Atlantic City, N.J. September 26, 2023 – The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) proudly announces the roster of special guests attending the 7th Annual Awards & Induction Weekend, held from Friday, September 29th to Sunday, October 1st, 2023, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. The guest list features notable boxing figures such as: Roberto Duran, Michael Spinks, James Toney, Vinny Paz, Gerry Cooney, Ray Mercer, Tim Witherspoon, Kelly Pavlik, Lamon Brewster, Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, Junior Jones, Reggie Johnson, Mark Breland, Sharmba Mitchell, Eva Jones-Young, John Scully, Michael Olajide, Iran Barkley, Michael Nunn, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Jeff Chandler, Montell Griffin, Yaqui Lopez, Al Cole, Kali Reis, Hector Camacho Jr., Rodney Moore, Kendall Holt, Dave Tiberi, Nate Miller and William Joppy, to name a few.

The weekend kicks off on Friday, September 29th, with the “Opening Bell” VIP Cocktail Reception from 5:00pm – 8:00pm, followed by the Friday Night Fight Presented by Hard Hitting Promotions at Bally’s Casino Atlantic City. On Saturday, September 30th, the Fight Fan Experience & Boxing Exhibits at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will be open from 11:00am – 1:00pm

The highlight of the weekend is the Red-Carpet Formal Awards & Induction Ceremony, taking place on Saturday night inside the Sound Waves Theater. Attendees will enjoy a unique opportunity to mix and mingle with other boxing luminaries and special VIP guests, as well as honor all who helped put Atlantic City on the boxing map. The Pre-VIP Cocktail Reception will begin at 5:00pm, and it leads into the Official Awards & Induction Program from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. After the Awards Ceremony, guests with VIP tickets will have the chance to experience the Post-VIP Reception, which includes a bonus fight watch party for Canelo Alverez vs. Jermell Charlo

The 2023 class members of the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame include:

George Foreman, Shannon Briggs, David Tua, Pinklon Thomas, Tracy Harris Patterson, Doug Dewitt, Darroll Wilson, Shamone Alvarez, Jamillia Lawrence, Joe Hand Sr., Matt Howard, Rudy Battle, Benjy Esteves Jr., Arnold Robbins, Joseph Santoliquito, Lee Samuels They will be inducted alongside Posthumously & Pioneers such as Buster Drayton, Marty Feldman, Rocky Castellani, Frankie Polo, Joe Miller, Horace M. Leeds, “KO” Becky O’Neill and Willie O’Neill

For more information on event tickets, room reservations, and weekend schedules, visit the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame website at: www.acbhof.com

The ACBHOF gives a special thanks to their partners and sponsors: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Boardwalk Resorts – Flagship Hotel, Mayor Marty Small Sr., City of Atlantic City, Bare Knuckle Fighting Champions, Hard Hitting Promotions, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, The Irish Pub-Atlantic City, Moustakas & Nelson Law, Quail Hill Realty, Gionta Management LLC, T&K Boxing Promotions, Sparbar Boxing LTD, Patrick Killian Arts, Guzman Gloves, Adams Boxing, WBC, IBF, Icons of Boxing Memorabilia, and Fight Night Apparel

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will keep trainer Mark Breland after rumors that Wilder would jettison Breland for throwing in the towel in Wilder’s loss to Tyson Fury.

“I’m a warrior. I feel the same way I felt on fight night — if I have to go out, I want to go out on my shield,” Wilder told ESPN in a statement Friday night. “But I understand that my corner and my team has my best interest at heart. Mark Breland is still a part of Team Wilder and our team looks forward to preparing for the [trilogy fight].”

“For Mark to do it, I was very heartbroken,” Wilder told ESPN earlier this week. “If I say statements like I want to kill a man [in the ring], then I have to abide by those same principles in the ring of him doing the same thing to me. I’d rather die than go out with someone throwing the towel in.

“He knows these things. It’s been premeditated. I’ve said this for many years. I told all my trainers, no matter how it may look on the outside, no matter how you may love me or have that emotional feeling, don’t make an emotional decision and do not ever throw that towel in because my pride is everything. I understand what it looks like but when you have power like me I am never out of a fight, no matter what the circumstances. I’m never out of a fight.”

onight at 9:00 p.m. on MSG Network’s Friday Night Fights, hosted by John Duddy and Mark Breland: Harold Volbrecht vs. Mark Breland (2/7/87).

Arguably one of the greatest amateur boxers ever, Breland entered this welterweight title bout with an undefeated 16-0 professional record and in search of his first world title. Breland’s 7th Round knockout of Volbrecht, which was the result of two devastating right-handed blows to the head, was impressive on its own, but became legendary after it was revealed after the fight that Breland entered the ring that night with a significant injury.

In the episode, Duddy asks Breland why he would start the fight knowing that he would be at a disadvantage. Breland responds, “Because that’s what we fighters do. We just get out there and do what we’ve got to do to win.

Friday Night Fights is part of MSG Network’s Summer Block Party. For more information go to www.msg.com/summer and join the conversation on Twitter with @MSGNetworks.

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New York, NY (May 30, 2013) – Boxing is back on MSG Network every Friday night at 9:00 p.m. this summer with “Friday Night Fights.” Following tomorrow night’s presentation of two recent bouts from Russia, John Duddy and Mark Breland take center stage every Friday night with an all-new look at some classic fights.

“Friday Night Fights” gets started tomorrow night with a special presentation of “Don King Presents” featuring two recent title bouts from Moscow: Denis Lebedev vs. Guillermo Jones and Alexander Povetkin vs. Andrzej Wawrzyk. In the cruiserweight fight, Jones upset Lebedev and left the former title holder with a serious eye injury. Povetkin maintained his WBA heavyweight belt after defeating Wawrzyk in the third round, setting up a fight with Wladimir Klitschko this fall.

Starting Friday, June 7, Madison Square Garden favorite John Duddy and 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time world champion Mark Breland take over Friday Night Fights as they present classic bouts featuring some of the biggest names in boxing, including Lennox Lewis, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe.

Below is the “Friday Night Fights” schedule through the July 4th weekend. Additional fights will be announced at a later date.

June 7 – Alexis Arguello vs. Aaron Pryor II (9/9/83)

The rematch of the November 1982 fight, this bout ended in the same fashion, with Arguello falling to Pryor by KO, but four rounds earlier, this time in the 10th.

June 14 – Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe I (11/13/92)

Considered one of the greatest heavyweight fights of all-time, the inaugural bout between Holyfield and Bowe went the full 12 rounds with the younger Bowe outlasting his opponent for the unanimous decision.

June 21 – Mark Breland vs. Harold Volbrecht (2/7/87)

One of the greatest amateur boxers ever, two-time world champion Breland defeated Volbrecht in Atlantic City, NJ for the WBA World Welterweight Title, his first professional world title.

June 28 – Kevin Kelley vs. Jesse Benavides (5/6/94)

With the WBC Featherweight Title at stake, Kelley defeated Benavides by unanimous decision.

July 5 – Zab Judah vs. Terron Millett (8/5/00), Zab Judah vs. Allan Vester (6/23/01)

Two IBF title defense fights by Zab Judah. In the first bout, Judah went down in the first round but regained his composure and knocked out Millett in the fourth with a series of punches. Eight months later, Judah knocked down Vester twice in the second round and finished him in the third with a left hand to the head.

MSG Networks is the exclusive local television home of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, New York Liberty and New York Red Bulls, and the official regional sports networks of the New York Giants. MSG Networks also telecasts over 100 live college basketball games and over 40 live college football games from top national conferences (SEC, Big 12, Big East, Pac 12, Conference USA), as well as horse racing, boxing and award-winning original programming. In 2013, MSG Networks received 18 New York Emmy Awards, including 16 for MSG and one each for MSG+ and MSG.com. MSG’s 85 Emmys over the past six years are more than any single network or station in the region during that time.

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The Madison Square Garden Company is a fully-integrated sports, media and entertainment business. The Company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment, which are strategically aligned to work together to drive the Company’s overall business, which is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that the company creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports owns and operates the following sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). MSG Sports also features the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, bull riding and tennis. MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from the Company’s venues. MSG Media’s television networks consist of regional sports networks, MSG Network and MSG+, collectively referred to as MSG Networks; and Fuse, a national television network dedicated to music. MSG Networks also include high-definition channels, MSG HD and MSG+ HD, and Fuse includes its high-definition channel, Fuse HD. MSG Entertainment is one of the country’s leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in the Company’s diverse collection of venues. These venues consist of Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the Forum in Inglewood, CA, The Chicago Theatre, and the Wang Theatre in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com.

15rounds.com Matt Yanofsky exclusively goes one one one with 1984 Gold Medalist/two time world champion Mark Breland. Breland, who is widely regarded as the greatest amateur boxer in history, currently serves as a trainer for 2008 Bronze Medalist Deontay Wilder.
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