INACTIVITY at the top level is rife in modern-day boxing. 14 months out of the ring has been too long for Brandon Figueroa, who is desperate to shake off the rust and go to war with Jessie Magdaleno tomorrow evening.
Nicknamed ‘The Heartbreaker’ in part due to his boyish good looks, but mostly due to his grinding down of will, spirit and resolve, Figueroa’s all-action style is prime pay-per-view material.
“Whoever pays to see Brandon Figueroa fight, you’re always going to get your money’s worth. It’s never a boring fight unless my opponents want to be boring,” the Texan exclusively told Boxing News.
“I train 110 per cent. My volume punching, my conditioning, and my stamina will speak for itself. I feel like this Saturday I’m going to bring a lot of tools. I want to show people that I’m very versatile and that I can box, brawl, do a little bit of everything. That’s what makes me a unique fighter with a unique style.”
That unique style is perfectly designed to get the blood pumping in preparation for an all-Mexican showdown between undisputed 168-pound king Canelo and undefeated puncher Jaime Munguia. An eagerness to impress means that winning isn’t enough for Brandon – it’s all about looking good in the process.
“Of course, every chance you get to fight, when I get on an undercard, you’ve got to make a statement, especially in front of the Mexican fans.
“A lot of people underestimate me. My opponents underestimate me. But at the end of the day, one thing for certain is that once they get hit by me, by The Heartbreaker, I always see a little fear in them.
“So I feel like it’s no different. I can’t wait to get it in, mix it up with him and just have an all-action war. I can’t wait,” buzzed Figueroa.
Now plying his own trade up at featherweight, on Monday, a former Figueroa foe will attempt to dethrone the undisputed super-bantamweight king over in Japan.
Figueroa exploited Luis Nery’s defensive gaps when halting the Mexican in seven rounds back in 2021. He feels Naoya Inoue will be able to follow a similar route.
“I fought Nery and he’s a good, strong fighter, but I feel like Inoue is just a complete fighter,” said Figueroa (24-1-1, 18 KOs). “I found a lot of holes in Nery’s style, which I just executed. So I feel like Inoue is going to do the same.”
Fighters rarely admit to overlooking an opponent, especially days before stepping in to the ring. Figueroa is no different and has former world titlist Jessie Magdaleno (29-2, 18 KOs) firmly in sight.
That said, by holding an Interim crown, some matchups are effectively built-in down the line, including a crack at the man one step above him – Rey Vargas.
“First off, we’ve got to get through Jessie,” he agreed. “Then after that, I’m with it to fight Rey Vargas for the [full WBC featherweight] belt. Or rematch Stephen Fulton, Inoue, I mean, there’s just so much.
“Right now my goal is to fight for the world title belt, and that way I can have more of a say-so. But yeah, of course, I want that belt. That’s the fight we’re working on.”
All of those best-laid plans will crumble to dust if Magdaleno is not sufficiently dealt with first, in front of a crowd anticipating violent exchanges.
“The atmosphere is going to be crazy. You’ve always got to go out there and give it your all. And I just can’t wait to do that,” said Figueroa.
