“He’s a man whose success at business epitomizes the American dream,” shouted Michael Buffer as he introduced Donald Trump after the latter hosted a successful event in Atlantic City. For a very brief time, boxing was great again, and, as Mike Tyson stated, “It was a night of beauty,” while remembering his greatest night as a boxer, hosted by Donald Trump.

Trump, the newly elected second-time U.S. president, is a huge boxing fan. For him, boxing was far more exciting than “opera or ballet.” In the late 1980s and 1990s, the 78-year-old made Atlantic City the capital of boxing and hosted some of the biggest fights the world has ever seen. Let’s take a deep dive and look at when boxing saw one of its greatest periods.

Mike Tyson vs. Larry Holmes

Mike Tyson still fondly remembers this fight as one of his best nights as a professional boxer. The January 22, 1988 fight saw the Brooklyn native reach the pinnacle of his career and made Atlantic City the capital of boxing for the next decade. Tyson won the fight via a fourth-round knockout, which was hosted by Trump Plaza and changed the course of boxing completely.

Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks

Just a few months after Larry Holmes’ fight, On June 27, 1988, the Baddest Man on The Planet reached a different status in boxing that few even dream of. Termed as “Once and for All” this is one of the biggest boxing fights the world has ever seen.

The Convention Hall in Atlantic City hosted the fight sponsored by Trump Plaza. According to Mike Tyson, Trump “paid me $11 million to fight that night,” and “He was putting on the biggest events in boxing.” According to several reports, almost 22,000 spectators were present at the venue when Tyson knocked out Spinks in just 91 seconds to make him a permanent icon in the boxing world.

Donald Trump was ecstatic after the fight and stated, “It was an amazing event, probably the most amazing event Atlantic City has ever seen,” and this statement might be true even now.

Mike Tyson vs. Carl “The Truth” Williams

Just a year after setting Atlantic City on fire, Tyson returned to the boxing capital as the undisputed heavyweight champion. He took on the number 1 challenger in Carl Williams. While everyone expected a close fight, the champion finished the fight in just 93 seconds, making it his second-fastest victory ever.

The aftermath of the match was riddled with controversies. But nothing could change the fact that Mike Tyson had established himself as the era’s most dominant heavyweight.

George Foreman vs. Gerry Cooney

Nicknamed “The Preacher and the Puncher,” January 15, 1990 marked the comeback of two heavyweight greats. Cooney returned to the ring after a break of three years at the age of 33. On the other hand, Foreman had just returned from a 10-year retirement to “see what I could do.” The fight was mocked by everyone and Cooney was seen as the heavy favorite.

But as the fight progressed, everyone present at the Caesars Palace in Atlantic City saw a different script being unfolded. Foreman showed his legendary resilience and carved out a hard-fought victory. This win over Cooney motivated Foreman to eventually challenge for the heavyweight title once again. He later claimed the title at the age of 45, making him the oldest heavyweight champion in history.

Evander Holyfield vs. George Foreman

While Trump Plaza did not host this fight, Donald Trump helped to promote this fight. Termed the “Battle of the Ages” saw a 28-year-old undefeated undisputed heavyweight champion Holyfield taking on the 42-year-old Foreman on April 19, 1991

From the pre-match weigh-in to hosting a victory party for Evander Holyfield at the Trump Tower, Donald Trump was ever present in the event. This record pay-per-view event saw Holyfield retain his championship via a unanimous decision. It also marked the start of the “second act” for Foreman, which would end after him winning the heavyweight championship.

For nearly a decade, Atlantic City ruled the boxing world and Donald Trump was the showrunner, making every fight he wanted. While Atlantic City is still an important part of the sport, it might never see the same height as it once did.