Brunswick Boxing Opens Ring to Kids on the Streets

Abour four years ago, Leroy Davila decided he wanted to give boxing a shot.

Since that time, Davila has trained two to three hours a day, six to seven days a week. He comes to the gym in the morning before work, and returns in the evening to work the bag, do cardio and get in the ring.

His hard work has paid off: Davila, 24, of New Brunswick, is now an accomplished boxer.

He has competed in tournaments around the country, is a Golden Gloves champion at the national level, and recently boxed in his first international competition with Team USA at the Independence Cup in the Dominican Republic. He placed second in the light flyweight category.

He will compete next at the USA Championships in Spokane, Wash. at the beginning of April.

"I am going to try my best," he said.

He trains at Brunswick Boxing and Fitness Club on Jersey Avenue, a boxing gym and workout spot located on the third floor of a warehouse on the industrial road.

The gym is open to men, women and kids who want to learn the sport. Just don't call them "fighters."

"We're not fighters. (We're) boxers," said assistant coach Jose Negron. "It takes a lot of skills to do a lot of this."

Negron, an accomplished boxer in his youth who competed all over the world, said that he is now hoping to be able to pass his skills and know-how onto a younger generation of boxers.

When he isn't training for his next bout, Davila helps train his peers at the gym as well, leading them through group exercises.

"I talk to them," he said. "Build (their) confidence and everything like that."

The gym also provides a sense of community, said general manager John Thompson.

During a busy weeknight training session at the gym, Thompson pointed at a shirt that hangs in the gym's office.

It reads: "Take it off the streets, bring it to the ring."

The young men and women who come train at the gym learn purpose, respect and discipline he said. They support each other, and know they can turn to the gym for support and respect.

"This is about the kids," he said. "This is the stuff we do."

The club's roster of boxers will have a chance to box on their own turf at 7 p.m. March 16, when the club hosts a tournament date for the 2013 New Jersey Golden Gloves (NJGG) Amateur Boxing Championship.

Brunswick Boxing and Fitness Club is located at 121 Jersey Ave., third floor. For more information, call (732) 213-2410, or visit the club's Facebook page. 

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