By David Algranati
Boxing Insider Promotions kicked off its 2026 schedule on Saturday night at the Tropicana Atlantic City, presenting a six-bout card that featured local prospects, two knockouts, and a main event that ended in an unfortunate no contest.
The event marked the promotion’s third year staging fights at the Tropicana and is available for streaming and on-demand replay on the Boxing Insider Promotions YouTube channel.
Main Event — Justin Figueroa vs. Luis Caraballo Ramos Ends in No Contest
Atlantic City’s Justin “Time” Figueroa returned to headline in his hometown, taking on Puerto Rico’s Luis Caraballo Ramos in an eight-round middleweight bout.
Ramos entered the fight as a dangerous opponent, having scored a first-round knockout just two weeks earlier over previously unbeaten Adrian Valdez Reyes. All eight of Ramos’ victories have come by knockout.
Ramos started strongly, appearing to take the opening round as Figueroa fought cautiously. Figueroa began to find success in the second, landing several meaningful shots that likely secured the round.
The action intensified in the third. After Figueroa appeared to hurt Ramos late in the round and pursued him toward a neutral corner, the fighters became entangled. With Figueroa’s left arm around Ramos’ neck, both fighters fell backward, driving Ramos’ head into the canvas.
Ramos immediately required medical attention and remained down while ringside personnel fitted him with a cervical collar before he was removed from the ring on a stretcher.
Referee David Fields ruled the fall accidental, and the bout was declared a no contest.
Figueroa’s record remains 14-0 (11), while Ramos’ record remains 8-8-1 (8).
Co-Main Event — John Leonardo Rallies Past Edgar Joe Cortes
After a 15-month layoff, Manalapan’s John “Bodyshot” Leonardo returned in the eight-round super bantamweight co-feature against fellow New Jersey fighter Edgar Joe Cortes of Vineland.
Cortes started fast, outworking and outlanding Leonardo in the opening two rounds. The momentum shifted in the third, as Leonardo began applying steady pressure and finding success with both headshots and his trademark body attack.
Leonardo continued to press forward through the middle rounds, mixing in combinations and landing clean punches, including a left uppercut in the sixth round that punctuated his control of the fight.
After eight rounds without knockdowns, the judges awarded Leonardo a unanimous decision with scores of 79–73, 78–74, and 77–75.
Leonardo extends his winning streak to six bouts and improves to 13-1-1 (6). Cortes falls to 9-9-1 (1).
Indeya Rodriguez Hands Lia Lewandowski First Loss
Berlin, New Jersey’s Lia “The Rogue” Lewandowski faced her toughest opponent to date in a six-round super flyweight bout against Indeya “Azucar” Rodriguez.
Despite Lewandowski’s height and reach advantage, Rodriguez successfully neutralized it by applying constant forward pressure. Rodriguez repeatedly closed distance and landed with both hands, with her overhand right proving particularly effective.
As the bout progressed, Rodriguez maintained her pace while Lewandowski’s output gradually declined.
The fight went the distance with no knockdowns. Rodriguez earned a unanimous decision by scores of 58–56, 59–55, and 59–55.
Rodriguez improves to 7-8-4 (1), while Lewandowski suffers her first professional loss, dropping to 3-1 (1).
Josh Popper Extends Knockout Streak
Somers Point heavyweight Josh “The Hammer” Popper continued his perfect knockout streak with a first-round stoppage of Dillion “Dominator” Pumphrey.
Pumphrey entered the bout weighing 330 pounds, holding a 95-pound weight advantage over Popper. The size difference proved irrelevant once the action began.
Popper’s speed and power were decisive. He landed repeatedly with sharp left jabs and hooks, stunning Pumphrey early before flooring him face-first with a left hook.
Pumphrey managed to beat the count, but referee David Fields determined he was unfit to continue, stopping the fight at 1:12 of the first round.
Popper improves to 6-0 (6), while Pumphrey falls to 1-2 (1).
Julio Sanchez III Dominates in First-Round TKO
Pleasantville’s Julio Sanchez III maintained his undefeated record at the Tropicana with an explosive first-round victory over Christopher Williams in a four-round super lightweight bout.
Williams attempted to pressure early, but Sanchez responded with sharp counters that quickly turned the momentum.
A powerful left hand dropped Williams for the first time. After Williams rose, Sanchez followed with a right hand that sent him to the canvas again.
Referee David Fields stopped the contest at 2:24 of the opening round, awarding Sanchez the TKO victory.
Sanchez improves to 4-1 (3), while Williams falls to 0-2.
Jacob Riley Solis remains unbeaten in Opener
The evening opened with a six-round super middleweight bout between undefeated Jacob Riley Solis and Jeremy Ramos.
Solis delivered what may have been his most disciplined performance as a professional, advancing methodically behind his jab and avoiding the temptation to overcommit. As the fight progressed, Solis increasingly landed the right hand behind the jab.
Ramos struggled to mount a consistent offense until the fifth round, when he increased his activity and began landing his left hand. Ramos followed with a solid sixth round, connecting with several clean punches.
Despite the late rally, the judges awarded Solis a unanimous decision by scores of 60–54, 59–55, and 59–55.
Solis improves to 8-0-1 (6), while Ramos’ record stands at 14-17 (4).
Event Summary
Boxing Insider Promotions’ first event of 2026 delivered a mix of decisive finishes and competitive decisions across six bouts at Tropicana Atlantic City. Knockout wins by Josh Popper and Julio Sanchez III highlighted the undercard, while John Leonardo’s successful return added momentum to his growing streak.
The evening’s main event ended in an unfortunate no contest after an accidental fall halted the contest between Justin Figueroa and Luis Caraballo Ramos.
The post Figueroa–Ramos Ends In No Contest As Boxing Insider Promotions Opens 2026 At Tropicana Atlantic City appeared first on Fight News.
