Damon “Pistol” Flores was supposed to compete at the USA Boxing Region-8 Silver Gloves Championships this past week.

The La Rosa Elementary School fifth-grader didn’t make the trip to Nevada after his opposition pulled out of the tournament.

Damian Flores, Damon’s trainer and father, received a phone call from Region-8 Director Joe Zanders last Thursday.

“It’s disappointing because of all the preparation,” Damian said. “We had our flights and everything set up. He’s been constantly training. But I get it. Everyone knows who he is and his body of work. The trainers don’t want to put their kids at risk. He fights at a high level. He’s one of the premier amateurs in the sport.”

Flores (35-3) won the 11-12-year-old Bantamweight 80-pound division championship unopposed.

He was awarded a berth to Nationals.

Flores, who turned 11 on July 31, will compete at the Silver Gloves National Championships, Aug. 30-Sept. 3, in Missouri. He captured the 8-year-old 65-pound title in 2019.

“The goal is to win it all again,” Damian said. “That’s the pinnacle.”

Andre Flores, Damon’s older brother and a freshman at Central Valley High School, was a Silver Gloves national champion in 2019 and 2017.

“I got blessed with gifted children,” Damian said. “But they put the time in. I don’t think he (Damon) grasps the significance of what he’s doing because he’s so young. He’s a crowd pleaser. He doesn’t get hit a lot. He’s got really good movement. He’s slick and crafty. He generates a lot of power. He’s an athlete. He does what he does.”

Flores has claimed five national titles up to this point in his amateur career.

He placed first in the 11-12-year-old Bantamweight 75-pound division at the 2020 USA Boxing National Championships, staged March 25-April 3, in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Seeded first, Flores was the youngest competitor in the 10-person bracket.

He won all three of his fights by unanimous decision.

He didn’t lose a single round.

Flores took first in the 9-10-year-old Pee-Wee 70-pound division at the 2019 USA Boxing Youth National Championships.

He claimed the 8-year-old Pee-Wee 65-pound title at the 2019 USA Boxing National Junior Olympic Championships.

He brought home the 8-year-old Pee-Wee 65-pound open division championship belt from the 2019 Nevada Titles Nationals Boxing Tournament.

Flores finished in first place at the California State Silver Gloves Tournament for the third time last month. He won the 11-12-year-old Bantamweight 80-pound division title on July 24 in Compton.