Atlantic City Welcomes Long Awaited Rematch and New Jersey Boxers return to action

In the storied and nuanced history of entertainment in Atlantic City over the last 100 years, one sport has been a consistent attraction in one of New Jersey's most popular Shore Towns.

Boxing in Atlantic City is one of the only events that predates the arrival of the Casino in South Jersey. Hall of Fame Boxers 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.

In the 21st century, one boxing promotion has hosted a consistent series of action-packed fight cards in Atlantic City. Since 2024, Margate's own Larry Goldberg has organized eight events at Tropicana Atlantic City's showroom, and his Boxing Insider Promotions has made an official announcement about their next event.

Return to action for Three New Jersey Boxing Favorites in November 2026

After months of regional speculation, Boxing Insider Promotions has made it official with a press release that one of Atlantic City's most beloved fighters will return to the ring on Friday, November 13th.

Undefeated Junior NABF super welterweight champion Justin "Just In Time" Figueroa (14-0) will get the long-awaited rematch with Luis Caraballo Ramos from Puerto Rico. The two men fought back in March, with the fight ending with an accidental foul that forced officials to rule the fight a No Contest.

After social media accusations, and unsubstantiated local media speculation, Figueroa is returning to the ring after the longest layoff between fights in his professional career.

"Justin is coming back and, you know, one of the only organically grown, for lack of a better term, Atlantic City fighters in history." Larry Goldberg explained to 973 ESPN Radio South Jersey. "He will be fighting for the seventh time on a Boxing Insider (Promotions) show....He is the local celebrity of Atlantic City - I've always said he represents everything that's really (good and cool) in Atlantic City.

"These guys just did not like each other (back in March)....It was turning into an all-out slugfest, and it never got finished. So we are going to run it back (on Friday, November 13th)."

One of New Jersey's most exciting up-and-coming fighters is John "Body Shot" Leonardo (13-1-1) of Manalapan Township. An unfortunate injury forced him to miss several months of action, but is ready to make his return to action in Atlantic City.

Leonardo is scheduled to face Puerto Rico's Kevin Nunez (6-4) in the Super Bantamweight Class (122 pounts). And as Promoter Larry Goldberg knows, Boxing fans love to see "Body Shot" fight because there is always action in store for the audience:

"John Leonardo is a very, very exciting fighter to watch. He always (brings) action-packed fights (to Atlantic City), and we are happy to have him back." says Margate Promoter Larry Goldberg.  "He was the headliner for the first Boxing Insider Promotions fight card in Atlantic City back in 2024."

Even though his opponent is currently "To Be Determined" as of the writing of this article, I can promise there will be a strong and vocal turnout for Pleasantville High School Graduate Julio Sanchez III on Friday, November 13th inside Tropicana Showroom in Atlantic City.

Sanchez III (5-1) is undefeated in Atlantic City, and his evolution as a fighter has been on full display since his professional debut two years ago. He will be in action in the Lightweight Division (135 pounds weight limit) on Friday, November 13th.

"Julio Sanchez III from Pleasantville will be will be joining us for the sixth time. He's gotten so much better in his last couple of fights, and you know he represents the Pleasantville Recreation Center, and many locals are proud of his progress as a fighter" says Boxing Insider Promotions' Larry Goldberg.

Other Notable Fighters in action on Friday, November 13th at Tropicana Atlantic City Showroom include:

*Unbeaten NABF Super Featherweight Champion Iman Lee (15-0-1) from Yonkers, New York makes his Atlantic City debut.
*Bronx Heavyweight George Arias (19-1-1) is scheduled to face Virginia's Joe Jones (16-15-2) in a fight that should feature fireworks.
*Brooklyn's Koby Khalil Williams (8-1) faces Italy's Luigi Caniglia (5-1) in a Super Featherweight Showdown
*Jahanzeb Rizwan (3-0, 2 KOs) of the Bronx will be in action against a TBD opponent in a Middleweight class fight.

Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com for the final fight of the 2026 calendar year in Atlantic City. All South Jersey boxing fans are looking forward to this action-packed fight card on Friday, November 13th inside Tropicana Atlantic City Showroom.