The Boggie Down Bronx has produced boxing’s best kept secret. Some might say that he is the next coming of Hector “Macho” Camacho. He’s catlike quick and a gifted athlete with the brash bravado to back it up. He has put in good work with some of boxing’s biggest names and feels that now is his time to shine. His all action style and untouchable defense makes him a must see when he comes to an arena near you. He also loves to interact with kids and relishes being a role model to them. Ultimately, he is a humble, ambitious, young star on the verge of greatness. Let’s meet this two-time NYC wrestling champion; Golden Gloves Champion; New York State light welterweight and WBC Intercontinental Mundo Hispano Champion that goes by the name of “El Gato”…Francisco Figueroa Jr.

What’s up ‘El Gato’ how are things?

FF – Things are going great man. I just want to thank you for having me in the magazine.

How did you get into boxing?

FF – I started boxing when I was 22 and I’m 28 right now. Wrestling was my life in high school. You could have put as many women in front of me and I would not care because wrestling was my life. I also wrestled in the Army but unfortunately there you are just a number and the coach didn’t pick my number so I couldn’t go on to fulfill my dream. So, when I got out I just did some odds and end jobs because as a man you always have to have income coming in…legally and not illegally. One day I was watching the Trinidad v De La Hoya fight, and I wasn’t a big boxing fan, but I watched the fight because Trinidad is Puerto Rican just like I am and the Bronx where I’m from is like the capital of Puerto Rico (laughs). I watched the fight and got hyped and one of my friends called me up two days later and said, “Let’s go to the boxing gym.” With my competitiveness from wrestling, I thought I was faster than both Trinidad and De La Hoya, so I said okay. I went to the gym on that Monday and met a guy that looked like Mickey from the Rocky movies and he told me he couldn’t train me because I already have a trainer. But I told him I didn’t have a trainer because I just walked into the gym a couple of minutes ago. He told me to come back the next day but I didn’t go back until about a week later. A few months from then, I won the New York State Golden Gloves which is very prestigious throughout the world.

Wow! Let’s go back a minute because I understand that you were a terrific athlete in high school excelling in different sports.

FF – Definitely. When I was in high school back in 1992, everybody in New York was about basketball or football. I’m a short dude so basketball wasn’t my thing but I was cuttn’ guys up playing street football as a wide receiver. So when I went to high school the first thing I did was sign up for the football team and in my first two years on JV we won the Bronx Championship twice which I was captain in the second year. Then I became a varsity player in Junior High which I started as a wide receiver because of my speed and quickness. Now at the same time I started football, a friend of mine talked me into joining the wrestling team. I didn’t know what wrestling was and I was like I am from the Bronx and we don’t do no butt grabbing. So we went to a school called John F. Kennedy and I watched my friend and I got soooo amped to the point that I wanted to jump on the mat and help him out. And from that day I became a wrestler. And on top of that I was All City Sleeper in soccer too.

Didn’t you run track also?

FF – Yeah, I did one season of that because one of their main guys suffered an injury. I didn’t do very well in that because that track running is different than track running in the streets…you feel me. Those cats calves looked like pencils and mine looked like their heads. But I did it and got the experience and now I run a lot faster than most boxers that I meet.

Well that experience has to be paying dividends in your boxing evolution today, right?

FF – Definitely…but the thing that helped me out the most in boxing is the wrestling. There are so many similarities between the two which made the transition easy for me.

You mentioned that you are from the Bronx. What prompted you to make the move to Miami, Florida?

FF – I met my new promoter Yaseen Malnik of Seeno Group Productions and he told me to come down here and they would provide me with training camp, a nutritionist, chiropractor and a place to stay. It was hard for me to say no because in New York I was being hassled with too many things. So coming here to Miami I am just by myself where I don’t have all of those distractions. Now I can focus on boxing ALL of the time because my fulltime job is boxing. And the weather never changes here so loosing weight is not a problem.

That Miami Heat really helps you drop those pounds right.

FF – They ought to call it Hot-ami (laugh)!

Here is something that caught my eye. Breakdown your term called “flowboating.”

FF – Okay! Flowboating is a different ballgame than showboating. Showboating is tactical movements used to show off in front of the guy you are fighting and the crowd but mainly for the crowd. Flowboating is a defensive tactic created by the great Pernell Whitaker that makes you evasive from a defensive posture. If a guy is throwing multiple punches at you…you can evade the punches by moving your shoulders, hips and by turning on the balls of the heals of your feet. Or it’s a movement where the defense helps but you are able to balance yourself back into a offensive position to throw your punches while your opponent is off balance. It may not work all of the time because it is just a natural feeling that you get. People love it because they see a guy throw 4 or 5 punches but never hit me and they wonder, “Wow…how did you do that?” So you flow with the punches but never get hit by using these body movements just like Pernell Whitaker use to.

That’s very interesting and I’m sure you are going to make that term big one day. Now tell me where the nickname “El Gato” (The Cat) came from.

FF – When I started boxing in 2000, my trainer Andy Martinez (who is no longer with us) was watching me spar one day and we had a home cat or gym cat. When anybody would spar the cat would run across the ring on occasion but not all of the time. I was sparring a couple of times and the cat ran across the ring. For some reason while I was sparring, I could sense when the cat was going to run across the ring because if you watch Discover Channel you would know when a lion is about to attack because he starts to move his hind legs into position to pounce. So I saw the cat do that out the corner of my eye and as he ran across the ring I caught him while I was sparring. My trainer was amazed and said that in order to catch a cat you have to be quick like a cat…so that’s what you are “El Gato.”

What’s this talk about you being cocky and a trash-talker?

FF – I am definitely a confident talker. I don’t lie to anybody..not even my girlfriend or friends. I will give you my honest opinion and if it offends you it offends you. I respect people’s opinions but I will disagree if it’s not backed up by facts. I go by facts and not opinions. When you are a leader you have to speak with confidence and it is a necessity for the promotional side of the business. Too humble equals no money but talking a little smack creates a buzz that makes people want to find out if you can back it up. But I’m really not a trash-talker but I do talk with confidence. I just know the talent that I have and the up bringing that I have gone through like I lived in a gym basement for one year that people don’t know about. I quit my job for two years and went broke so I had to borrow money from the streets and friends just to survive. I know boxing is a one time thing. So I talk confident because I want the world to know what I’ve been through because what I came through anybody can come through it too. And I don’t want to hear that you can’t do it because you can do it.

We touched on Tito Trinidad earlier who is undeniably the greatest fighter to come out of Puerto Rico. Being that you both are Puerto Rican, was he any influence on you for becoming a boxer?

FF – No. Until the day of the Trinidad v De La Hoya fight, I was NOT a big boxing fan. I knew Trinidad and Mike Tyson but I didn’t know who Camacho or Pernell Whitaker was. But they are my two top favorite fighters in the world no matter what anybody says. But my thing was wrestling and holding up the American flag at the Olympics…that was my dream..

I read a quote someone made about you that went, “Quick as Camacho…The defense of Pernell Whitaker…and the power of Roberto Duran.” What’s your take on this powerful quote that was made to describe you?

FF – I’ve been told that many times by people in New York. They say my movement is like Camacho; my flowboating is like Whitaker and my record now is 16 wins with 12 knockouts just like Duran was taking guys out. I have power in both hands but 7 or 8 of my kayos have come from body shots. So yeah, I’ve heard all of that but I am just a humble guy. I fight with conviction, honor and pride just like a throwback fighter and I bring color to the game.

What hobbies do you have outside of the ring?

FF – I am an internet guru. I am always on the computer. I don’t go out. I’m basically a home body. I go out with my son who is in New York. He came down for my fight in Palm Beach last month and he walked me into the ring. He’s done that a couple of times and he’s a big part of my career. I send him pictures and I’m going to get him a webcam so I can see him when I go to Puerto Rico. I just really enjoy fatherhood.

Tell me about this little show you put on for the kids and fans.

FF – It’s a little show that I put on for the people that’s called, “Catch El Gato.” Basically, we put on boxing gloves and the person (man, woman or kid) will get in the ring and they have 30 seconds to try to hit me with a clean shot at the face. If they are able to hit me, I give them an “El Gato” t-shirt. It’s cool because I give fans a chance to try and hit a pro fighter which they have never experienced before. I’ve been doing it for a while now and no one has been able to “Catch El Gato.”

Being that you are from the “Boggie Down Bronx”, you have to give me your Top 5 Rap artist out here right now…or from anytime since you are from the birthplace of Hip Hop.

FF – I am an old school cat man! So my Top 5 is going to be old school (laugh). Number 1: Rakim; 2: Big Daddy Kane; 3: KRS ONE; 4: Big Pun and that’s about it.

So there isn’t anyone out there today that you dig?

FF – Naaaah! Hip Hop back then was about storytelling. The stories were about life and the ghetto but now it’s about 22 inch rims and drugs…and that’s played out. Nowadays for me it’s all about the beat because the beat is what the dancing was about back in the day. The South is holding it down with the Krunk music and the Two Step. Hip Hop today is still cool, it’s just the lyrical content is too repetitious. Old school R&B and Hip Hop is where I live.

Alright, now give me your Top 5 fighters of all time.

FF – Okay…Number 1: Hector Camacho; 2: Pernell Whitaker; 3: Joe Frazier and I thing I’ll kill it right there. Like I said, I’m not a big boxing fan right now. I’m just in the game to be a positive role model and to let kids know that there is fatherhood out there. The single parent Mom’s are doing a great job. I had my son for a couple of weekends and all I can say is, “Oh my God!”(Laugh.)

(Laugh) I know what you mean. Where do you want boxing to lead you to?

FF – I would like to do acting, modeling, or be a radio personality…anything where I can speak. Most importantly I want to do tours for kids. I want them to know not to let TV dictate who they should be. As I get older I see how powerful the media has become. For example, I know you have heard of Foster’s beer right. You think that it’s the national beer of Australia according to the media here in America. But if you ask Australians, they would tell you that they don’t drink that mate. But that is the power of the media.

Who are you targeting next that will help you get into position to fight for a title?

FF – It’s hard to call out a fighter these days. Just like the sweet science of boxing has changed well so has the business side of things. I can fight whoever I want but then the excuses come up. It basically comes down to two things. Either they are scared or there really is no money there for a fight. I really don’t have a hit list. I just put my name out there and I’m looking for whoever can give me the opportunity to get to the top. I’m training hard and I’m coming off of two explosive knockouts in my last two fights against guys who had over 44 fights and that have fought former world champions. I will be in Puerto Rico for five weeks with WBA Welterweight Champ Miguel Cotto as his chief sparring partner for his upcoming fight on June 9^th against former undisputed champion Zab Judah. I was called by Cotto’s promotional company (Top Rank) because I have sparred with some of the top guys in boxing like Arturo Gatti, Ricky Hatton, Vivian Harris and Andrey Tsurkan who beat Hector Camacho Jr. last year for the NABF Light Middleweight title. So as of now, I am 4-0 as a sparring partner and Cotto better make me 5-0 cause I ain’t playn’ (laugh).

I was going to ask you who you have winning the Cotto v Judah fight but I guess you already answered that.

FF – Definitely…and I know that Judah talks a lot of junk…but you know what’s funny…even if the trash-talking doesn’t amp up Cotto, it’s amping me up! People worry about me getting caught up in the sparring partner mentality. But I am a Gemini and I know how to turn it off and on.

I’m a Gemini too so I know what you mean…we just have that uncanny ability.

FF – Cool…so you feel me!

Who do you have picked to win the De La Hoya v Mayweather fight?

FF – It’s hard to say! I like the charisma and style of De La Hoya and I know he’s a good fighter. I like Mayweather cause he’s just a phenom fighter. He’s always in the gym and he’s always on top of his game. He’s a role model to me because after he beat Gatti he announced to the media that he was back in the gym that Monday. That’s crazy and he’s a world champ…so that’s what I did after my last fight.

That’s the type of work ethic separates the champs from the chumps!

FF – I want to say this in the interview. In this world, whatever happens is going to happen. I’m not a stressful person and I don’t like drama. The Army and life has taught me that IT is going to happen no matter what we say. The only thing that changes is movement. You can stress all you want but at the end of the day the outcome will still be the same. So instead of staying put in that stress and drama, try moving forward to see where that path leads instead of going backwards. But the movement is the key because if you ain’t moving then you ain’t going no where.

Those are great words of wisdom. Do you have any fights coming up soon?

FF – We have something on the horizon but I can’t really speak on it right now.

How can the readers find out more about ‘El Gato’?

FF – I got something better. If they want to find out more about “flowboating”, they can go to my website where I have a guy missing nine punches in a row during my flowboating tactical movement. The website is www.gatofigueroa.com and that’s G – for Gorgeous, A – Amazing, T – Terrific, O - Outstanding, F – Fabulous, I – Incredible, G – Great, U – Uniform, E – Echo (like when I punch you…you will hear an echo), R – Romantic, O – Outstanding and A for Articulate. Or they can check out my Myspace page at www.myspace.com/gatofigueroa to find out more about me.

That’s what’s up. I want to thank you for taking the time and do you have any last words for the readers?

FF – Of course! I want to thank you so much for the opportunity to be in your magazine. I want to thank everyone that logs onto your site. I hope they like what they read that came from my mouth. If they see me in the street, please stop me and say hello. I know I might talk confident but I am very approachable. You guys come out of your pockets to watch us perform so in return I will show you much respect. And for those that are my critics…keep feeding the fuel to my fire because that’s what makes me move.

Special thanks to Tito Ruiz, the President of Tru Ink Media for setting up this interview for his fighter “El Gato”. Anyone looking for top of the line promotional services should contact Mr. Ruiz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you want to get your career moving in the right direction.