First an arcade, now boxing. Atlantic City hotel ups its game away from gambling.

Showboat Hotel in Atlantic Metropolis continues to broaden on non-gaming points of interest by saying a 12 struggle boxing sequence throughout a press convention Tuesday morning.

Hard Hitting Promotions, out of Philadelphia, introduced that the sequence, dubbed Boardwalk Boxing, will deliver again a sport to a metropolis that hosted a few of the largest fights again in its heyday.

Legends like Arturo Gatti, Roberto Duran, and Mike Tyson are just some fighters that made Atlantic Metropolis the vacation spot for boxing.

“If you happen to’re going to speak about Atlantic Metropolis boxing you’re going to speak concerning the Showboat and that’s the imaginative and prescient, that’s the aim, to make this place the mecca of boxing within the lengthy legacy of Atlantic Metropolis boxing,” mentioned Manny Rivera, a accomplice with Laborious Hitting promotions.

Standing in entrance of a boxing ring at Lucky Snake Arcade and Sports Bar, Rivera was all smiles as he talked about bringing the tradition of boxing to Showboat. The Philadelphia promoter mentioned the aim isn’t just to signify fighters however to construct fighters and showcase the subsequent superstars of boxing finally placing them able for a title struggle.

“It’s actually to be the Blue Horizon for Atlantic Metropolis,” he mentioned, referring to the historic Philadelphia boxing venue.

The preliminary struggle card to happen on Saturday, July 31, contains Christian Tapia, a Tremendous Featherweight from Puerto Rico with an 11-0 document and 10 knockouts, Dylan Value, of Philadelphia, a Bantamweight with a 13-0 document together with 10 knockouts, and Atlantic Metropolis’s personal Anthony Younger a Welterweight with a document of 21-2 that features 8 knockouts.

“I’m simply very excited to be part of this,” Younger mentioned. “You recognize combating on the crib is at all times factor for me. I’m simply blissful to return out right here and have the ability to placed on a present July 31.”

Younger’s final struggle was a 2019 third spherical knockout of former world champion Sadam Ali in Las Vegas.

In keeping with Brandon Dixon, president of Tower Investments which oversees Showboat, bringing again boxing was at all times the aim once they opened the property.

“Certainly one of our objectives as a group was to actually make an emphasis on bringing not simply boxing again, however all leisure combating. So we have now Muay Thai, there’s kickboxing, you title it. There’s all varieties of match’s however we actually are placing an emphasis on boxing,” he mentioned.

The matches for Boardwalk Boxing might be both upstairs within the Bourbon Room, the previous Home of Blues, or within the Carousel Room. Earlier this month Showboat hosted a star boxing match between former NBA star Lamar Odem and former pop star Aaron Carter.

After July the subsequent present might be August 28 and one other one originally of November. The sequence will begin again up in February.

“That is boxing, that is skilled boxing,” Rivera mentioned.

Showboat will even function novice boxers the place folks will have the ability to watch them undergo their exercises throughout their coaching camps on the boxing ring at Fortunate Snake.

Rivera mentioned that they want to broaden into a much bigger venue and have the capability to carry world and main boxing occasions that may appeal to larger promoters like Prime Rank or Golden Boy which hopefully will lead networks like Showtime and ESPN of the world to hitch in.

“That is going to be the place the place you’re going to need to be,” mentioned Rivera.

Our journalism wants your assist. Please subscribe at present to NJ.com.

Tim Hawk could also be reached at [email protected]. Observe Tim on Instagram @photog_hawk.