At the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach Florida (on July 28th), Francisco “El Gato” Figueroa’s round 12 KO that sent Mexican fighter Ubaldo Hernandez (22 wins, 18 losses, 10kos) through the ropes made Figueroa the winner of the vacant NABF title. Figueroa’s highly intense bout (the first 12 round fight of his career), which showcased as a main event on Seeno Group’s “Saturday Night Showdown,” now ranks him number 12 in his weight class by The World Boxing Council. Although Hernandez’s record might be looked at as not so great, he is credited with going toe-to-toe against fighters such as Miguel Cotto, Vivian Harris, Jose Cotto, Demetrius Hopkins and Juan Urango.
Figueroa literally went to war with the extremely aggressive Hernandez. However, in round 12 as Hernandez stood blocking a barrage of body shots, Figueroa saw a clear opening. A straight left to the head meant no chance of recovery for. Hernandez. His head went through the bottom rope and legs flew in the air. When officials pulled Hernandez from the ropes to the canvas, he just laid there, unconscious, for nearly five minutes, as Figueroa celebrated coming one step closer to a world title.
Following Figueroa’s November 2006 defeat over fellow Bronx-native Joey Rios (in a bout now popularly known as “The Battle For The Bronx”) Figueroa was looking forward to a match-up that would be credited as the biggest fight of his career.
“Those things made me who I am now,” says Figueroa who, while homeless in 2002, spent a year sleeping in the basement at the Morris Park Boxing Gym in the Bronx. “I’ve come too far to turn back now. I’m very confident that I will be seeing a world title in the very near future.” Figueroa is now managed by Sal Lonano, who once managed the careers of Pauly Malignaggi and Mickey Ward. Veteran trainer Buddy McGirt Sr. is now in Figueroa’s corner as well.
During Miguel Cotto’s Madison Square Garden mega-bout against Brooklyn Southpaw Zab Judah on June 9th those in the know undoubtedly agree that Figueroa’s impact on unbeaten WBA welterweight Champion, Cotto, was evident. As one of Cotto’s chief sparring partner, Figueroa, who once shared the same trainer (Chelo Bentacourt) with Judah, spent a month in Puerto Rico assisting Cotto prior to his HBO pay-per-view ko victory versus Judah.
“When Cotto was fighting Judah everybody was calling my phone and text messaging me telling me how they saw Cotto using my flowboating technique, something he’s never done before,” says Figueroa explaining the components of the flowboating method he innovated. “Flowboating is a bobbing and weaving technique consisting of spinning on the heels and balls of the feet with a movement at the waist.”
Also the chief sparring partner to unbeaten light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, “Vicious” Vivian Harris, Arturo “Thunder” Gatti and others, Figueroa boasts about all of the fighters respective 2006 wins, subsequent to his intense involvement with them. “I’m boxing’s best kept secret,” says Figueroa. “And I’m ready to prove it!”
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