{"id":512711,"date":"2026-03-01T23:06:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T23:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/512711\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T23:06:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T23:06:14","slug":"from-nfl-camps-to-undefeated-heavyweight-contender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/512711\/","title":{"rendered":"From NFL Camps to Undefeated Heavyweight Contender"},"content":{"rendered":"

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 \u2014 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\u2019t work out, most athletes in his position find a desk job and move on.<\/p>\n

Popper moved to New York City and started punching people for a living.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>. It is another homecoming for a fighter whose career has been anything but conventional.<\/p>\n

A Football Foundation<\/p>\n

Popper\u2019s 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 \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

At Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, Popper developed into one of the NJAC\u2019s 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<\/a> in 2016 and the Indianapolis Colts in 2017.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWhen 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,\u201d Popper said. \u201cBut 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Transition to the Ring<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 a statistic that speaks both to his power and to the kind of overwhelming athleticism that most early-career heavyweights simply cannot match.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to consider myself a very smooth boxer. I move very fluid \u2014 I box as if I was a middleweight, but obviously I\u2019m a heavyweight,\u201d Popper has said. \u201cThat\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Evolving the Approach<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

On the training side, Popper has added swimming to his conditioning regimen \u2014 an unusual choice for a heavyweight, but one rooted in sound logic. \u201cSwimming is great for cardio without pounding your joints,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt helps with shoulder work and breath control. I was terrible at it at first \u2014 could barely do a lap \u2014 but I love the challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast time, fighting in a new spot with a home crowd threw me off \u2014 it wasn\u2019t the quiet gym I\u2019m used to,\u201d Popper said. \u201cThis camp, I\u2019ve been sparring in different gyms with noise, people talking, and varied partners to build that mental toughness. I wasn\u2019t as prepared mentally before. After round one, I felt off, but I pushed through. Now, it\u2019s about simulating the chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to eat the same thing every day, ending with McDonald\u2019s cookies \u2014 terrible for energy,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, I\u2019m working with Matter Formula in NYC for macro-tracked meals made from real food. I\u2019m aiming for 235 pounds \u2014 I\u2019m at 237 now \u2014 and scheduling everything properly. No more skipped meals. It\u2019s made a huge difference in sleep, focus, and training.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Local Connection<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, the rising women\u2019s boxing prospect from Berlin, New Jersey, is also in action.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is such an amazing moment, being from Atlantic City, having these fights and boxing pick back up in Atlantic City,\u201d Popper told 973 ESPN ahead of his November bout. \u201cThis is a very cool moment. Obviously, my mind is focused on one thing, but yeah, this is very cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Comes Next<\/p>\n

Popper\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about leveling up my opponents to get into the rankings and chase those championships,\u201d Popper said. \u201cI truly believe I can be a world champion \u2014 I\u2019ve got the potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 from nutrition to mental preparation to cross-training \u2014 that suggests a fighter who takes the long view seriously.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Josh Popper was supposed to be a football player. A standout defensive lineman at Holy Spirit High School…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":512712,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[64,63,802,85],"class_list":["post-512711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-boxing","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=512711"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512711\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/512712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=512711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=512711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=512711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}