By: Sean Crose
The 11-0 Justin Figueroa returns to action Saturday night when the 26 year old Jersey fighter slips between the ropes to face the 10-3-1 Mario Gaston Rios. The super featherweight affair is scheduled for six and will be the main event of a Boxing Insider card hosted by the Tropicana in Atlantic City. The event will be aired live by the DAZN streaming service starting at 7 PM eastern time. With only two of his fights having gone the distance, Figueroa is earning a reputation as a rising force in the division. He’s also proven to be quite popular when he appears on Boxing Insider cards.
With that being said, Argentina’s Rios isn’t going to show up in Atlantic City on Saturday simply to collect a paycheck. At this point in the 35 year old’s career, a win over a hot rising talent can be a considerable career boost. Rios is no doubt also looking to put on a strong performance after having been stopped in his last bout by Alex Bray last December. With seven out of his ten victories coming within the distance, Rios is looking like an action oriented fighter, something the fans in Atlantic City and on DAZN will no doubt find appealing.
The 4-0 Bruce Seldon has also shown impressive power, stopping three out of his four ring opponents before the sound of the final bell. As the son of former heavyweight titlist Bruce Seldon, the Jersey fighter is something of boxing royalty. Looking to leave his own mark, the 30 year old junior Seldon will be taking on the 4-7-1 Gabriel Costs on Saturday’s card. Like Figueroa, Seldon is in a dangerous part of his career, one where the mistake of of being too eager to end the night early can be an alluring option. Yet so far, at least, neither man has fallen into that trap.
Another highlight this weekend will be the 21-1 Vlad Panin squaring off against the 10-5 Brian Agustin Arregui in a scheduled super middleweight 10 rounder. Indeed, Saturday’s entire six fight card should prove to be an interesting counterpoint to some of the weekend’s other broadcast events in that it’s focus will be on the future of the sport more than it’s past or even its present. Saturday’s show will be the fourth Boxing Insider event at the Tropicana which, along with Manhattan’s Sony Hall, has been the go to place for Boxing Insider cards.
