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.
Roy Jones Jr has named one fighter as the “new Canelo” and, by extension, considers them to be the ‘face of boxing’.
Some might argue that Canelo Alvarez remains boxing’s biggest commercial star but, with the 36-year-old approaching retirement, the sport is surely crying out for another mainstream attraction to take his place.
It is also unusual for the four-division world champion that, by the end of this year, he will not have fought on Cinco de Mayo or Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Instead, occupying the latter date earlier this month was Ryan Garciawho retained his WBC world title with a second-round stoppage of Conor Benn, taking his record to 21 knockouts from 26 victories, with just two defeats.
In doing so, the 28-year-old has kept himself in the mix for unification matches with Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney but, until such fights materialise, he seems eager to remain active and defend his welterweight belt.
As far as a next opponent goes, Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz has been mentioned as a possible option following his emphatic sixth-round knockout of Nestor Bravo last weekendand it seems that pound-for-pound legend Jones would enjoy that clash.
That is because Jones has told All The Smoke Boxing that Garcia-Cruz is a stylistically similar matchup to Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier.
“Ryan is the new Canelo – everybody wants to see Ryan.
“[Cruz] has the style – the perfect style – that you want to see against Ryan. Ryan’s a classic boxer-puncher; Pitbull is a brawler-puncher. That’s Ali and Frazier, almost.
“Who would not, on planet Earth, want to see that fight?”
“Ryan is the new Canelo!”
Roy makes the case for Pitbull Cruz vs Ryan Garcia being one of the most exciting fights to make in boxing 🎟️👊 pic.twitter.com/PWVwO68sTj
— ALL THE SMOKE Boxing (@atsboxing) September 22, 2026
While Cruz is, indeed, a tenacious brawler-puncher, the 5ft 4in super-lightweight would be contending with a glaring size disadvantage if he moves up to 147lbs and faces Garcia.
A pair of German prospects hope to follow in the footsteps of Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, who became the first brothers to simultaneously reign as world heavyweight champions.
The two highly-decorated Ukrainians achieved this feat between 2008 and 2013, after Vitali reclaimed his WBC title by dethroning Samuel Peter with an eighth-round finish.
‘Dr. Ironfist’ would then retire from the sport and pursue his political career, while Wladimir became the longest-reigning world heavyweight champion in history before losing to Tyson Fury in 2015.
While holding all four major titles between them, though, the Klitschko brothers established themselves as a dominant force and became mainstream celebrities in Germany.
Since then, the German boxing scene has struggled to generate such widespread attention but, now, over a decade later, Ismet Ademi (24) and Endrit Ademi (21) are bidding to emulate the Klitschko duo.
With seven national titles between them, the pair turned professional earlier this year and caught the eye of several promoters in the UK and US.
It can now be revealed, however, that the Ademi brothers have inked multi-year deals with Ringside Zone, who considers itself the leading boxing promotional outfit in Germany.
With Ismet returning to action on October 10, the 1-0 (1 KO) prospect explained that he and younger brother Endrit, 2-0 (2 KOs), would rather establish themselves on home soil than chase opportunities overseas.
“My brother and I had massive offers from abroad, but Germany is our home and this is where we want to build our legacy.
“Ringside Zone has already shown they can put German fighters in world title fights, and that mattered to us. We made a promise to each other years ago that we would become world champions together – signing here is another step toward keeping it.”
With lofty plans for the future, the Ademi brothers make for intriguing additions to the heavyweight scene as they aim to eventually reach world level and reach the heights that the Klitschko brothers once did.
Muhammad Ali once revealed who he believed to be the pound-for-pound greatest fighter of all time.
Ali is arguably the biggest name to ever grace boxing, becoming a global cultural figure not just for what he accomplished inside of the ring, but also for his activism efforts outside of it.
He was a three-time world heavyweight champion, and claimed wins in a number of epic battles, including the ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ against George Foremanand the ‘Thrilla In Manila’ against Joe Frazier.
Ali finished with a record of 56 wins from his 61 professional bouts, and despite all of his success, Ali conceded that another man ranked above him as the number one fighter in boxing history, admitting that he feels Sugar Ray Robinson is deserving of that honour.
“That man was beautiful. Timing, speed, reflexes, rhythm, his body, everything was beautiful.
“I’d say I’m the greatest heavyweight of all time, but pound-for-pound, I still say Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest of all time.”
Robinson competed professionally from 1940 to 1965, having a remarkable 201 fights during that time, winning 174 of them. At his peak, Robinson once had a record of 129 wins from 132 fights, with 85 of those wins coming by knockout.
He went on a 91-fight unbeaten streak during that time, as he held the world welterweight title for five years, before becoming world middleweight champion on multiple occasions.
Ali isn’t the only boxing legend that believes Robinson is the best ever, with fellow heavyweight icon Mike Tyson also sharing the same view.
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