Golden Gloves boxing program moves to new OTR boxing gym

The Over-the-Rhine Recreation Center is now home to a new boxing gym, and the Cincinnati Golden Gloves for Youth and Cincinnati Police Athletic Club, which was created by Buddy LaRosa of LaRosa’s Pizza. Golden Gloves was formerly run out the Mt. Auburn Recreation Center.
 
Construction of the 3,350-square-foot gym began in July, and the grand opening was November 1. The boxing gym was built at the site of the former Cincinnati Recreation Center indoor pool, which hasn’t been used for a few years because of leaks and other maintenance issues. The pool was filled in, and three boxing rings now stand in its place.
 
The floor of the gym is blue with a red running track along the outside, and the walls are red, white and blue striped. There are 17 heavy bags, six feed bags and a wall of mirrors for shadow boxing. Golden Gloves plans to host between six and eight events per year in the gym.
 
One of the boxing rings is a vintage ring that used to be located at Cincinnati Gardens and has been in storage for the past 10 years. The ring used to house matches for Cincinnati fighters like Aaron Pryor, Ezzard Charles and Joe Louis.
 
“The boxing gym is another destination location for the neighborhood, and it’s good for the community,” says Jason Richards, director of the OTR Rec Center. “It gives a positive program for kids and teaches discipline like karate or tae-kwon-do.”
 
Since opening, about 50-100 people have inquired about the boxing program.
 
Golden Gloves highlights the development of life skills, such as fair play, sportsmanship, responsible conduct and a commitment to schoolwork. Each boxer is held accountable for his or her grades and must hold a C average, otherwise he or she is suspended from the boxing program. Each boxer must also sign a code of conduct that emphasizes positivity and responsibility.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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