There have been theories as to why any of the alphabet soup heavyweight titles are not held by an American or reasons why the division lacks a name from here. Financial input put into the boxing gyms, especially in the inner city, or the lack of interest the sport has for a legitimate heavyweight to challenge the Klitschko regime could be a cause.
Either way, it has been difficult. And it will get worse because it is noticeable. The inner city boxing gym is slowly but surely at the point of no more. From the east coast to the west, the recession and difficult economic situation are making it that more difficult for the boxing gym to exist on a daily basis. Some have limited hours of operation, others closing their doors on a daily basis.
And if a major boxing promotional company, Top Rank in Las Vegas as an example, is not the proprietor, well a good boxing gym is hard to find. Some depend on government funding, or backing from the community. And there are those that keep the operation going right out of the pocket, and have limited options to stay afloat. Meaning, the youngster off the street can?t walk in and have the money to pay monthly gym membership dues.
There is the problem. Because without some sort of financial support, an inner city boxing gym, or those known as boxing clubs are finding it is difficult to get the aspiring fighter to do the floor work, hit the bags, and get in the ring. And there is the extra cost of having the equipment and the trainer who also expects to be reciprocated.
?You see it is not easy for these kids to come up with money they don?t have but we do our best to give them opportunity,? says Aaron Davis the former WBA welterweight champion who opened his gym a year ago in a populated area of the Bronx., New York. He has also opened a downstairs part of the gym for MMA training to help supplement bills to operate six days a week.
Davis, like others is finding it is difficult to get government funding. There are city and state grants that are used for community and school programs. However, the money is not there as it was a few years ago and it becoming more limited. ?We keep trying,? said Davis who got his start when he walked into a neighborhood gym.
Youngsters, the amateur and pro fighters, pay a standard monthly membership fee of $50.00. If they don?t have the money, Davis will work with his membership, using a standard payment plan. But the hope is that one day, Davis and other inner city boxing gyms will be open to the public. No membership fees and once again the numerous possibilities of developing the next champion.
The renowned Gleason?s Boxing Gym, a haven for champions and always known as the home of boxing, in Brooklyn New York had never seen a decline in membership. You live in the New York City area and aspire to be the next Manny Pacquiao, or the next Mike Tyson, you come to Gleason?s situated by the water front in the borough of Brooklyn.
Bruce Silverglade who has been involved with boxing his entire life has seen the change. Membership is hard to find, and at one time Gleason?s had to limit the membership. Now his trainers sit, chat, and wait for their next potential champion. He pays the bills, but most of the clients walking in the door are established business people looking for a workout. Occasionally Gleason?s will host an amateur boxing show, documentaries and film makers constantly use the gym as a venue, and a professional wrestling school, operated by WWE Hall of Famer Johnny Rodz occupies some space a few days a week.
Accessible to transit and in a business hub of the South Bronx, John?s Gym, once known as the Jerome Boxing Club got notice they have to close the doors this week. The building, once a former U.S. postal center, owned by the city of New York was converted to a boxing gym almost 30 years ago. The late Adonis Cruz and his wife paid a fee to the city in converting the gym into a home of champions. Five years later, a Bronx business man, with a passion for boxing, known as Jimmy took it over.
He put his own money into the renovations and champions have come in and out of the doors. The gym has been the training home for welterweight contender Joshua Clottey and current IBF bantamweight champion Joseph Agbeko. So members, including Agbeko and Clottey will struggle and find another home, though nearby Manhattan still has Kingsway in midtown, a crowded, noisy and old school gym. The fighters like training there because there are no fans or air conditioning.
Pal Centers and youth organizations are suspending operations due to the budget crunch, and they have always produced one champion after another from the amateur level to the professional ranks. However, if one is fortunate, those with contacts in the boxing industry will continue to see their gyms exist. But with the popularity of boxing on the downslide, getting the kids to come, is that more difficult.
The Central Boxing Gym situated a half mile from the downtown Phoenix Arizona business district has seen renovations. Jose Benavidez, a 25-year old laborer put his efforts into renovating the building on Van Buren Street. The inner city of Phoenix is visible and the outside walls have paintings of great champions of the past. There are two rings, a weight facility and his air conditioned gym has become the popular place to be, even on a 110 degree day.
?It works, but you have to make it work,? says Benavidez a former amateur fighter who trains aspiring fighters. He makes it work by charging minimal fees, and from his own money. There is no governmental support and Benavidez spent around two million in renovations. On occasion Mike Tyson will come by, the middleweight champion Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. and the still active Yori Boy Campas.
?Getting to work with the kids and helping the kids in the community are what it is all about,? says Benavidez. But these boxing gyms are getting harder to find. And in a way, perhaps a reason why the once and great sport of boxing continues to decline is because the good boxing gym is hard to find.
It takes more than a mega fight to draw the interest. ?Every time Pacquiao fights, or something big like Mayweather, the kids come in,? says Davis. But they don?t continue because the money is not there to help them with their membership responsibilities.
Yes, the sport is in trouble. And without a good gym in the inner city, the decline will continue and so will the emphasis on building a viable and marketable heavyweight from this country.
