Former two-division world champion Brandon Figueroa has isolated himself from family ahead of his July 19 fight against Joet Gonzalez (27-4, 15 KOs), which opens the PPV card headlined by Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios.
The 28-year-old Figueroa (25-2-1, 19 KOs) from Weslaco, TX, hasn’t been as busy as he should be, fighting only once a year since 2022. Inactivity has plagued many young fighters for one reason or another, but the more notable ones have come from Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), who have done fewer shows since parting ways with Showtime at the end of 2023.
But things have been different for Figueroa this year, and although he lost in February against Stephen Fulton Jr. in their long-awaited rematch, having a quick turnaround looks to be what Figueroa needs at this point of his career to get things back on track.
Rumors Of A Fight With Nick Ball Were True
Before the fight with Gonzalez was formally announced, sources had revealed to FightsATW that Figueroa was negotiating a fight against WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball. With Figueroa being at the L.A. presser, it was a prime opportunity to ask him about whether that was true.
“Yes, of course,” said Figueroa when asked about the rumors of a Ball fight. “My dad had called me and said, ‘Nick Ball’. I said ‘Yes’ right away as I never back down from anyone. And then he offered me Joet (Gonzalez), and I said, ‘Yes.’ I never said no (to the Ball fight). I’m just here to fight. Whoever they present me up front, let’s prepare and let’s get it, and now, with my new trainer Manny Robles, we’ve been preparing amazingly these last few weeks, and I’m just excited to go out there and showcase my skills.”
So, although a fight with Ball would have been an all-out brawl, Figueroa opted for the Gonzalez fight, which will likely produce the same type of fireworks. As far as Ball, reports have surfaced that he will likely defend his title against Luis Nery later this year.
Making A Tough Decision
Once the fight between Figueroa and Gonzalez was agreed upon, then it was time for the “Heartbreaker” to begin training camp. In the past, that’s been a split between his time at the family gym in his hometown of Weslaco and Coachella Valley in California. His Father would be by his side; his sister would be there to help with conditioning, and the rest of the family would help with any other tasks left to accomplish.
For this fight and at this point in his career, Figueroa made the hard decision to leave his family behind to do something he’d never done before: go through a training camp without them. Figueroa is coming off of a loss and, at 28, felt like the time was right to make a change. He opted to hold his training camp in Los Angeles with new trainer Manny Robles and entrusted Robles’ team to handle the tasks his family would have normally handled in previous training camps. Figueroa sees that as a necessary sacrifice in order to reach the next level.
“As you can see, I don’t have my family with me,” Figueroa told FightsATW. “I love my family, and I’m very grateful for everything they have done for me. But for me, it was more like me as a man; I had to leave the nest. The way I see it, I pause my life for three months to train hard, and I don’t like the fact they come with me and are suffering the same.
“I told them, ‘I can take care of you guys without being here with me. Thank you. I feel like this is a venture that I need to do for myself and for my career if I want to get to that next level.’ They understood, and I’ve been here (L.A.) with Manny (Robles) ever since.”
Figueroa vs. Gonzalez = War?
This fight between Figueroa and Gonzalez has the potential of being a war on July 19. Figueroa is a fighter who throws a thousand punches a fight, and Gonzalez does not move around, preferring to engage from mid-range. Although Gonzalez has four losses, he has never been stopped. After beginning with Golden Boy Promotions, then going to Top Rank, and now being on his own, Gonzalez, at 31, likely sees this as a crossroads fight, which makes him that much more of a dangerous opponent.
They say styles make fights, so in that case, on paper, this fight looks to ensure that you watch the PPV from the start because if you don’t, you may miss out on an all-action brawl to open the night.
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