Wild Vegas wager on Flores to win Thursday night

The resumption of sports, particularly in Las Vegas, also means that wagering on them has begun to crank back up. And, heading into the co-main event of Thursday night’s Top Rank Boxing card in “Sin City,” a massive wager has been put on the co-main event fight involving, Gabriel Flores, Jr.

The unbeaten Flores is set to take on Josec Ruiz in a 10-round lightweight about and a publicity person for the MGM Grand, where the fight will be held, put out this social media post late Wednesday morning Pacific time:

Woah! For the boxing match tomorrow at MGM Grand, @BetMGM took a $187,847.35 bet to win $4,173.95, bet was placed ar MGM Grand, Gabriel Flores, Jr. at -4500. ???

— Elisa (@ElisaRichardson) June 17, 2020

That’s right. You are reading correctly.

The Wager is over $187,000 on Flores to win with 45 – 1 odds. And, that will yield the better just under $5,000 for his trouble.

Massive risk for little reward.

Now, it should be noted that there are typically massive, crazy wagers being placed all the time in Las Vegas on sports, and it’s common that some don’t yield a lot of money for the winning bet.

Still, it’s eye-opening to see something like that for a fighter that is not one of the top names or draws in the world. And, it obviously speaks more to the professional gamblers having so little to wager on in terms of the biggest professional sports in the U.S. due to Coronavirus, that they’re turning to things like boxing, even with extraordinary risk for such little return.

As for Flores, he is a rising star in the lightweight division. Currently 17-0, 6 KOs, Flores was last in the ring in February winning a 10 round decision in Vegas over Matt Conway on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder undercard.

Hailing from Stockton, CA, Flores has fought to loud, packed crowds in his hometown and nearby Fresno, CA, in the last two years.  However, when, he fights in the “Top Rank bubble” Thursday night without fans, it will be the third time in the last four fights he’s been in Las Vegas.

The Flores-Ruiz 10 rounder will immediately proceed former two division World Champ Jose Pedraza taking on Mikkel LesPierre in their 10 round Lightweight main event for Top Rank at the MGM Grand on ESPN Thursday night.