There was a moment of time when Atlantic City evoked images of Tyson and Gatti as much as tables and gamblers. Donald Trump and Don King dominated the fight game as much as any heavyweight contenders. And when the next pay-per-view blockbuster bout was up for bid, AC always had a seat at the table.
“When I came up, Atlantic City was almost the Vegas of the East,” former four-division champion Roy Jones Jr. said. ”It was the only place that had casinos, and the only place that had the casino feel. When you got to Atlantic City to fight, you feel like you pretty much made it. I got here my second fight, and I dished out a lot of punishment along this boardwalk.” As casinos withered in the middle of the decade, so did interest in hosting boxing cards.