During the early years of Atlantic City (AC) boxing, the fight game was bustling. An array of ring talent, from club fighters to champions, came to the shore to compete at thriving venues like the Northside's Waltz Dream Arena and Convention Hall on the boardwalk. Although ring action was plentiful, the biggest fights were still happening elsewhere, and boxing was just one of many entertainment options in AC. However, everything changed once gambling came to town. As casinos popped up along the boardwalk, Atlantic City fights got bigger and bigger. By the late 1970s, boxing was on the rise, and within a few years, business was booming. Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson ushered in the city's peak era in the late 1980s, a time when more than just fight fans turned their attention to Atlantic City for some of the biggest sporting events ever. Although AC never again topped the impact of those days, boxing action at the shore remained vital for decades to come.

Atlantic City Queen of Resorts or America's Playground - you decide. Come inside and take a new look at Atlantic City today, a family destination with something for everyone and more surprises to come.

There is so much more to Atlantic City than just the casinos! Completely revised and updated, use this comprehensive guide to help separate the best from the rest. Learn about the best resorts and attractions, great dining and shopping, the historic Boardwalk, golf courses, museums, amusement attractions, and more! Whether on your first or tenth visit, this comprehensive guide will help you explore the many wonders that this historic seaside resort has to offer.

I now see Boxing history through a whole new lens. Boxing legends came alive before my eyes and I understood finally what brought them to the levels they attained. Listening to my parents talk about Joe Louis and remembering Cassius Clay/Ali from my own early adult years enhanced the information gleaned from these pages. New names were dangled before me and now I want to know more about them. Where was I when they fought for glory? What kind of lives did they lead? Now I am on a treasure hunt for answers to those questions. This book has whet my appetite for more. Carol Golden-Media Assistant, Marion, IA

Officiating a professional boxing match can be a thankless job. When a match goes well, no one focuses on the referee. But when a controversy arises, everyone remembers the man who made the call. Third Man in the Ring explores the lives of thirty-three officials as they discuss what goes on inside the ropes and recount the disputes and clashes that have occurred when they worked at home and abroad. The referees share stories from the high-profile fights they worked, with such superstars as Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, and Julio Cesar Chavez. Readers will hear from Rudy Battle, the first ref to officiate a title fight in an Eastern bloc country, and about Mills Lane, the third man during the infamous Mike Tyson/Evander Holyfield ear-biting match. Several officials reveal memorable moments such as arbitrating contests in nations experiencing civil unrest. One referee admits fearing for his life after disqualifying a hometown hero in front of a packed stadium, while another recalls his experience officiating in communist North Korea. MMA legend Big John McCarthy describes from his experience the differences between officiating a boxing contest in a traditional ring versus the increasingly popular mixed martial arts (MMA) events held in a cage. Readers will also hear stories from refs who have gone Hollywood, consulting on film sets alongside such legends as Sylvester Stallone. An old boxing adage states, The best referees are the ones no one knows are there. Third Man in the Ring sheds much-needed light on these hardworking officials and their stories.

Details the true story of the corruption that has pervaded New Jersey politics, government, and business for the past thirty years. From Jimmy Hoffa purportedly being buried somewhere beneath the end zone in Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, through allegations of a thoroughly corrupt medical and dental university, through Mafia influence at all levels, to a governor who suddenly declares himself a "gay American" and resigns, the Garden State might indeed be better named after the HBO mobsters.--From publisher description.

Homeboy epitomizes the struggle of the author, George Pete Nelson, with that of Atlantic City (Queen of Resorts). The power resurgence of both entities is evident. Atlantic City is showing resiliency in its combat, and so is the author.