- Jose Nunez beat Bryan Flores by unanimous decision over ten rounds at the El Paso County Coliseum on Friday night, with scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94
- Jose Nunez moves to 19-0-2 (8 KOs), keeps his WBA regional belt and picks up the WBC FECARBOX super lightweight title. Flores drops to 29-2-1
- My view: Jose Nunez has earned a world title eliminator in 2027, and I think he wins it
Jose Nunez vs Bryan Flores: The Result
Right then, Friday night in Texas gave us a proper result. Jose Nunez went into El Paso as the man with the thinner résumé and came out of it with a unanimous decision over Bryan Flores. The judges had it 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94, all for the Panamanian.
Flores was the one with the name. He came in at 29-1-1 with 16 knockouts, ranked No. 11 by the WBC and No. 15 by the IBF. Nunez came in 18-0-2. On paper this was Flores's fight to lose. In the ring, it never really was.
How Jose Nunez Won It
The Early Rounds
Nunez set the tone straight away. He worked the body in combinations, then stepped out of range before Flores could fire back. It was disciplined, tidy stuff and it banked him the first half of the fight.
The Middle Rounds
Fair play to Flores, he found a way back in. He had his best spell in the middle rounds and nicked a few of them. But the Panamanian never panicked and never dropped his guard, and that is the sign of a fighter who believes in his game plan.
The Finish
Round nine got messy. Two accidental clashes of heads opened a cut above Flores's right eyebrow, and he did well to carry on. Then Nunez dominated the tenth and left the judges with no doubt. Ending strong in a close fight is class.
What The Win Means For Jose Nunez
Jose Nunez is 27, now 19-0-2 with eight knockouts, and he keeps his WBA Continental Americas belt while adding the WBC FECARBOX title. More importantly, he has taken a ranked contender's spot. Flores drops to 29-2-1 and will need a rebuild.
Make no mistake, the knockout count does not jump off the page. He is not a puncher. But he is clever, he is fit for ten hard rounds and he does not fold when the other man has a good spell.
My Prediction For What Comes Next
Let's not beat around the bush. Nunez has announced himself at 140 and the sanctioning bodies will have to reward him. I expect him to land a world title eliminator in 2027, and I am backing him to win it. He might lack one-punch power, but he has the engine and the brains to outwork most of the contenders above him in the rankings.
As for Flores, he is too good to disappear. A couple of wins and he is right back in the mix.