Omar Figueroa
Photo by Naoki Fukada
Omar Figueroa, the current WBC lightweight champ, would be the best matchup for Crawford if he decides to pursue a unification bout. The undefeated Figueroa rose to notoriety by decisioning Nihito Arakawa in the exhilarating and bloody war of attrition that became of their fight for the WBC “interim version” of the actual title Figueroa currently holds.
Figueroa is stylistically pleasing to most fans because he is a pressure fighter looking to come forward and throw tons of punches. He is the prototypical inside fighter and a murderous body puncher to boot. He has a smaller frame but keeps his guard high and elbows tucked inside as he presses his opponents .
Defensively, Figueroa does not use footwork, he uses head movement and slips punches to counter. While he has shown the ability to cut his opponents off, he tends to stalk them. Figueroa has a respectable beard like Vazquez and hasn’t been stopped, but he’s relatively green with opponents that most enthusiasts would know.
In Figueroa’s last fight, his first title defense, against amateur rival Jerry Belmontes (who beat Figueroa five times in the amateurs), Figueroa walked away with the controversial decision. It wasn’t an impressive showing for Figueroa and may have exposed his flaws against the outside, mobile boxer types.
Figueroa seems to be the relatively easier option for Crawford when compared to Miguel Vazquez. Even though Crawford and Figueroa share the same number of ‘recorded’ pro fights (with the exception of an unrecognized pro fight Figueroa won by knockout in Mexico), Figueroa seems to be the greenest of the three prospects.
As previously stated, boxers that use range and mobility may trouble him, which is an advantage for Crawford going in .
Figueroa is promoted by Golden Boy, so unless Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya make good on their intentions to end the cold war, this could also be a difficult matchup to make.
