Boxing Returns Saturday Night At Tropicana Atlantic City

Professional boxing is making a triumphant return to the Boardwalk in Atlantic City on Saturday, May 11.

After staging successful club shows in the Broadway district of New York City for the last year and a half, Larry Goldberg of Boxing Insider Promotions is coming back to his hometown. The scene is the Tropicana Hotel & Casino, where the showroom hosts a special card that features some of the finest young talent in New Jersey, New York and beyond.

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Junior middleweight JUSTIN FIGUEROA (8-0, 6 KO’s) is an Atlantic City product, who is well-known to the public for his exploits not only in boxing but in other sports as well, particularly in football, where he starred at Holy Spirit High School and harbored thoughts of playing for a Division I program. Justin is also an active member of the Atlantic City Beach Patrol. 

As Figueroa progresses through the pro ranks, he intends, in his own words, to “put Atlantic City on my back.”

Figueroa’s May 11 opponent in the six-round fight is the very tough Antoni Armas from Maracay, Venezuela.

Junior featherweight JOHN LEONARDO (10-1-1, 4 KO’s) hails from Manalapan Township. He takes on FRANK GONZALEZ (12-5, 6 KO’s), who has been that distance in each of his last two fights. Gonzalez, who fights out of the Tampa Bay area, once competed for the WBO Latino belt as well as the WBA Fedecentro title in the bantamweight class.

In addition, legendary former heavyweight champion LARRY HOLMES will be on hand to meet and greet fans at the May 11 show. 

Here are the other bouts on the show:

8 Rounds — Welterweights

AVIOUS GRIFFIN (13-0, 12 KO’s), Chattanooga, TN vs. LESTHER ESPINO (8-5, 6 KO’s), Nicaragua

6 Rounds — Jr. Middleweights

DWYKE FLEMMINGS (6-0, 6 KO’s), Paterson, NJ vs. JONATHON HAMPTON (3-4, 1 KO) Gary, Indiana 

4 Rounds — Heavyweights 

PRYCE TAYLOR (3-0, 2 KO’s), Brooklyn vs. LAWRENCE KING JR. (2-1,1 KO), Rochester, NY 

4 Rounds — Middleweights

JACOB SOLIS (3-0, 3 KO’s), New York, NY vs. BRANDON MARTINEZ (1-3, 1 KO), Tucson, AZ

4 Rounds — Lightweights

JASON CASTANON (`1-0, 1 KO), Brooklyn, NY vs. KAMARI BURNSIDE (1-0, 0 KO), Las Vegas, Nevada. 

4 Rounds — Lightweights

KOBY WILLIAMS (pro debut) Brooklyn, New York vs. Kevin Hicks 1-2, 1 KO) Tazewell, Virginia This is the first professional boxing show at the Tropicana in seven years. So you had better believe it will be a festive atmosphere.