Josh Popper was supposed to be a football player. A standout defensive lineman at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey, and later an All-American at Rowan University, he did everything right — earned first-team All-NJAC honors, put up dominant numbers, and worked his way into NFL minicamps with the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts. When professional football didn’t work out, most athletes in his position find a desk job and move on.

Popper moved to New York City and started punching people for a living.

Now 32 years old and carrying a perfect 5-0 record with five knockouts the Egg Harbor Township native returns to the Jersey Shore on March 7 when he fights on the Boxing Insider Promotions card at the Tropicana Atlantic City. It is another homecoming for a fighter whose career has been anything but conventional.

A Football Foundation

Popper’s athletic roots run deep in South Jersey. At Holy Spirit, he was part of the 2010 team that went 12-0 and captured the state Non-Public Group III championship — a squad that included future NFL quarterback Joe Callahan, USC linebacker Anthony Sarao, and Villanova defensive back Joe Sarnese. Popper played defensive end and also suited up for the Spartans basketball team, building the footwork and court awareness that would later serve him in the ring.

At Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, Popper developed into one of the NJAC’s most disruptive defenders. As a senior in 2015, he posted 56 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks, and an interception, earning All-American honors and first-team All-NJAC recognition. The numbers caught the attention of NFL scouts, and Popper earned invitations to rookie minicamps with the Arizona Cardinals in 2016 and the Indianapolis Colts in 2017.

Neither stint resulted in a roster spot. But in a recent interview with Josh Hennig on 973 ESPN South Jersey, Popper framed the experience as foundational rather than disappointing.

“When I came out of college, I ended up getting the opportunity to put on an NFL helmet with two different teams, the Cardinals and the Colts. Unfortunately, that was short-lived,” Popper said. “But playing football at that highest level, or at least being around those guys and being in that environment, it really kind of sets you up for life.”

Transition to the Ring

After the NFL door closed, Popper relocated to New York City and found boxing. He began training in 2019 and quickly showed enough promise to compete as an amateur, compiling a 7-2 record that included victories at the New York Ringmasters and Metropolitan championships in 2023. In February 2021, he founded Bredwinners Boxing, a gym in Manhattan where he trains fighters and coaches clients of all skill levels.

Popper turned professional in 2024 and has been devastating in the early going. All five of his wins have come by knockout, with four ending in the first round and his most recent bout extending into the third — a statistic that speaks both to his power and to the kind of overwhelming athleticism that most early-career heavyweights simply cannot match.

“I like to consider myself a very smooth boxer. I move very fluid — I box as if I was a middleweight, but obviously I’m a heavyweight,” Popper has said. “That’s something that every heavyweight has to fear getting in the ring with me: being able to match my speed, my IQ, my athleticism, my footwork. And I do pack a nice little punch.”

At 6-foot-4, Popper has the frame to compete with larger heavyweights, but it is the cross-sport athleticism that separates him at this stage. His basketball background shows in his lateral movement; the football years gave him an understanding of controlled aggression and leverage.

Evolving the Approach

Ahead of the March 7 card, Popper spoke with Hennig about the refinements he has made since his last appearance on the Boxing Insider Promotions card at Tropicana in November 2025. The changes extend well beyond the gym.

On the training side, Popper has added swimming to his conditioning regimen — an unusual choice for a heavyweight, but one rooted in sound logic. “Swimming is great for cardio without pounding your joints,” he explained. “It helps with shoulder work and breath control. I was terrible at it at first — could barely do a lap — but I love the challenge.”

The mental preparation has also shifted. Popper acknowledged that his last fight on the Boxing Insider card at Tropicana, while a victory, exposed some gaps in his psychological readiness. Fighting in front of a loud hometown crowd was a different environment from the controlled setting of a training gym, and the adjustment threw him off early.

“Last time, fighting in a new spot with a home crowd threw me off — it wasn’t the quiet gym I’m used to,” Popper said. “This camp, I’ve been sparring in different gyms with noise, people talking, and varied partners to build that mental toughness. I wasn’t as prepared mentally before. After round one, I felt off, but I pushed through. Now, it’s about simulating the chaos.”

Perhaps the most telling change has been nutritional. As a heavyweight, Popper does not face the weight-cutting demands of smaller fighters, but he has overhauled his diet to maximize performance rather than simply making weight.

“I used to eat the same thing every day, ending with McDonald’s cookies — terrible for energy,” he said. “Now, I’m working with Matter Formula in NYC for macro-tracked meals made from real food. I’m aiming for 235 pounds — I’m at 237 now — and scheduling everything properly. No more skipped meals. It’s made a huge difference in sleep, focus, and training.”

The Local Connection

Popper is part of a deep South Jersey contingent on the Boxing Insider Promotions card on March 7. The main event features fellow Holy Spirit graduate Justin Figueroa, the undefeated Junior NABF super welterweight champion who has become one of the most popular fighters in the region. Lia Lewandowski, the rising women’s boxing prospect from Berlin, New Jersey, is also in action.

For Popper, fighting in Atlantic City carries personal weight that extends beyond the competitive opportunity. He grew up minutes from the boardwalk, played high school sports in the area, and now returns as a professional athlete building his career on the same shore where he was raised.

“This is such an amazing moment, being from Atlantic City, having these fights and boxing pick back up in Atlantic City,” Popper told 973 ESPN ahead of his November bout. “This is a very cool moment. Obviously, my mind is focused on one thing, but yeah, this is very cool.”

What Comes Next

Popper’s goals for 2026 are ambitious but measured. He wants at least five fights this year, beginning with March 7 and targeting a return in April. The objective is straightforward: step up the level of opposition, crack the heavyweight rankings, and begin positioning himself for title contention.

“It’s about leveling up my opponents to get into the rankings and chase those championships,” Popper said. “I truly believe I can be a world champion — I’ve got the potential.”

Whether that potential translates to a title shot remains years away. But the building blocks are in place: an athletic foundation that few heavyweights can claim, a perfect knockout rate that demands attention, a gym of his own that keeps him immersed in the sport daily, and the kind of iterative self-improvement — from nutrition to mental preparation to cross-training — that suggests a fighter who takes the long view seriously.

The heavyweight division is the most unforgiving class in boxing. Popper, a former football player who found the sport late and learned it fast, is still in the earliest chapters of his professional career. On March 7 at the Tropicana Atlantic City, presented by Boxing Insider Promotions, the next chapter gets written.