From Atlantic City To San Antonio: 154 lb Prospect Justin Figueroa Looks To Turn The Heat Up In Texas

“Big shoutout to my father, who was like a drill sergeant to me and my little brother growing up. Living in tough neighborhoods, we had to learn how to fight. One day, I was outside, and I got jumped by five kids. My dad kept me in the house for two years as he taught me how to fight boxing-wise. So after those two years, he let me back outside, and I began to beat up everyone in the neighborhood.”

That was Figueroa’s introduction to the fight game. But even after learning those skills, he had other dreams he wanted to pursue, specifically becoming a pro football player. In High School, his first two years academically were bad, and although he would pick up his grades in the last two years, it wouldn’t be enough for him to play football for a big college, so he attended Rowan University, a Division III school, for a semester.

Returning To His First Love While Also Finding It In Other Places

That summer, Figueroa was 215 pounds as he still had football in mind, but after getting on with the Atlantic City Beach Patrol, he decided to slim down so he could have “a beach body for the ladies.” This is when he began to get into boxing again at the Atlantic City PAL.

“I got down to 185 while training at the Atlantic City PAL and began to move around with some of the guys”, said Figueroa. “I forgot how good I was and that I used to win a lot as a kid. That’s when I thought, ‘maybe I can do this.”

Once 2020 came around and we were hit with the global pandemic, Figueroa got away from boxing and went back to chasing women around. After realizing he couldn’t do that forever, he met his current lady, and from there, he became more focused on boxing. Before deciding to turn pro, Figueroa did his research and looked around for a promoter and representation for “six to seven months.” He was offered a promotional contract, but something didn’t feel right about it, especially after reading Adrian Clark’s (CEO of Fighters First Management) book “Protect Yourself At All Times.”

Figueroa would message Clark on Instagram and ask him if he could look over the proposed deal. After about a week, Clark asked Figueroa if he could introduce him to Fighters First Management President Jolene Mizzone. Figueroa would later sign a deal with Fighters First Management and is now headlining a card in San Antonio on Saturday night. When asked about how it all came together, Figueroa simply said, “Everything in my career has felt like I’ve been destined for this.”

“Mr. Atlantic City”

After 12 fights, Figueroa will fight for his first regional title, which he fully intends on bringing back to his hometown, where he is now being known as “Mr. Atlantic City.” His opponent on Saturday, Tennant, is a fighter who has never been stopped and has gone the distance with guys like Brandon Adams, Kendo Castaneda, Marques Valle, and others.

If Figueroa is truly ready for the next level, then the expectations are that he will put on a show for the Texas crowd. If he isn’t, Tennant is the type of fighter who could expose him. If all goes well for Figueroa on Saturday night, then it’s a homecoming fight in November so he can continue to build his momentum in Atlantic City.

When Figueroa enters the ring at the Boeing Center at Tech Port, fight fans will find out if he is a real prospect or a pretender. All signs point towards Figueroa becoming a name in the northeast soon, so a statement win could send him on that path quicker than expected. Can Figueroa once again boost life into a part of New Jersey that hasn’t been alive since the Arturo Gatti Days? We are days away from finding out if he truly can.

You can watch Figueroa vs. Tennant along with the rest of the fight card for FREE on the Desi Martinez Promotions YouTube page (CLICK HERE).