The Premier Boxing Champions event set for July 19 (July 20 Japan time) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will feature a main event in which 46-year-old former six-division world champion Manny Pacquiao (Philippines, 62-8-2, 39 KOs) challenges WBC World Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios (USA, 29-2-1, 18 KOs) for the title.
The undercard has now been announced. Former WBC World Featherweight Champion and current WBC No. 3 and WBA No. 5 contender Brandon Figueroa (USA, 25-2-1, 19 KOs) will face Joet Gonzalez (USA, 27-4, 15 KOs), who is ranked No. 4 by the WBO, No. 10 by the WBC, and No. 12 by the IBF in the featherweight division.
Figueroa suffered a one-sided unanimous decision loss and was dethroned in his rematch against Stephen Fulton (USA, 23-1, 8 KOs) on February 1 (February 2 Japan time) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Before the fight, Figueroa confidently declared, “I’m definitely in my prime right now. I feel strong and I can’t wait to show it all in the ring.” With most predictions leaning in his favor, the loss came as a shocking upset.
Determined to bounce back, Figueroa consulted with his father and former trainer, Omar Figueroa Sr., and has now teamed up with veteran Los Angeles-based trainer Manny Robles to prepare for his comeback in a new training environment.
His opponent, Joet Gonzalez, owns two amateur victories over Gervonta Davis (USA), but has lost all three of his previous world title bouts. Most recently, he challenged Luis Alberto Lopez (Mexico, 30-3, 17 KOs) for the IBF World Featherweight Title on September 15, 2023 (September 16 Japan time) in Corpus Christi, Texas, losing by unanimous decision after 12 rounds.
Since then, Gonzalez had been inactive and fell out of the world rankings, but made a strong comeback on March 8 (March 9 Japan time) by defeating Arnold Khegai (Ukraine, 22-2-1, 14 KOs), who was ranked No. 2 by the WBO at featherweight, via unanimous decision over 10 rounds at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California.
Figueroa’s new trainer, Manny Robles, stated, “He’s already a veteran and a former world champion. I’m not trying to change him too much.” Still, how he plans to break down the tough and durable Gonzalez remains to be seen. For Gonzalez, a win over Figueroa could put him in line for a fourth world title shot, so he’ll be highly motivated. A fierce battle is expected.
Also scheduled is a rematch between former WBA World Super Lightweight Champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (Mexico, 27-3-1, 18 KOs)—currently ranked No. 2 by the WBO, No. 3 by the WBC, No. 9 by the IBF, and No. 8 by the WBA at lightweight—and WBC No. 11 ranked super lightweight Ángel Fierro (Mexico, 23-3-2, 18 KOs).
The two fighters first met on February 1 (February 2 Japan time), where Cruz defeated Fierro in a thrilling battle via unanimous decision (98-92, 97-93, 96-94). Despite taking heavy pressure from Cruz’s relentless attacks, Fierro stood his ground, landing counters from the inside. From the opening bell to the final round, the nonstop action electrified the T-Mobile Arena and earned the bout consideration as a Fight of the Year candidate.
Cruz, aiming to reclaim a world title, is looking for a dominant win this time. Fierro, who gained confidence from their first encounter, has been training under renowned trainer Robert Garcia and is determined to get revenge. Another all-out war is expected.
The co-main event on the same card will feature a rematch between WBC World Super Welterweight Champion Sebastian Fundora (USA, 22-1-1, 14 KOs) and former WBO World Champion and current No. 3 contender Tim Tszyu (Australia, 25-2, 18 KOs), who is seeking redemption.
In their first meeting on March 30, 2023 (March 31 Japan time), Tszyu suffered a cut on his forehead from an accidental headbutt at the end of round two. Despite heavy bleeding, he continued to fight but ultimately lost a shocking 12-round decision, surrendering his title. The grueling battle also left Fundora with a broken nose.
Many believed that Tszyu’s loss to Fundora was due to the severe cut and blood loss. However, in his comeback bout on October 19, 2023 (October 20 Japan time) in Orlando, Florida, Tszyu faced IBF World Super Welterweight Champion Bakhram Murtazaliev (Russia/USA, 23-0, 17 KOs) and, despite being the favorite, suffered four knockdowns and was stopped by TKO at 1:55 of round 3.
In what was a devastating and hard-to-watch defeat, Tim Tszyu’s once-strong image was completely shattered, making it clear that his path back to a world title would be a difficult one. On April 6 in Newcastle, Australia, he managed to snap his losing streak with a TKO victory over Joseph Spencer (USA, 19-2, 11 KOs) at 2:18 of Round 4, but he still appeared to lack the confidence he once possessed.
Sebastian Fundora, meanwhile, returned to the ring on March 22 (March 23 Japan time) at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, where he made a successful first title defense with ease, scoring a TKO at 2:51 of Round 4 against Shontele Booker (USA, 23-2, 11 KOs), who was ranked No. 5 by the WBO and No. 13 by the WBC. Despite it being his first fight in nearly a year, Fundora showed no signs of ring rust.
Now, roughly 16 months since their first bout, the rematch is set. While the course of the fight could change depending on Tszyu’s performance, if the damage—both physical and mental—from the Murtazaliev fight still lingers, he risks falling right into Fundora’s trap. With momentum clearly on his side, Fundora could win by an even wider margin than in their previous encounter. Still, many hope to see a determined resurgence from Tszyu.
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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