A.C. Boxing Hall of Fame Announces 2021 Class

Former fighters Simon Brown, Kelly Pavlik, Ivan Robinson and Felix Trinidad highlight the new class of the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame.

Ocean City publicist Ed Keenan is also among the inductees, alone with Philadelphia cutman Joey Eye, former trainer Aaron Snowell, referee Frank Cappuccino and ring announcer Nino Del Buono.

Brown (47-12, 34 KOs), a former welterweight champion, fought 22 times in Atlantic City (19-3, 15 KOs). He essentially got his start in boxing at Tropicana Atlantic City as regular at the Trop's popular

"Tuesday Night Fights" series in the early 1980s with promoters Don Elbaum and Ted Menas.

Pavlik (40-2, 34 KOs) had four bouts on the boardwalk, including the biggest victory of his career. On Sept. 29, 2007, he stunned the boxing world by capturing the WBC/WBO middleweight titles by rallying to score a seventh-round TKO over champion Jermain Taylor at Boardwalk Hall. Busloads of fans from Pavlik's hometown of Youngstown, Ohio would show up to cheer for Pavlik, who was nicknamed "The Ghost."

Robinson (32-12-2, 12 KOs), a Philadelphia native, fought nine times in the area. He went unbeaten (7-0-1) in eight bouts in Atlantic City, including two decision victories over Arturo Gatti in 1998. He was the only fighter to beat Gatti twice.

Trinidad (42-3, 35 KOs), a welterweight, super-welterweight and middleweight champion, only fought once in Atlantic City - a fourth-round TKO over Larry Barnes in 1995 - but was one of boxing's most celebrated fighters of that era.

The other inductees include Keenan, an Ocean City resident who is regarded as one of the sport's top publicists. Eye is considered among the top cutmen in the sport. Snowell previously served as one of Mike Tyson's trainers. Del Buono is a popular ringside announcer who has had a role in several movies. Cappuccino, who died in 2015 at age 85, officiated over 500 bouts in his career as a referee.

They are scheduled to be honored during the ACBHOF celebration weekend in Atlantic City next August, along with the members of the 2020 Class.

The 2020 Class - fighters Riddick Bowe, Ernest Bing, Al Cole, Calvin Grove, Tony Thornton and Pernell Whitaker; trainers Tommy Parks and Percy Richardson; referee Earl Morton; judge Steve Weisfeld; promoter Ron Katz; announcer Al Bernstein; publicist Marc Abrams, manager Laoma Byrd; IBF official Murad Muhammad - had their ceremony postponed last summer due to the Covid-19 pandemic.