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J. R. Jowett reporting from ringside: Larry Goldberg (Boxing Insider Prom’ns) and matchmaker Eric Bottjer presented a crowd-pleasing card on 3/22/25 at Atlantic City’s Tropicana Casino/Hotel. The event drew a solid attendance, approximately three-quarters full at the showroom. Matthew Competello announced while Ray Ryan and Fred Blumstein did the timekeeping.
The main event was only scheduled six, but enthusiastic fans were cheering wildly for local hero Justin Figueroa, 156, AC, 12-0 (10), against sacrificial Mario Gaston Rios, 153, Buenos Aires, 10-4-1 (7). Instead of allowing the crowd to sweep him up with their enthusiasm, the favorite smartly took the first round to size up his opponent. Round two was curtains for the underdog. Rios tried circling away to stay out of danger, but Justin reached him with a long right lead and a crushing left hook. Rios went down hard but gamely struggled up. However, he stumbled noticeably as referee Ricky Vera checked him, which was the signal to wave the fight over in 2:34.
An excellent pairing over 1 0 rounds saw Vlad Panin, 152, Los Angeles, 21 -2 (13), in with Brian Arregui, 153, Villaguay, Arg., 1 1-5-1 (7), in an interesting clash of styles that would challenge the interpretation of the contest. The first five rounds were tense and riveting, but more through expectation than outcome. Panin circled relentlessly away behind a painting of range finder jabs, but threw little else. Arregui stalked on feet planted flat and tried to nail Panin with left hooks. In the fourth, an annoying sideshow began with equipment failure.
Brian’s jock kept coming loose and ref Vera would have to stop the action and take him to his corner. This happened multiple times over the next couple of rounds and broke what was otherwise a tense and riveting contest.
Action began to turn in the fifth as Arregui sometimes managed to get past the jab. In the sixth, Brian had his best round so far, forcing Panin against the ropes to cut off the escape and landing left hook-right combos. Vlad responded in the seventh and began including some rights in the best action so far. The eighth saw good action as Panin began putting together combos instead of just the jab, while Arregui was bailing out and certainly caught the judges’ eyes. Action continued well in the ninth with Arregui catching Vlad on the ropes and nailing him with two lefts and a big right to bring up the crowd. Panin fought back well, but that combo doubtless won Brian the round.
The tenth was a bit of an anti-climax but still a good round. Then the decision. This was a matter of interpretation; the slick boxer versus the slugger forcing the action. Lynne Carter scored 97-93 for Arregui and John McKaie the same score for Panin. Then, John Signorile
was having none of a guy who circles away, and scored 99-91 for Arregui! Given that foreigners rarely, if ever get the decision in Argentina, a surprised Arregui erupted in glee. The contest lacked explosive fireworks and called for intense scrutiny, but was a good bout for those who understand boxing. After all, the sport isn’t called “Slugging”.
A big attraction on the undercard was that of Bruce Seldon Jr, 230, AC, 5-0 (4), in a scheduled four with Gabriel Costa, 220, Woburn, MA, 4-8-1 (2). The southpaw underdog was no match and the favorite blasted him out with impunity. Seldon dropped him with a left hook to the head and again with a booming right to the solar plexus that forced a TKO in 53 seconds of the first. Ref, Ricky Gonzalez.
The other undercard bouts showcased good matchmaking by Eric Bottjer in that local talent was developed against visitors who put up a stand and made them work for their wins instead of meekly folding for an excited crowd. Popular Damian Tinnerello, 155, Berlin, NJ, had to go the distance for the first time in five bouts, versus Jose Perdomo, 155, Las Piedras, Uruguay, 6-5 (3), four. The powerful local hero is a flat-footed stalker, always looking for the knockout. He nearly got it in the first when a left hook to the body and glancing right to the head dropped the underdog close to the bell. But Perdomo got up and gave him a good fight thereafter. He was punished by left hooks to the body in the second but began returning fire in the third and jolted the favorite with a right counter late in the round. In the fourth, a now spirited and lively underdog took the round. Jaclyn Atkins scored 40-35, but Carter and McKaie had 39-36. Mary Glover refereed.
Local hero Julio Sanchez III, 140, Pleasantville, debuted against Douglas Diggs, 140, Wash., DC, 0-4, in a good four. Sanchez wisely took the first as a learning experience, since the visitor was a difficult junk artist in style. Action was good in the second as Diggs rallied with a volley late in the round, but Sanchez answered with a solid barrage to the bell. Julio grabbed an early lead in the third with a wide-open volley and continued in control to the final bell while getting good opposition from the visitor. Atkins and Signorile scored 40-36 and Carter 39-37 for the local favorite, who gained valuable experience instead of a bum falling. Ref, Gonzalez.
Cali Box, 166, Franklin Twp, NJ, 5-0 (2), won a unanimous decision in a good four with Victor Pradis, 168, Covington, LA, 2-3-1. The rangy favorite threw long punches and dropped Victor in the first with a left hook-right high on the head. Victor fought gamely in the second, trudging forward and forcing Cali to back up. Action continued close through a solid third and the local favorite sealed victory with a booming right in the fourth. Cater scored 39-36, signorile and McKaie 40-35. Ref, Glover.
