By: Sean Crose
Undefeated 24-year-old WBC 22-0-1 super bantamweight champion Brandon Figueroa faced undefeated 27-year-old WBO super bantamweight champion 19-0 Stephen Fulton Saturday night at the Park Theater in Las Vegas. The first round of the scheduled 12th round saw Fulton looking sharp while the significantly taller Figueroa attempted to attack his senior. Figueroa seems to be channeling his inner Klitschko in the second season by holding back on a regular basis. However, he found his range and started to land well towards the end of the chapter.
Round 3 was tense and tense. Figueroa is able to spin away, but Fulton has shown that he can turn around and land on his own. The battle remained an action affair in the fourth installment, with both men teeing off while Fulton was on the line. The fifth match was also an interesting round. Fulton has done an outstanding job in fighting the ropes. Friday saw some excellent old school inside combat. It was only a matter of time before both men became exhausted.
The intense pace continued until the end of the seventh season. Things start to slow down a bit in season eight – even if just a little bit – until a final explosion occurs for a few seconds. By the ninth day, one was simply amazed at the work ethic of the two warriors. One and the other they go, never seeming to rest while hitting and are beaten frequently.
By the time the game entered the championship round, it was difficult to see how the judges might score it. Fulton landed with laser-like precision, but Figueroa’s good moments included some impressive-looking punches. In the final minutes of the round, Figueroa hurt his man. However, Fulton is a game and is determined not to let the moment take him down. He ended up fighting his way through the ring. However, the man looked like he was starting to feel tired.
Fulton put his shot to good use in the eleventh minute. It was a wise strategy, as it gave him space and prevented Figueroa from launching powerful shots. The twelfth and final inning features Figueroa dashing forward in front of the bell. He’s determined to have a battle that ends because it’s mostly been fought – in a high-octane fashion. However, Fulton still has a clear grounding ability. Furthermore, Fulton continued to try to create distance from his tough opponent – when he could. In the end, however, the final seconds passed in close quarters, with each fighter firing. It was a great ending to an unforgettable battle.
Fulton ultimately received the nod of the jury by majority decision. Sadly, Figueroa interrupted Fulton’s post-match interview during a moment of poor sportsmanship.
