New Jersey has produced more world champions per square mile than almost any state in America — and most of them came from Newark and the cities within an hour of it.
From the legendary gyms of Newark’s South Ward to the boardwalk arenas of Atlantic City, New Jersey’s boxing tradition runs deeper than most people realize. This isn’t just a state that hosted fights — it’s a state that built fighters. The factories, the streets, the immigrant communities, and the sheer proximity to New York City’s media machine created a pipeline of champions that stretches back over a century.
This is the complete guide to the best boxers from Newark and the state of New Jersey.
Shakur Stevenson
The current standard-bearer for Newark boxing, Shakur Stevenson is one of the most technically gifted fighters in the sport. Born and raised in Newark’s South Ward, Stevenson won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics at just 19 years old before turning professional.
Stevenson has captured world titles in three weight classes — featherweight (WBO), junior lightweight (WBO and WBC unified), and lightweight — compiling a record of 21-0 (10 KOs). His defensive mastery and counter-punching precision have drawn comparisons to Pernell Whitaker and Floyd Mayweather — the highest compliments in boxing.
What makes Stevenson significant beyond his record is what he represents for Newark. He trains at Newark Boxing Club (formerly the Muhammad Ali Boxing Club on Muhammad Ali Avenue), stays rooted in his community, and has been vocal about putting Newark on the boxing map. His fights regularly draw massive local support, and his homecoming events have brought national attention to the city’s fight scene.
His promotional deal with Top Rank and his growing rivalry with other top lightweights make him one of the most important figures in boxing heading into 2026 and beyond.
Key fights: Herring (W TKO 10 — unified junior lightweight titles), Conceicao (W), Valdez (W — unified at 130), Nakathila (W), De Jesus (W)
Arturo “Thunder” Gatti
Gatti was born in Italy, raised in Montreal, but Jersey City was his American home and Atlantic City was his arena. No fighter in New Jersey history is more beloved than Arturo Gatti, whose all-action, blood-and-guts style made him the most exciting fighter of his era and one of the most beloved in boxing history.
Gatti compiled a record of 40-9 (31 KOs) and held the WBC junior welterweight title. But his legacy is built on the way he fought, not the titles he held. His trilogy with Micky Ward — all three fights held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City — is widely considered the greatest trilogy in boxing history. Round 9 of their first fight is frequently called the greatest round in boxing history.
Before the Ward trilogy, Gatti was already a legend in Atlantic City. His fights against Wilson Rodriguez, Gabriel Ruelas, and Angel Manfredy at the Atlantic City Convention Center and Boardwalk Hall became appointment television on HBO. The crowd at Boardwalk Hall would chant his name before he even entered the ring.
Gatti was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2013. His tragic death in 2009 at age 37 remains one of boxing’s most painful losses.
Key fights: Ward I (W), Ward II (W), Ward III (W), Ruelas (W TKO 5), Manfredy (W KO 7), Rodriguez (W TKO 6), Mayweather (TKO 6 loss)
Chuck Wepner — The Bayonne Bleeder
Before Rocky Balboa, there was Chuck Wepner. Born and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey, Wepner was a tough, undersized heavyweight who earned his shot at Muhammad Ali’s title in 1975 — and shocked the world by knocking Ali down in the ninth round and lasting 15 rounds before being stopped.
That fight inspired Sylvester Stallone to write Rocky, which became one of the most successful film franchises in history. Wepner’s record of 35-14-2 (17 KOs) doesn’t reflect his impact — he essentially gave American culture one of its most iconic characters.
Wepner fought at venues all over New Jersey, including arenas across North Jersey that no longer exist. His 2016 biopic Chuck starring Liev Schreiber told his full story — the Ali fight, the lawsuit against Stallone (which he eventually settled), and his life in Bayonne.
Livingstone Bramble
Born in the U.S. Virgin Islands but raised in Passaic, New Jersey, Livingstone Bramble captured the WBA lightweight title by stopping the legendary Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini in 1984 — one of the biggest upsets of the decade. He defended the title with a rematch victory over Mancini before losing to Edwin Rosario.
Bramble’s record of 40-26-3 (25 KOs) includes a long career that extended well past his prime, but his championship run in the mid-1980s was pure Jersey toughness. He trained at gyms across North Jersey and became a fixture of the Garden State.
Mickey Walker — The Toy Bulldog
One of the greatest fighters of the 1920s and 30s, Mickey Walker was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and became a two-division world champion, holding both the welterweight and middleweight titles. His record of 94-19-4 (60 KOs) spanned an era when fighters competed every few weeks.
Walker was managed by the legendary Jack Kearns (who also managed Jack Dempsey) and fought the best of his era across three decades. He was inducted into the InternatioalnBoxknf Hall of Fame as one of the all-time greats.
After retiring, Walker became a successful painter and owned a bar in New Jersey — the ultimate Jersey tough guy who could fight anyone and then paint a portrait of them afterward.
Joey Giardello
Born Carmine Orlando Tilelli in Brooklyn but raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey (South Jersey, near Philadelphia), Joey Giardello held the middleweight championship from 1963 to 1965. His record of 101-25-7 (33 KOs) reflects a career that spanned 17 years in one of boxing’s toughest eras.
Giardello’s legacy was complicated by the 1999 film The Hurricane, which portrayed his fight against Rubin Carter inaccurately. In reality, Giardello won a clear unanimous decision — a fact confirmed by ringside reporters and later acknowledged by the film’s producers in a legal settlement. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.
Rubin “Hurricane” Carter
Born in Clifton, New Jersey and raised in Paterson, Rubin Carter was a fearsome middleweight contender in the 1960s who compiled a record of 27-12-1 (19 KOs). His boxing career was overshadowed by his wrongful murder conviction in 1966 — a case that became one of the most famous miscalculated of justice in American history.
Carter spent nearly 20 years in prison before his conviction was overturned in 1985 by a federal judge. His story was immortalized by Bob Dylan’s 1975 song “Hurricane” and the 1999 film The Hurricane starring Denzel Washington.
As a fighter, Carter was devastating. His left hook was considered one of the best in the middleweight division, and his 1963 first-round knockout of Emile Griffith — the reigning welterweight champion — proved he had world-class talent.
Iran Barkley
While born in the Bronx, Barkley’s career was deeply tied to the New Jersey and Atlantic City fight circuit. His shocking third-round knockout of Thomas Hearns in 1988 to win the WBC middleweight title is one of the greatest upsets in division history.
Barkley fought extensively at Atlantic City venues throughout his career. He also fought Roberto Duran in Atlantic City — losing a split decision in a fight many thought he won — and later challenged Nigel Benn and James Toney. His record of 43-19 (27 KOs) doesn’t capture how dangerous he was on any given night.
Vinny Pazienza — The Pazmanian Devil
Born in Cranston, Rhode Island but a fixture of the Northeast fight circuit who fought regularly in Atlantic City, Vinny Pazienza (later Vinny Paz) became a legend for his heart, toughness, and one of the most remarkable comebacks in sports history. After breaking his neck in a car accident in 1991, doctors told him he’d never fight again. He fought again 13 months later — and won.
Pazienza’s record of 50-10 (30 KOs) included world titles in two weight classes. His fights at Atlantic City’s Convention Center and Boardwalk Hall were regular events on the AC card schedule, and his 2016 biopic Bleed for This starring Miles Teller brought his story to mainstream audiences.
Vito Mielnicki Jr. — A welterweight prospect from Roseland, New Jersey who has appeared on major cards and represents the next generation of Garden State fighters.
New Jersey’s Boxing Gyms
The state’s gym culture keeps the pipeline flowing:
Newark Boxing Club (Newark) — Where Shakur Stevenson trains. Located on Muhammad Ali Avenue in Newark’s South Ward. The gym has produced multiple Golden Gloves champions.
Larry Army Boxing Gym (Jersey City) — One of North Jersey’s most respected gyms, producing amateur and professional fighters for decades.
Raritan Bay Boxing Club (South Amboy) — A staple of the Central Jersey amateur scene.
Camden Boxing Academy (Camden) — Serving the South Jersey community, producing amateur fighters who cross over to the Philly fight scene.
AC PAL Boxing (Atlantic City) — The Atlantic City Police Athletic League has been instrumental in developing young fighters, with charity shows co-hosted by Boxing Insider Promotions supporting the program.
Paterson Boxing Gym (Paterson) — North Jersey’s historic fight city continues to produce fighters, carrying on the tradition of Rubin Carter’s hometown.
Where Newark Boxing Happens Today
Newark has two real boxing venues. The Prudential Center has hosted championship-level cards and has the capacity to become a regular home for big fights as the city’s scene grows. The Robert Treat Hotel downtown has hosted smaller club-level shows and amateur events — the kind of intimate, old-school fight nights that develop the next generation of talent.
The Garden State Boxing Legacy
New Jersey sits between New York and Philadelphia, two of boxing’s greatest cities, and rather than being overshadowed by either, it carved out its own identity. The fighters who came out of this state were never flashy — they were hard. Wepner going 15 with Ali. Gatti bleeding his way to victory in Atlantic City. Stevenson making elite fighters look amateur with his defense. That’s the Jersey style.
With Stevenson carrying the flag from Newark, a new wave of prospects coming up through the state’s gyms, and professional boxing running regularly in Atlantic City, this state’s next chapter is already underway.
For more in our city series, see our guides to the best boxers from Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Detroit, Puerto Rico, Manhattan & Harlem, and Los Angeles.
