Extra Points: Seldon vs Popper set for June 13 at Tropicana AC

This summer’s Atlantic City boxing schedule will include one of the most-anticipated local fights in years.

Barring any injuries or other snafus, heavyweights Bruce Seldon Jr. (8-0, 6 KOs) and Josh Popper (6-0, 6 KOs) will be the main event on Larry Goldberg’s upcoming Boxing Insider Promotions card June 13^th at Tropicana Casino Resort.

“Me against Popper is a fight that would create a lot of buzz,” Seldon said. “It’s sure to be one of the main attractions of the summer in Atlantic City.”

It has the potential to be the biggest fight between local boxers since former super-middleweights Antowyan Aikens (Mays Landing) and DeCarlo Perez (Egg Harbor Township) squared off at the House of Blues in Showboat Hotel on September 9, 2018.

Perez earned an eight-round, unanimous decision in an action-packed bout promoted by Millville’s Rising Star Promotions that saw both fighters score knockdowns.

Seldon, 32, is a 2012 Absegami High School graduate who was a football standout for the Braves. Popper, 31, starred in football and basketball at Holy Spirit before graduating in 2011 and also played football for Rowan University.

Both also have intriguing backgrounds that would only add to the hype.

Seldon is the son of former WBA world champion Bruce Seldon. Popper gained some notoriety by dating pop legend Madonna.

There is a potential glitch, however.

Although both have reportedly signed contracts for June 13, Popper surprised some officials by opting to take another fight in the interim.

He will be fighting tomorrow night (Tuesday) in Nashville, Tennessee against 45-year-old Rydell Booker (27-13-1, 14 KOs) at Plaza Mariachi.

On paper, it looks like an easy win for Popper. Booker is 1-11-1 in his last 13 fights and has lost six straight. However, he is considered a tough, durable fighter that could pose problems.

If Popper loses or gets injured, the fight against Seldon will not be held.

“We hope Josh does well and comes out of the fight unscathed,” Seldon’s co-manager, Jim Kurtz, said. “Because Bruce is working his (butt) off to be ready for June 13. We are leaving no stone unturned.”

The card will be among shows being held in Atlantic City in the next three months.

The action starts on Saturday night at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall’s Adrian Phillips Ballroom, when top middleweight prospect Vito Milenecki Jr. (22-1, 13 KOs), from Roseland, New Jersey, will meet unbeaten Omar Ulises Huerta (15-0-1, 13 KOs), from San Ysidro, California in the main event of a Sampson Boxing card being shown on ProBox TV.

The show also includes Galloway Township cruiserweight Christian Figueroa (2-0, 2 KOs), who is fighting unbeaten Arjen Iseni (5-0, 5 KOs), of Staten Island, New York.

It’s an impressive move by Figueroa, who is the younger brother of unbeaten super-welterweight Justin Figueroa.

Rather than try to continue to build his ring resume against overmatched opponents – a common practice for a lot of young fighters – he’s taking major step up in competition.

Christian made his pro debut just five months ago after a limited amateur career, posting a first-round knockout over Connecticut’s Lisandro Perez (now 0-3) at Hard Rock last November 22, then following it up with a second-round TKO over Philadelphia Avonte Barr (1-4) at Hard Rock in February.

This fight figures to be tougher.

Iseni, 23, has been boxing since he was 7. He turned pro in 2024 after a decorated amateur career that saw him become a five-time national champion.

Since turning pro in 2024, he’s stopped all five of his opponents. In his last outing, he gained a third-round TKO over Mexico’s Mario Bedolla Orazco on January 10 at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Figueroa is the “B Side” fighter on the bout sheet, the one who’s considered the underdog. But as is often the case in boxing, it only takes one punch to join the “A Side.”

Win or lose, however, he deserves a ton of credit for taking a chance. It would have been easier to continue to take on lesser-talented foes in hopes of building up an impressive-looking record.

Better to take a risk and falter than to never take a chance.