Vol. 4, No. 1, January 2007
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Golden Era
Fighting’s hottest promoters looking to make Atlantic City a major player
Here’s a strong 2007 prediction. Sports will join the Walk, the Quarter and the Pier at Caesars as symbols of Atlantic City’s rebirth.
Not only has Boardwalk Hall booked a healthy array of mixed martial arts (MMA) bouts and the Atlantic 10 basketball tournament, but promoters seek consistency via long-term deals in town. The national cheerleading competition returns in February. State wrestling championships come back in March. Midget car racing is back.
A number of deals, some being negotiated and some that may falter, indicate Atlantic City’s powerful presence. This has become a place where promoters want to be. Let’s examine some scenarios.
Hopkins Eyes Borgata
Philadelphia boxer-turned-promoter Bernard Hopkins expects to bring 10 monthly events to Borgata in 2007. The fights make sense because Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya have become boxing’s newest power brokers and enjoy a strong relationship with the property.
“I met Larry Mullin (President and COO) at an Eagles game and business has developed very well,” Hopkins says. “I love bringing fights there. They always do well. We’re starting with St. Valentine’s Day weekend. We’ll call it the ‘St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.’”
This is a multi-faceted Cinderella story. Hopkins fought here for nearly two decades and established a boxing record of 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses, but felt that recognition and big purses eluded him. Hopkins was angry at the boxing hierarchy. It took the efforts of another fighter to rectify the situation. One of Hopkins’ biggest victories occurred against De La Hoya, who later promoted him and provided some of Hopkins’ biggest paydays.
De La Hoya’s group has a reputation for treating fighters fairly and has amassed an impressive stable of champions.
Late in his career, Hopkins was recruited to run the East Coast affairs of De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. Hopkins hooked up with an Olympian, multiple champion and Latino heartthrob, a perfect mix for Borgata’s new market.
Mullin recruited Golden Boy to initiate Borgata’s debut a couple years ago and made a daring move last year with the organization. Golden Boy and Borgata produced Hopkins’ final fight, a virtuoso performance against Antonio Tarver at Boardwalk Hall. Not only did Hopkins dismantle one of boxing’s top performers, but this organization helped Borgata win a big gamble.
Never before had a Marina property become the big player in a midtown fight. Properties furthest from Boardwalk Hall often believe, correctly, that they will lose customers to casinos closest to the Hall. Borgata drove its players to the Hall and back, and did good numbers after the fight.
International Rivalry Brews
Area resident Roy Foreman hopes to bring four significant kickboxing events between China and the United States to Atlantic City, starting January 5 at Boardwalk Hall. The brother of former heavyweight champion George Foreman has an excellent eye for business. He negotiated a number of George’s deals. Roy Foreman recently became China’s official national consultant for boxing and kickboxing. The distinction becomes significant two years before the 2008 Olympics, in Beijing.
While Foreman hopes to develop a Chinese boxing program, he understands the link between casinos and Asian players.
“This will be great international exposure for Atlantic City,” Foreman says. “These events will be televised around the world. You can see them on the internet, on pay-per-view and on cell phones. There are at least 100 million people with computer capability who can get this.
“We’ll try to start at Boardwalk Hall and see where the best place to put this is. We think this plays into a big casino market.” The initial event consists of five kickboxing and five mixed martial arts competitions.
Amflex Flexes
Pennsylvania-based Amflex Promotions seeks to secure a permanent home for its MMA competitions. The next one is January 19 at the Tropicana and showcases Millville native Carlos Nieves in the Caged Fury Welterweight championship, at 170 pounds. The 13-fight card features four championship bouts.
“This will not just be a fight card, it will be a show,” says Amflex President Felix Martinez. “We start with the weigh-in at the 40-40 club on the 18th and we go from there. We’re shooting to be back at the Trop at the end of March and then do even more shows in Atlantic City.
“We have a young market compared to boxing. Our demographics are the 21-36-year-old market primarily. Atlantic City is catering to the younger kids and we play right into that.”
All Gravy
The new attractions augment a solid sports base. Boxing still has HBO, Showtime and ESPN bringing fights to town. The Atlantic City Surf launches its 10th season at the end of May to provide minor-league baseball entertainment.
Sports continues to weigh in. Atlantic City is planting the seeds of major-league diversification.
