Local boxer Christian Figueroa gained more from his first loss Saturday night than he did from his earlier victories.
The Atlantic City light-heavyweight (2-1, 2 KOs) delivered a respectable and impressive performance en route to a six-round, unanimous decision defeat to heralded prospect Arjan Iseni (6-0, 5 KOs), of Staten Island, New York, at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall’s Adrian Phillips Ballroom.
Judges Wayne Hedgpeth (60-54), Robin Taylor (59-55) and Steve Weisfeld (59-55) all scored the bout for Iseni, but most ringside observers thought the fight was closer.
Shore Local News scored it 58-56 for Iseni.
“Even though he lost on the scorecards, he won,” assistant trainer Arnold Robbins said. “In boxing, you need fights like that. He showed that he can fight and that’s going to help him down the road. If you have that heart and you have some skills to go with it, you’ll be fine.”
Figueroa, the 24-year-old younger brother of unbeaten super-welterweight Justin Figueroa, displayed both qualities in forcing Iseni to go the distance for the first time in his professional career.
That determination and toughness helped compensate for a huge discrepancy in experience.
Iseni, 23, enjoyed a vast amateur career as a five-time national champion and 12-time New York state titlest before turning pro in 2024.
Figueroa had two amateur bouts as a 12-year-old and made his pro debut five months ago.
“Honestly, I didn’t want him to take this fight because of the experience factor,” head trainer Patrick Perez said. “But he insisted. He wanted to show everyone he could compete and he was right.”
Figueroa used an aggressive style to control the early pace while Iseni, a southpaw, threw some jabs. Iseni picked up the action in the middle of the fight and landed some combinations while Figueroa was against the ropes, but Figueroa wasn’t fazed.
A few more combos from Iseni landed in the last two rounds, but Figueroa answered with his own jabs and hooks.
His ability to take a punch shouldn’t have been surprising, considering he’s already weathered life’s uppercuts.
Figueroa grew up in the Venice Park section of Atlantic City and played football and baseball as a youth.
By the time he was a teenager, however, he had drifted from ballparks to the streets. He wound up serving some prison time after getting expelled from Atlantic City High School. Once released, he gained his diploma from Absegami High School and set about pursuing a boxing career.
“I played every sport as a kid, but then unfortunately drifted off,” Figueroa said. “But since then, I’ve been working on turning my life around.”
He trains daily at the Atlantic City PAL with Perez, who was a top fighter before becoming a trainer.
Saturday’s bout, despite the official results, could serve as a springboard to a promising career.
“I’m just happy to be here after everything I’ve been through,” Figueroa said. “I had no doubt that I was ready. I thought it was a great fight and I’m excited about the future.”
Ocean City coach wins again
Ocean City High School boys basketball coach John Bruno is on a roll.
A month after guiding the Red Raiders to the state Group III championship – its first state title in 62 years – Bruno won the Northern Cape Youth Golf Masters golf pool on Sunday.
Bruno, whose eight-player team was named “OC Hoops,” won with a total of 46-under par behind champion Rory McIlroy (-12), runnerup Scottie Scheffler (-11), Sam Burns (-9), Max Homa (-8), Ludvig Aberg (-3), Wyndham Clark (-3), and Shane Lowry (-1).
He fared considerably better than yours truly. “Hit em Straight” finished 34th out of 40 teams at -8 behind Xander Schauffle (-8), Aberg, Clark, Gary Woodland (E), Jon Rahm (1-over), and Si Woo Kim (4-over).
Wait, it gets better (or worse).
I also played in Cape May National Golf Club’s annual Masters Tournament for the 10th straight year. I played Saturday, shooting a net 81, and that score was combined with how Jacob Bridgeman played in the actual Masters Sunday.
Unfortunately, my teammate struggled at Augusta National in the final round, carding a 4-over par 76.
The only way I’ll be wearing a green jacket is if I buy one at the Brooks Brothers outlet at Atlantic City’s The Walk.
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points.
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