Undefeated super welterweight Justin “Just in Time” Figueroa (14-0, 11 KO) of Atlantic City recently appeared on 97.3 ESPN with host Josh Hennig to discuss his intense preparation for his upcoming fight on March 7 at Tropicana Atlantic City, promoted by Boxing Insider Promotions. In a candid interview, Figueroa talked about his most grueling training camp to date, his modern world-class coaching system and the community support that has fueled his development. With a tough opponent waiting for him with an 11-2 record, Figueroa is aiming for win number 15 and knockout number 12.
Setting the record straight
The conversation began with Figueroa arriving fresh from a brutal sparring session and having traversed stormy weather and hefty South Jersey traffic to get to the studio. “I survived the weather, the traffic, a few sparring rounds. I’m here. That’s all I know. I got here,” he said. Hennig joked that he temporarily changed the contestant’s nickname from “Just in Time” to “You Survived the Weather.”
Figueroa quickly improved his record, which was incorrectly reported in some places as 16-0. “My current record is 14 wins, zero losses, 11 knockouts and I would like to add another win and another knockout on March 7 at the Tropicana with Boxing Insider Promotions,” he said.
From double-digit values to world-class solutions at your fingertips
Reflecting on his trajectory, Figueroa recalled that just a few years ago, going 10-0 seemed like a milestone. “When you get to 10-0, a lot of guys at the beginning of their career might be one, two, three, four, five and 0. But when you get double-digit wins, you know it’s stern. You’re really good,” he explained.
Figueroa, now 14-0 with a NABF belt on his resume from last year, says the level of competition around him has increased across the board. “Everything is so competitive for me now. I’m sparring with former world champions. I’m sparring with guys who are 14, 15 and 0 years elderly, just like me. I’m sparring with guys who have had 300 amateur fights. I’m in the most real moment right now, and I’m on my way to reaching a world-class level.”
“My Most Uncomfortable Camp”
The bulk of the interview focused on Figueroa’s current training camp – he described it as different from anything he had experienced before. Working with a modern, world-class trainer and going to Cherry Hill for training every day, everything in his daily life changed.
He recalled a sparring session he had earlier in the day in Philadelphia that left a lasting impression. Moving around with several 140-pounders — smaller, faster fighters — Figueroa initially assumed his coach wanted him to do lighter work before the final portion of camp. He was wrong.
“These guys may have been smaller than me, but that doesn’t mean anything in the boxing ring. They touched me. My nose was bleeding. I went through hell today,” Figueroa admitted. “Then it turns out the only kid I sparred with was the number one amateur in the world, and he’s 9-0 as a pro. I’m like, ‘Oh, well, great.’ Nice to know “- after I was tagged.”
Instead of getting discouraged, Figueroa embraced the lesson. “This is probably my most uncomfortable camp because of all the competitive sparring and working with a modern, world-class coach. Everything is modern now. I put myself in an uncomfortable position and I’m starting to get comfortable in this uncomfortable position, but I feel like it will pay off on fight night on March 7 at the Tropicana.”
There is no effortless way out
Figueroa spoke candidly about the mental toll of the sport and why accepting discomfort at this stage is non-negotiable. “If it were effortless, everyone would be doing it. Boxing is the hardest and loneliest sport in the world. There is no effortless way out. Ask Rocky for one of my favorite songs,” he said with a smile.
He described an internal conversation he had with himself after a tough sparring session. “Was I a little sorrowful? Of course that’s normal. But I looked in the mirror, I looked into my eyes and I said, ‘Look, man.’ This is what you asked for. It’s part of the game. Every day won’t be full of sunshine and rainbows. ” But guess what? Before there’s sunshine and rainbows, there’s rain. And then, when there’s rain, there’s sunshine and rainbows.
Figueroa also emphasized the importance of boxing IQ over raw physical attributes. “You may be faster than a guy, you may be stronger than a guy, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to beat that guy just because of your attributes. Sometimes it really comes down to IQ,” he said, drawing comparisons to Tom Brady – a quarterback who achieved success through preparation and intelligence rather than pure athleticism.
The goal of going above and beyond what fight night will require is intentional. Training rounds longer than they actually are, tackling different styles, feeling uncomfortable in the gym – all of this was designed so that when the lights come on on March 7, it feels like the pace is slowing down. “I imagined myself in The Matrix on March 7. Maybe when this guy comes out, it will feel like snail-paced motion to me because of the work I put in behind the scenes,” Figueroa said.
Atlantic City is a struggling city
Beyond his own preparation, Figueroa expressed deep gratitude for the support of the Atlantic City community. “Sometimes I can’t even believe it. The amount of support I get in every fight – it’s a lovely thing that we’ve been able to come together as a community,” he said. From his days at Holy Spirit High School, where he first sparred with his dad, to his headlining gigs at the Tropicana, the local support was unwavering.
“When I step into the ring in Atlantic City, especially for my upcoming fight on March 7, it’s not just me – it’s everyone in that stadium.”
The March 7 gala at the Tropicana Showroom is packed with local talent, and Figueroa made sure to shout out fellow contestants Julio Sanchez, Josh Popper (another Holy Spirit alum), Lia Lewandowski and John Leonardo. “Boxing is coming back to Atlantic City. Atlantic City is a fight town,” he announced.
Figueroa also praised Boxing Insider Promotions founder Larry Goldberg: “He is the standard for a local promoter in the area. If you want to fight here locally, you have to fight for Boxing Insider Promotions.”
Life outside the ring
Hennig congratulated Figueroa on his recent engagement, and the player confirmed the role that personal support plays in his career. “No one can do it solo. Support has to be there for you to reach your full potential,” Figueroa said, thanking his fiancée, fans and Hennig for the platform.
Get tickets
Fans can get tickets directly from Figueroa on Instagram – search @justintimefiguroa or “Just in time Figueroa.” Tickets can also be purchased via Ticket sales manager.
Don’t miss this electric night of boxing March 7 at Tropicana Atlantic City. Justin Figueroa is ready to step into the spotlight – get your tickets now and see the next chapter in his undefeated journey.
Ben Whittaker’s next few months are already taking shape following his quick knockout victory in Liverpool, and Adam Smith outlines a busy summer schedule that should finally see the delicate heavyweight fighter face stronger tests
Smith said Whittaker is expected to return to the United States in overdue June on the Jaron “Boots” Ennis card, then return to the UK in the summer for a major date in his hometown of Birmingham.
Whittaker stopped Brian Suarez in two rounds last weekend and performed brilliantly throughout, adding another early finish to the stretch that helped rebuild attention around him after his first fight with Liam Cameron ended in a draw.
Smith said the June outing would support expose Whittaker to a wider audience ahead of a bigger national night later in the year.
“He will fight at the end of June in America at the Boots Ennis gala. That’s good. Show him to a global audience. Then he will come back here in overdue summer, maybe early September and fight in Birmingham in a huge fight,” Adam Smith said in an interview with Sport Boxing.
Smith also named British opponents who could be next, naming Lyndon Arthur, Brad Rea and Craig Richards as possible options once Whittaker returns home.
Smith believes that in the long term, bigger domestic fights with Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yard should come within the next year if Whittaker continues to win.
“Buatsis and Yards need to be delivered within the next 6-12 months.”
Whittaker has had a lot of notoriety since turning pro, but the activity and matchmaking are looking more grave now. The next two fights should tell more than the first ten.
Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.
Six-division world champion and Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya hasn’t fought since 2008, but revealed he would be willing to return for one fighter.
De La Hoya is a newfangled pound-for-pound legend, being one of only two six-division champions in the history of the sport – joined by Filipino fan favorite Manny Pacquiao, who has reached eighth in this ultra-elite club.
While De La Hoya has moved on to promote the sport, “Pac Man” recently returned to the pro ranks, challenging Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title last July in an attempt to break his own record as boxing’s oldest 147-pound ruler.
Pacquiao could only get a draw in that fight, but now he’s ready for an even bigger fight – at least financially – after signing a contract for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, who defeated him in 2015 in the “Fight of the Century.”
If that fight takes place in September, Mayweather will come out on top again, De La Hoya said Fighting the noise that he would also be willing to have a rematch with Mayweather.
“I am a fighter. I will always be a fighter. If Mayweather beats Pacquiao, Floyd, you owe me a rematch! Let’s go!”
Mayweather defeated De La Hoya by split decision to win the WBC super lightweight title in 2007, and De La Hoya still maintains he deserved to win the fight.
Today is April 24, 2026, and after eight arduous years of trying, the Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua fight is off the table for good, ending one of boxing’s longest-running failed negotiations.
The last window closes
Both sides had one good opportunity to get the job done and promoter Eddie Hearn now closed it down tough. The Matchroom boss has outlined the level of opponent Joshua’s next fight will be aimed at, and it won’t be thrilling for those still hoping for Wilder.
Hearn initially branded Wilder a ‘warm-up’ for Joshua after the ‘Bronze Bomber’ sent Derek Chisora to the points. However, less than a few weeks later, that position appears to have evaporated.
Instead, Joshua will now likely face lower-level opponents outside the top 15 to shake off the ring rust. It is unclear whether these instructions are coming directly from Saudi Arabia or not, but the former two-time heavyweight champion is not expected to enter a potential fight with Tyson Fury this fall after beating the YouTuber over the course of five one-sided rounds.
The Path of Fury takes priority
Joshua, who recorded wins over the likes of Otto Wallin and Jermaine Franklin before suffering a devastating stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois, is currently in advanced talks with Fury following his performance on Saturday after “The Gypsy King” defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Once negotiations are finalized and the fight is secured, British fans can look forward to the most crucial heavyweight battle in the British Isles since Frank Bruno vs. Lennox Lewis.
To achieve that, Joshua needs to fight a transition fight, and that means he won’t take any chances against Wilder, despite the American’s dwindling strength.
Wilder will now be forced to leave, and given his current form, he may struggle to maintain his current position until any Fury series ends.
Joshua vs. Fury could stretch into two or even three fights, while Wilder will turn 41 in October, which puts him firmly on the wrong side of the age divide.
Heavenly sports
How it all started
The attention for the former WBC ruler could instead turn to Andy Ruiz Jr., who – as WBN reported exclusively in 2020 – was once lined up for a massive pay-per-view clash with Wilder after the Fury trilogy.
It never materialized, but it remains one of the few remaining realistic options that still holds real intrigue.
The plan began with Shelly Finkel’s phone call to WBN in June 2018. It will end in a whimper as Joshua and Hearn choose their next move ahead of the Fury fight.
How it ended
Eight years later, it has only come close to reaching significance once, in 2023, and even then the Day of Reckoning plan fell through.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
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