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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Omar Figueroa Jr. of Weslaco has distinguished |
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| 6 | 7 | | himself through his exceptional achievements in the sport of |
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| 7 | 8 | | boxing, earning a world title and compiling an unbeaten record; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The son of Omar Figueroa Sr. and Judith Figueroa, |
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| 9 | 10 | | Omar Figueroa Jr. was introduced to the sport at age six by his |
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| 10 | 11 | | father, who has served as his son's trainer for much of his career; |
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| 11 | 12 | | and |
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| 12 | 13 | | WHEREAS, Omar Figueroa Jr. first proved his abilities in the |
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| 13 | 14 | | amateur ranks, winning a Golden Gloves state title in 2007; that |
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| 14 | 15 | | triumph helped convince him to turn professional, and he notched |
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| 15 | 16 | | his first pro victory on June 6, 2008, at the age of 18; earning the |
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| 16 | 17 | | nickname "Panterita," or "little panther," for his aggressive style |
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| 17 | 18 | | in the ring, he won each of his first eight bouts by knockout or |
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| 18 | 19 | | technical knockout, and none of the fights extended past three |
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| 19 | 20 | | rounds; by 2012, he was taking on other rising contenders in the |
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| 20 | 21 | | 135-pound weight class, and key wins against Michael Perez and |
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| 21 | 22 | | Abner Cotto earned him a shot at the title; and |
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| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, On July 27, 2013, Mr. Figueroa stepped into the ring |
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| 23 | 24 | | with Nihito Arakawa, and after a thrilling 12-round battle, |
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| 24 | 25 | | Panterita was named the victor by unanimous decision, claiming the |
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| 25 | 26 | | lightweight world championship; he defeated two challengers in 2014 |
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| 26 | 27 | | before relinquishing the title later that year after injuries |
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| 27 | 28 | | prevented him from defending it; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, Despite the setback, this determined fighter scored |
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| 29 | 30 | | two wins in 2015; following an extended layoff, he returned to |
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| 30 | 31 | | action on July 15, 2017, against Robert Guerrero, another former |
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| 31 | 32 | | champion; proving that he is once again in top form, Panterita |
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| 32 | 33 | | earned a commanding victory in the welterweight class, overcoming |
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| 33 | 34 | | his opponent in just three rounds; the fight marked his 19th career |
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| 34 | 35 | | knockout and raised his overall record to 27 wins and 1 draw; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, One of the most exciting boxers to emerge from the |
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| 36 | 37 | | Lone Star State in recent years, Omar Figueroa Jr. has become a |
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| 37 | 38 | | source of great pride to his fellow Texans, and he is indeed |
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| 38 | 39 | | deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 40 | 41 | | Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby congratulate Omar Figueroa |
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| 41 | 42 | | Jr. on his accomplishments as a professional boxer and extend to him |
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| 42 | 43 | | sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 44 | 45 | | prepared for Mr. Figueroa as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 45 | 46 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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