Brian Hirsch finds your weakness, builds your strength

Brian Hirsch specializes in analyzing athletic performance to find the area in most need of improvement, strengthening an athlete’s weakness so as to fully balance talents and maximize performance. He does this for personal clients as well as serious professional and amateur athletes, including regular work with the boxers at…

Continue reading

Punches and Prayers follow Taylor from Mississippi to Manhattan

Ricky Ray Taylor is a colorful character, a man with powerful charm that easily disarms the most combative of hearts. He does this in his short, fast-paced memoir, Punches and Prayers: a fighter’s journey from the Gulf Coast to the Big Apple (Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.). In 206 pages he…

Continue reading

Element boxers shine at first Fight Night fundraiser

Element Gym hosted an evening of amateur boxing followed by a viewing party of the Ganady Golovkin-Saul Alvarez middleweight championship fight on Saturday, September 15. It was a night of great fun as our Element boxers, Deonte Sampson, Lawrence Sanders, Phil Sherman and Brandon Beck, put on a great show…

Continue reading

Rosario brings Clark down to size, handing him first loss

Junior middleweight Jeison Rosario of Miami, FL by way of the Dominican Republic, stole the show at the Armory in Minneapolis on August 24, presenting a perfect lesson in dismantling a taller southpaw as he handed Jamontay Clark, Cincinnati, OH, his first loss. Rosario, bringing his record to 16-1-1 (8KOs)…

Continue reading

James and Truax destroy opponents at Armory in Minneapolis

  The WBA number 3 ranked welterweight, Jamal James, delighted the hometown crowd of 3,574 at the Armory in Minneapolis on August 24 with an electrifying 2nd round knockout of veteran Mahonry Montes of Sinola, Mexico. James improved to a record of 24-1-(11KOs) and Montes fell to 35-8-1 (24 KOs).…

Continue reading

Truax and James joined by legend Oliva, announce Armory fights

  Former IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Truax and WBA number 3 ranked welterweight Jamal James were joined by Minnesota Twins legend Tony Oliva at a press conference Tuesday morning, July 17 as they announced their scheduled fights headlining a Premiere Boxing Champions night of professional boxing August 24 at…

Continue reading

Boxing last May in Reno, future fights this August in Minneapolis

Occasionally, working with recreational boxers through Fighting Chance/Boxing For Life takes me to other states, affording the chance to see other boxing scenes.  On Friday, May 4, after nearly two months of heavy work with a client in Reno, NV, I had the chance to attend a night of professional…

Continue reading

Fighting Chance/Boxing For Life Summer Fun

As we reach the middle of summer, I am enjoying the last quarter of my first year keeping an office in Element Gym, 655 N. Fairview Avenue in St. Paul. I’m here Monday through Saturday with weekday hours of 11 to 8, but often here earlier and later. It’s great having…

Continue reading

Mia ‘Saint Paul’ Wanna: personal trainer, bodybuilder, motivator

Mia ‘St. Paul’ Wanna grew up on the West Side of St. Paul and has been a personal trainer in the Twin Cities for the last few years. Her interest in sports and physical fitness began in early childhood and encouragement from her mother launched her down the road that,…

Continue reading

James Wins as veteran Cherry, Minnesota Fighters shine at Armory

by Jake Walther © Friday night, April 13, 2018 marked 45 years since a boxing match was held at the Minneapolis Armory.  The newly renovated, reopened and quite extravagant field house venue packed around 3,500 fans with emotions on full display, creating tension between different fighter’s factions throughout the night.  It…

Continue reading