Benjamin Flores Professional boxer of Mexican descent Date of Birth: 24.05.1984 Country: USA

1. Biography of Benjamin Flores
2. Early Life and Immigration
3. Introduction to Boxing
4. Amateur Career
5. Professional Career and Tragic End
6. Remembering Benjamin Flores

Biography of Benjamin Flores

Benjamin Flores was a Mexican-born professional boxer who competed in the flyweight division and tragically lost his life on May 5th due to injuries sustained during a fight.

Early Life and Immigration

Benjamin Flores was born on May 24, 1984, in the city of Morelia, Mexico. At the age of 11, he illegally crossed the border into the United States to reunite with his parents. His father had a work permit in the United States and lived with Benjamin's mother and younger brother in Houston. Benjamin's father had migrated to the US earlier and spent a significant amount of time moving around the West Coast, constantly hiding his relatives from authorities who could potentially deport them. After finding a stable job, he moved to Houston and Benjamin followed suit. Although he initially missed his Mexican friends, Benjamin quickly picked up the English language and settled into his new surroundings.

Introduction to Boxing

Benjamin's father enrolled him in a local boxing gym, where he was introduced to the sport and the boxing ring for the first time. "I didn't watch fights on TV or anything like that," the boxer later recounted. "It was all my dad's idea, who wanted me to achieve something in life." At the age of 13, Benjamin Flores had his first amateur fight, which he won, kickstarting a streak of 25 consecutive victories. Under his father's guidance, he also began weightlifting and running. In Mexico, he would work in the fields after school, and his father wanted boxing to take that place in his life in America.

Amateur Career

Flores had a total of 80 amateur fights, losing only 7 of them. However, he was unable to compete for either the US or Mexican national teams. While he had permission to work and reside in the US, he did not possess American citizenship and feared leaving the country, risking denial of re-entry. Despite these limitations, Flores decided to pursue a professional career.

Professional Career and Tragic End

Competing in the flyweight division, Flores had a total of 23 professional fights, winning 19 and losing 4, with 6 of his victories coming by knockout. His final fight against El Segura proved to be fatal. The championship bout was evenly contested, with the referee allowing the fight to continue until the eighth round, when Flores absorbed a series of unanswered blows, although he remained conscious. A few minutes later, he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, and after five days, he tragically passed away from the injuries sustained in the fight.

Remembering Benjamin Flores

"I knew him since he was 12, 13 years old," said Aaron Navarro, who helped train Flores at a boxing gym in Houston. "He was a great kid who grew up to be a good man." Flores' untimely death shocked the boxing community and served as a reminder of the risks and dangers that professional boxers face in the pursuit of their dreams.