The owner of Gleason’s Gym thinks Deontay Wilder has had enough excuses.
The doors are open to everyone. The view that opens immediately after the vestibule is impressive.
At noon on Saturday, Gleason’s Gym is packed. There are trainers in every ring and by every bag. Soon the bell rings for a break and the sound of boxing gloves hitting stops.
Located right next to the Brooklyn Bridge, Gleason’s Gym is a real boxing museum – but not officially one. It is the oldest boxing gym still in operation in the United States.
Peter Gagliardilater as Bobby Gleason a well-known ex-pugilist, founded the original gym in the Bronx in 1937. Since then, the gym moved to Brooklyn.
The walls are lined with pieces of history: match posters, boards, championship belts. On one wall of the hall, the door is on the blacksmith’s back. Behind the desk in the room sits the owner of the hall for 40 years Bruce Silvergrade.
People rush in and out of the office. Some go to exchange information with Silvergrade. The phone rings almost non-stop, but luckily the secretary is there to help.
– This is also the biggest boxing festival in the country. The gym has 800 members. About 200 of them are amateur boxers, about 50 are professionals. The rest are enthusiasts from different backgrounds.
All the big names in boxing have trained at Gleason’s Gym. Today, the gym has a total of 800 members. Anssi Karjalainen
– This gym has produced 136 world champions, two Olympic champions, thousands of amateur champions. Sali has also been involved in 26 different films, Silvergrade lists.
Robert Helenius visited Gleason’s Gym with his team earlier in the week. Silvergrade had already met them a couple of years ago, when Helenius took over Adam Kownacki against in Brooklyn.
Now Helenius has the biggest match of his career ahead of him Deontay Wilder against.
Working in the gym Grant cheers Helenius’ coach Johan Lindström.
– Very funny, a top guy! Grant says.
The office of the world’s most famous boxing gym is like a boxing museum. For owner Bruce Silvergrade, every memory is important. Anssi Karjalainen
– We didn’t talk about the match strategy, because naturally the coach doesn’t want to reveal it. Helenius has a chance to win. Deontay Wilder trained here when he was still with the Olympic team and an amateur. He has tremendous strength, but he’s not a very good boxer, Silvergrade reckons.
List of legends
Photos can be found in every room, wall and door of the hall. Anssi Karjalainen
About 50 professionals train regularly at Gleason’s Gym. Anssi Karjalainen
As the merit list says, virtually all boxing’s top players have trained at Gleason’s Gym. We can talk about the world’s most famous boxing shrine.
Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran, Jake LaMotta, Floyd Mayweather Jr…
Mike Tyson’s childhood home is located in the disreputable Brownsville area of East Brooklyn. Gleason’s Gym offered Tyson a chance for a better life.
In the early 2000s, Tyson was threatened with prison time for a hotel brawl. In the end, he had to do 100 hours of community service. Silvergrade was a major influence in recommending Tyson to serve out a large portion of his sentence at Gleason’s Gym.
– Boxing has been a really significant sport for many people. It has helped, even saved lives. The gym can be an escape in the middle of a difficult everyday life. I like every boxer who comes here, says Silvergrade.
When Gagliardi founded the first Gleason’s Gym, there were many Irish-Americans living in the Bronx. At the end of the 30s, times were hard, and the locals did not look favorably on Gagliardi, who had an Italian background.
He changed his name to Gleason to blend in with the locals.
Wilder’s excuses
According to Bruce Silvergrade, Robert Helenius has a good chance to beat Deontay Wilder. Anssi Karjalainen
Silvergrade says he’s a little old-fashioned because he loves heavyweight boxing. That is why the meeting between Wilder and Helenius is also of great interest to him.
According to the boxing influencer, Wilder can still return to the top, but he should rather let his fists do the talking.
– For two For Tyson Fury after the defeat, Wilder had quite a lot of excuses.
– Jake LaMotta fought six times in his career Ray Robinson against. LaMotta lost five of them, but never made excuses, Silvergrade says, and believes that the top match in Brooklyn will end before full time.
The door to Gleason’s Gym keeps going. Everyone is welcome. Anssi Karjalainen
The original Gleason’s Gym was located in the Bronx, from where it moved to Brooklyn. Anssi Karjalainen