AC honoring past, building for its future
EVANDER Holyfield remembers the days when boxing’s biggest fights were held in Atlantic City.
“I wondered why we even had to fight in Las Vegas,” Holyfield said this week. “I enjoyed fighting in Atlantic City; same time zone as Atlanta.”
Holyfield, the four-time heavyweight champion, fought some of his most memorable battles at Convention Hall. Stopping Dwight Muhammad Qwai in the fourth round of their rematch for the cruiserweight championship in 1987 and a successful defense of the heavyweight title against George Foreman in 1991 were the highlights. There were other fights with Hasim Rahman, Chris Byrd, Ray Mercer, Alex Stewart and Seamus McDonagh.
“Those were exciting times for boxing,” Holyfield said.
It will be an exciting weekend in Atlantic City again for Holyfield, who is part of the 2018 induction class for the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame. Holyfield headlines a list of former boxers being inducted Sunday that include Bobby Czyz, Bruce Seldon, Hector Camacho Sr., Jeff Chandler, Vinny Paz, Richie Kates and Mercer. Others notables being honored include trainer George Benton, promoters Bob Arum and Dan Duva, and contributors Jose Sulaiman and President Donald Trump.
The event will honor Atlantic City’s rich boxing history at a time when a change in the sports betting laws could lead to a revitalization of the sport in the city. Atlantic City hasn’t hosted a major boxing event in four years, but a consistent schedule of world-class boxing and MMA events are being targeted as a method to lure customers to Atlantic City who will wager on sports when the state makes it legal.
Holyfield, now a promoter, is testing the grounds for his Real Deal Sports and Entertainment Company by staging a boxing card at the Adrian Phillips Theater on Saturday night. It will highlight Hall of Fame Weekend with plans to return in the fall.
“We’re trying to bring boxing back to Atlantic City,” Holyfield said. “This was a place where people from D.C., Philadelphia and New York could come and watch big fights. It’s a good boxing audience and they’ll come back to see good fights.”
Among those thinking the time is right for a boxing renaissance in Atlantic City is Kathy Duva of Main Events. Her fighter, Sergey Kovalev, defends his WBO light heavyweight title Aug. 4 against Eleider Alvarez at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which is scheduled to open June 28. HBO will televise what will be the f irst world championship boxing show in Atlantic City since Kovalev defeated Bernard Hopkins by decision there in 2014.
Duva’s late husband, Dan, is among those being enshrined Sunday. She remembers the days when Main Events would promote up to three boxing shows a week in Atlantic City and thinks the climate is right for similar resurgence with the arrival of sports gambling.
“Our company’s 40-year anniversary was a few days ago,” she said. “I remember what the launch of casino gambling did for us as a company and now I think the launch of sports betting is going to bring back a rebirth of Atlantic City and a resurgence of interest in boxing.”
The Hall of Famers will celebrate Atlantic City’s boxing history this weekend, but the future finally looks bright, too.