhile, Chavez’ power is aided by his agile footwork and hand speed.
That makes this category closer than it should be. Still, Flores takes this one.
Edge: Flores
Mental Warfare
Chavez could take plenty of solace in knowing he outboxed Flores during their initial meeting.
The 26-year-old’s nimble footwork put him in great spots where he often beat Flores to the punch, dictating the pace of the bout with pointed, sharp punching and slick boxing.
One judge had him winning comfortably, 97-93, and although the fight was declared a majority draw, many felt like Chavez did more than enough to win.
Confidence should come with that performance, putting the pressure on Flores to make adjustments for the rematch. The edge here resides with Chavez.
Edge: Chavez
Who has the edge in Flores-Chavez II?
Despite the majority draw on the scorecards, Chavez was a complex, puzzling force for Flores to deal with back in July.
Until Flores shows enough movement of his own, Chavez’ slick brand of sweet science is why DAZN News has him with a 2-1 edge. Flores can change this drastically by taking his head off the center line and doubling down on the power. However, those are lofty asks against a Chavez who is so adept on his feet.
