Gabe Flores Sr. knows how to throw a party – which might explain why boxing promotion comes so naturally to him.
Flores, the founder of G-Squad Entertainment, successfully hosted his second show at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton, Calif., where his son who he also trains, Gabriel Flores Jr. (24-2, 8 KOs), won an eight-round unanimous decision over Ronal Ron (14-7, 11 KOs).
Flores has now organized two successful events, both of which he refers to as “big parties.” The first one, at the Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, saw almost 6,000 attendees, while this past weekend, around 4,000 braved the blistering heat to attend. Flores is looking to take his entrepreneurial spirit to the next level over the next couple of years.
“Some people thought I was crazy for throwing an event in 101-degree weather at the ballpark outside,” Flores said. “But it turns out I have some great friends, about 4,000 of them. Each event we do is like a party – we have a good time and we want to make sure the people that come out feel safe and know they can enjoy themselves.”
Flores trained his son as an amateur, holding public events and fundraisers to finance their travels to tournaments and gain international experience. These events were known for having video performances, open bars, and live dancing.
A ticket to a Flores fundraiser was a coveted commodity as they would often sell-out. Those events of the past have built long-standing relationships in the Stockton community. Although Flores now resides in Las Vegas, he still visits often and has exclusively hosted shows in Stockton, with plans to expand. From local restaurants Midgley’s to Chase Chevrolet and even Chicken Ranch Casino, the Flores family has established strong ties with local businesses that help with their outreach.
“We have the support of the local community from the years dating back to the amateurs when Gabriel was young,” Flores said. “Now we are just trying to do things bigger and bigger with each event. We didn’t have television for this fight, but we treated the event like a big-time show with Lupe Contreras as the announcer, high-quality lighting, and an elaborate fireworks display at the end.”
Those helping Flores with G-Squad are not typical corporate types but lifelong friends and family members learning on the job, as very few of those involved with G-Squad Entertainment are industry-people in boxing. Instead, they are simply close friends giving it their all.
“I have people I trust running the company with me because I know they will do a good job,” Flores said. “This is a family business, and we are working hard to make each show even better.”
When asked about the goals for the future, Flores was direct: “We have two goals: a broadcast deal and to expand and travel to other regions.
“We want to do different things and invest in the fans. For this show, we had a lengthy fireworks show that concluded the night and sent people home happy. We’re not just a promotional company, we;re an entertainment entity. And we take pride in that.”