Prospect of the Month (April): Jordan Flynn
The super featherweight division is one of the most wide-open divisions. No pound-for-pound names, no dominant force in the division. It is also loaded with British fighters. That makes it the perfect division for a hot shot prospect from the UK to rapidly shoot up the ratings and work himself into a title position. That's exactly what this month's "Prospect of the Month'' Jordan Flynn of Oxford, UK, is looking at. Flynn moved to 9-0 (1) on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua- Michael Polite Coffie card at the 02 Arena in London. Flynn outclassed and rolled to a points victory over the rugged Kane Baker, a veteran of nearly 30 pro bouts.
The Oxford native certainly took a massive step up and took the biggest test of his professional career with Baker of Birmingham, England. Flynn came out quickly, working behind his jab and building an early lead on the cards. He scored with quick combinations and used his athleticism and speed to avoid the return fire of the Birmingham native. However, by the middle rounds, Baker was able to get his undefeated opponent into a scrap on the inside and started tattooing him with right hands and hooks on the inside. He was appearingBaker was evening up the fight and wiping away the early lead built up by Flynn. Going into the final two stanzas the fight looked up for grabs. Flynn, adjusted, bit down, and got back to what got him there, boxing from the outside and outkicking his man. He was able to do just that and closed the show in spectacular fashion. Getting the nod on the scorecard 77-75. Flynn closed out a fight that he may have been made closer than it needed to be, in a professional fashion. Handling business the last six minutes and removing all doubt. Post-fight, the victorious Flynn conceded, “I feel like I won the first four rounds comfortably and then let him get back into it in the fifth and sixth rounds because I switched off a bit...I’ve got too much heart, and you’ve got to bottle that up a little bit.”
Flynn, a protege of Anthony Joshua and signed to his 285 Management, is being fast-tracked to a world title fight in the 130-pound weight class. He is fighting every couple of months and stepping up in competition level each time out. The exact recipe for getting a young fighter into title contention. Fortunately for the undefeated Oxonian, he has a plethora of talented super featherweights he can continue to step up against and won't have to leave his home country for. Youssef Khoumar or Levi Giles would be good step-up opponents for his next fight. Should he pass that test, why not move him and look at matching him with names like Zelfa Barrett or Michael Gomez Jr? The names and fights are available for Flynn to get into title contention in a hurry. The skills are there, the management team is on board, and we could certainly see Flynn fighting for a world title by late 2024.
