3 New Jersey Boxers Return to the Ring in Atlantic City Nov 13th

Known to some as the "Las Vegas of the East Coast", Atlantic City is one of the hubs of entertainment at the Jersey Shore. Between the Casino Properties, Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, and the Atlantic City Convention Center, AC is home to some of the biggest concerts, sporting events, expos, and entertainment in South Jersey.

But one of the spectacles that predate the arrival of the Casinos to South Jersey is the sport of Boxing. Over the last 100 years, some of the biggest names in boxing history have their roots in The Garden State:

*Marvelous Marvin Hagler (Newark): Undisputed Middleweight Champion (1980-1987)
*Jersey Joe Walcott (Pennsauken): World Heavyweight Champion (1951-52)
*James J. Braddock (North Bergen): World Heavyweight Champion (1935–1937)
*Dwight Muhammad Qawi (Camden): WBC Light Heavyweight Champion (1981–1983) and WBA Cruiserweight Champion (1985–1986)
*Bruce Seldon (Atlantic City): WBA heavyweight world title (1995-96)
*Shakur Stevenson (Newark): 2016 Olympics Silver Medalist (bantamweight), four-division world championships, currently the WBO and The Ring junior welterweight titles (2026).

Also, Hall of Fame Fighters such as Mysterious Billy Smith (1895), "Lefty" Lew Tendler (1920s), and Benny Bass (1930s) are just some of the famous men to put their skills on display in Atlantic City in the decades before Resorts International opened in 1978.

Since 2024, Margate's own Larry Goldberg has organized eight events at Tropicana Atlantic City's showroom, and his Boxing Insider Promotions has their ninth event with three New Jersey boxers part of an action-packed fight card this month.

NJ Fighters Speak Ahead of Atlantic City Fight Night

Friday, November 13th is the date for the highly anticipated rematch between Undefeated Atlantic City Boxer Justin "Just In Time" Figueroa (14-0) and Puerto Rico's Luis Caraballo Ramos (8-10-1). The two men fought back in March, but the matchyo ended in a No Content after both fighters got tangled up at the end of the 3rd round, leading both men to fall awkwardly to the canvas.

"(The No Content finish) just really bothered me because I had him beat, and all the sacrifices (I made for that fight) and...the fight ended in a no contest. So the event was left with unanswered questions. You know, unfinished business, and there was there was no decision on what happened. So, that really bothered me that night." Figueroa explained when I spoke to him on 973 ESPN Radio South Jersey.

Figueroa, who won the Junior NABF super welterweight championship belt in 2025, has not fought in his hometown since the No Contest in March, which is why he really wanted the rematch on Friday, November 13th.

"You know, God has mysterious ways of grooming you, and it wasn't a loss (in March) but it was definitely a lesson, and I can only learn from that. "

One of the biggest crowd favorites at Boxing Insider Promotions events in Atlantic City is Junior Featherweight John "Bodyshot" Leonardo. With a 4-0 record fighting in Atlantic City, Leonardo knows what people want to see when they come out to see a Boxing Insider Promotions event:

"Nobody's coming to watch a boring fight. If you're coming to watch me, I'm not going to put on a boring fight. Don't get me wrong, sometimes you got to do what you got to do to win, and sometimes you might have to box and be smart. But I want to make it exciting, I want people to want to come see me. That's the whole point, you know? So it's toe to toe the whole way!"

The Manalapan Township Boxer has a 13-1-1 professional record, and makes his return to Atlantic City to fight Kevin Nunez of Puerto Rico (6-4). Leonardo, who hasn't fought since March, is excited to get back in the ring on November 13th:

"I like working with Boxing Insider, and I'm super excited to keep working with them. So hopefully 2027 brings more of that (because) I love being down in Atlantic City." as Leonardo explained when I interview him a couple of weeks ago.

Pleasantville High School Graduate Julio Sanchez III (5-1) will fight in his first 6-round boxing match versus Skyler Bray from Ohio (3-3-1) on Friday, November 13th. The Super Lightweight Boxer is on a four-fight winning streak, and is undefeated as a professional fighter in Atlantic City.

"My evolution and growth (as a fighter)...It's been a lot of trial and error; I feel like I went through every emotion with it," Sanchez III told me when I spoke to him on 973 ESPN Radio South Jersey.

"I just feel like not even just as a boxer today, but as a human, I'm growing all around. I'm maturing. I'm learning myself. So, I feel like as you start to mature and learn yourself, everything else becomes easy. - As you know, I suffered one loss in my second pro fight. I think about all the time, like maybe if I was a little more mature, kept my head straight on and things of that nature, where I would be (today). But everything happens for a reason. I'm grateful that it happened cuz it got my mind right."

Entering his seventh pro fight, the Pleasantville High School Grad popularity has grown, becoming one of South Jersey Boxing fans' favorite fighters, and Julio Sanchez III appreciates how much support he has gotten from the local community:

"I feed off it, definitely; It means so much to me, people don't even realize that is part of what keeps me going....That's part of why I chose the nickname "The Motivation" (because) I feel like the people motivate me, and I'm motivation for them. So (the community's support) means a lot and I'm grateful."

Tickets are available for Boxing Insider Promotions fight night at Tropicana Atlantic City Showroom for Friday, November 13th at ticketmaster.com