By DAVID WEINBERG

Former four-division world champion Miguel Cotto tops a list of 20 people representing all segments of boxing who have been selected for the 2026 Class of the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame.

Cotto’s compiled a 41-6 record with 33 KO’s while winning world titles at super-lightweight, welterweight, super-welterweight and middleweight. He went undefeated in three fights in Atlantic City, winning them all by KO/TKO.

Cotto was among eight boxers selected for induction, along with former world champions Orlando Canizales (bantamweight), Jacqui Frazier-Lyde (women’s heavyweight) and Zab Judah (super-lightweight, welterweight), popular middleweight Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Charles Williams, Harold Knight and Mike Tinley.

Mancini (29-5, 23 KOs) was best known in Atlantic City for his exciting fight against the late Alexis Arguello at Bally’s Atlantic City in 1981. It was one of the last fights before championship bouts were shortened from 15 rounds to 12. Arguello won via 14th-round TKO.

Both Knight and Tinley were frequent competitors in Atlantic City in the 1980’s, when the town blossomed into a major boxing city.

Knight (19-1, 15 KOs) had 15 bouts on the boardwalk, compiling at 14-1 record with 12 KOs while fighting at Bally’s, Harrah’s, Resorts, Sands, Showboat and Tropicana as a super-featherweight.

Tinley (22-5-1, 9 KO’s), who was from Camden, frequently made the short trek on the Atlantic City Expressway. He fought an impressive 21 times in town, going 17-4 with four KOs at venues such as the Atlantis, Playboy, Harrah’s, Resorts, Sands and Trump Castle.

Atlantic City native Craig Johnson is among five inductees in the Observers/Special Contributors category. Johnson, who is now Executive Chef at Claridge, served as manager for his younger brother, the late Leavander Johnson, during his rise to the IBF lightweight championship.

Craig becomes the third member of his family to enter the Hall of Fame, joining Leavander and his father, Bill, who is a legendary trainer based at the Atlantic City PAL.

2026 Atlantic Boxing HOF Class

Photo from Dave Weinberg via press relase from AC Boxing Hall of Fame

Others in that category are referee Earl Brown, promoter Lou DiBella, judge Melvina Lathan, and trainer John Scully. DiBella was Leavander’s promoter during the late stages of his career.

Former local media personality Chuck Betson is among the four inductees in the Posthumous class, along with former fighters Georgie Navarro and James Shuler, and trainer Wesley Mouzon.

Betson, who passed away in 2020 at age 68, was a frequent ringside presence as a columnist for The Press of Atlantic City and during his tenure as a radio host.

Referee John Fitzpatrick, promoter Al “Boomie” Soifer and media member Juan Carlos Tapia were selected in the Pioneers category.

The ACBHOF’s 10th annual awards and induction weekend will be held September 25-27 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

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