HANOVER, Md. – There is the pursuit and then there is the destination. For Bryan Flores, the action in his main event against Starling Castillo on Friday at the Maryland Live Casino was also representative of where he is in his career.
Flores, a 29-year-old junior welterweight from Mexico, had lost a split decision to Lindolfo Delgado in 2024, the first and only defeat on his record. Flores had won one fight since and was hoping a victory over Castillo would get him closer to a title shot or an elimination bout.
Castillo, a 30-year-old from the Dominican Republic, was elusive but not unreachable. He preferred to move backward or circle away, limiting his offensive engagements without being overly negative. Flores kept coming, kept throwing, incremental progress toward his destination. And eventually he got there, winning a majority decision on the scorecards.
Two judges had it 98-92 and 96-94 for Flores, countering the even 95-95 tally.
Flores moved to 28-1-1 (16 KOs) and in the process showed that he could succeed against a decently skilled opponent. Castillo was no world-beater – he, like Flores, came in unranked at 140lbs by any of the four major sanctioning bodies – but he was 20-1-1 (13 KOs). Don’t be surprised if Flores lands in at least one organization’s ratings on the heels of this fight.
The good news is also bad news. The junior welterweight division is full of talent, yes, but that deep talent pool means there are bigger names who are more proven and better connected, who are higher up in the ratings or more likely to receive opportunities.
Flores will have to continue the pursuit, then, and keep moving closer to each subsequent destination.
Castillo, meanwhile, suffered his first loss in about four years, dating back to a January 2022 defeat to a 10-0 prospect named Otar Eranosyan.
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
