At one point this would have been a good fight. Neither of them was ever any good but they were both very willing. Rios was trained by the fool that thought that standing with your foot in a tire was a good way to learn to fight inside. I have seen Figueroa spar many times and have spent many hours in their gym. Never have I seen him deliberately avoid a punch. Some people teach that you can push your head in close enough that he can't get leverage to hit you. There is truth to that and it works well in spots. For example, I slip inside your jab and put my head on the right side of your chest, and lean in, I can use my left hand to your body pretty safely. But it is a situational and position based strategy. If my game plan is to lean in and push with my head, it makes me a target, and it makes me a mauling, pushing puncher. Rios would win by being the sharper puncher inside- the whole fight would be chest to chest- and I think that Rios would be the sharper puncher. Even if some donkey made him fight while standing with his foot in a tire.
