How good is boxing in Massachusetts?

I live in Somerville and the Somerville Boxing Club is around the corner from my house. It is where John Ruiz goes, which is probably a good reason to avoid if you want to get serious haha

like at the place Hagler, trained at Petronelli's , how good is tat gym?

I've never trained anywhere.Im from the Lowell area.I can't help you,Sorry man! OHH I was under the impression you were a fighter or in training because of your posts. your from mass though huh how long you been around lowell?

I've never trained anywhere.Im from the Lowell area.I can't help you,Sorry man!

Very true! WHERE YOU TRAINED IN SOMERVILLE, I HAVE YET TO FIND THE "GYMS" AROUND HERE AND I HAVE BEEN HERE NOW JUST UNDER 2 MONTHS. ARE THEY OFF BROADWAY OR THE MCGRATH OBRIEN HIGHWAY?

yeah John Ruiz, and I agree with you on Micky Ward but face it he is only a tough irish guy that never was a true champion like Ruiz as much as we all want to deny the fact he's from our state. Very true!

Yeah your right about the place in Woburn. Dennis Murphy, straight rip off. I just visited for prices and whatnot and saw the same thing. Never Open and expensive. I have no clue why those tools even train there. I live near Lowell now, I self train, but heard its not bad. And John Ruiz grew up in Chelsea, and trained in Somerville, not Lowell from my knowledge. he trained in lowell when the place in somerville got shut down, they supposably making another upgraded gym in somerville although there is 2 in this city that I have yet to find and I have been living here for 2 months.

Are you talking about John Ruiz?Because Lowell has more to be proud of than John Ruiz.Who isn't even from Lowell.Micky Ward is the pride of Lowell.Also a upstart named Joe McCreddy(Sp?)is looking good.Although very early in his career. yeah John Ruiz, and I agree with you on Micky Ward but face it he is only a tough irish guy that never was a true champion like Ruiz as much as we all want to deny the fact he's from our state.

Haha funny though right. No one really wants to claim Ruiz, although he's been a champion. Dude just fights lame you know. Luckily my Regular gym has heavy bags and whatnot so I can train alone. But if I had to chose it would be either Lowell or Brockton (although thats a hike for me) MassPride, what gym to do you train at? Or have trained at? Im just a fan Rane.I honestly have no boxing training short of hitting a heavy bag at a friends house.Sad but true!

No one in Lowell even knows who the hell John Ruiz is.Were all about the Micky down here. Haha funny though right. No one really wants to claim Ruiz, although he's been a champion. Dude just fights lame you know. Luckily my Regular gym has heavy bags and whatnot so I can train alone. But if I had to chose it would be either Lowell or Brockton (although thats a hike for me) MassPride, what gym to do you train at? Or have trained at?

Yeah your right about the place in Woburn. Dennis Murphy, straight rip off. I just visited for prices and whatnot and saw the same thing. Never Open and expensive. I have no clue why those tools even train there. I live near Lowell now, I self train, but heard its not bad. And John Ruiz grew up in Chelsea, and trained in Somerville, not Lowell from my knowledge. No one in Lowell even knows who the hell John Ruiz is.Were all about the Micky down here.

Yeah your right about the place in Woburn. Dennis Murphy, straight rip off. I just visited for prices and whatnot and saw the same thing. Never Open and expensive. I have no clue why those tools even train there. I live near Lowell now, I self train, but heard its not bad. And John Ruiz grew up in Chelsea, and trained in Somerville, not Lowell from my knowledge.

Massachusetts current boxing scene is average.Were not producing the best boxers in New England right now or anything.States like Rhode Island and Connecticut are.But we have our share of prospects,and proven guys like Jose Antonio Rivera.Micky Ward and his half brother Dicky Ecklund have a small impressive stable right now,mainly Jeff Fraza(contender)and Joe McCreddy.Maybe someday we will be producing guys like Rocky Marciano,Marvin Hagler,and John Sullivan again.I hope!

Honestly it sucks, the only good place to train would be out of Brockton, thats where the Petronelli family fight values run true. Hard work, dedication, and determination are what make a champion. Well worth price to get trained there especially if your serious. Leominster gym is a joke run by a big talker who was supposably a good amateur fighter back in the day. His name is Brian he's a short mid 30's blonde haired guy who likes to call himself a trainer...long story short dont go there, charges too much. Fitchburg is not bad and they often hold amateur exhibitions to raise money for the gym and to keep the sport alive in the poor gansta wanna be city. Dont really have good trainers but they are open to you and is a good place for beginners, and it's cheap to use the gym. Gardner isnt really a gym, the first woman boxer to fight at the Fleet Center fought out of there. She was 38 years old and a great person good friend of mine and she could fight. Trainer was ok also a big talker but not serious about setting up fights for his fighters. Used to be a Carribian boxing champion and knows what hes talking about only problem is he's not dedicated to his fighters like they are to him and fighting. Worth the price you pay which isnt expensive because you get the equipment minus the sparring and actual fighting (often). Worcester is run by good people at the boys and girls club but carlos the trainer there is very educated in the sport and loves the sport, worcester itself is not very good with fighters although they do have Jose Antonio Rivera. It's finally starting to gain respect again because it used to hold many fights but lost it during the 80's and 90's. Good price for what you get, you get all the equipment you need in an old sweaty gym area of the boys and girls club. plenty of sparring and supervision to assist you when you need it. Woburn (Dennis Murphy Gym) DO NOT GO HERE!!! This place is the biggest joke of all places I fought and trained out of. I went here after being out of the ring for over a year first day back training he wanted me to pay one payment of 160 then 2 more payments of like 90 dollars then just a monthly membership to use the gym which is only open 3 hours in the morning then 4 hours at night and not on weekends! haha whats that, no friggan weekends? Not only that he is a big talker never had anyone special out of his gym, teaches you in a days lesson no one on one mind you this is classroom shit. Teaches you how to punch in the clinch, how to fight dirty, then throws people in the ring to spar totally mismatched for instance 185lb kid with 140lb kid with no holding back during this while one kids on his 3rd week against someone there 8 months, there is no rules at this place and it's dangerous. DO NOT GO HERE!! HE KNOWS NOTHING AND WILL STEAL YOUR MONEY FOR CLASS LESSONS NOT ACTUAL TRAINING 1 ON 1. Boston's Ring Club isnt bad but it's expensive and too high tech for me, they show you alittle but definately not enough experience especially if you want to go pro, you see more people just going for getting into shape factor as opposed to competing. Lowell isnt bad although they only really have Ruiz to show for it which isnt exactly exciting but he's the one of the states Former World Champions. Bad attitudes there though at that gym everyone thinks they are better than everybody in life not just in boxing so personalities collide there. They do hold the annual State Golden Glove and Silver Mitten Championships there. Good price you get everything you need for pros and amateurs. Conclussion Massachusetts is ok for Boxing but mainly its amateur fighting and no true professionals come out of here not anymore, whether it be due to the lack in true boxing trainers and promotions or lack of talented fighters in a sport that has lost it's following through the recent years. Keep your eyes peeled for over priced gyms with big mouth trainers, each place is different although they may all look and sound the same. Sit a day for a few hour in each of the gyms and look at how everything is transpiring and you can tell which is real and which is the rip offs. Are you talking about John Ruiz?Because Lowell has more to be proud of than John Ruiz.Who isn't even from Lowell.Micky Ward is the pride of Lowell.Also a upstart named Joe McCreddy(Sp?)is looking good.Although very early in his career.

http://www.boxinggyms.com/addresses/massachusetts.htm THERE YOU GO, PBF

Im trying to find gym around the Attleboro/Norton type area. Anyone know of one. (im thinking like 30 minutes from there.

I will actually be going to Brockton TOMORROW to spar with a pro there named McGreedy. I am also bring a guy I train named Mike Oliver who wil spar some guy there, too. We are sparring at Cappiello's tomorrow but I have sparred many times over the years at Petronelli's and just being in the same gym that Hagler trained in is cool enough and it is a thing where MANY of the same pictures and articles are still there in the same exact spots they were when I first started training there back in 1986.

NIce, thanks for all the info. what's it like in Brockton, you been there?

I always hear good things about the boxing in MA. How good is it? Honestly it sucks, the only good place to train would be out of Brockton, thats where the Petronelli family fight values run true. Hard work, dedication, and determination are what make a champion. Well worth price to get trained there especially if your serious. Leominster gym is a joke run by a big talker who was supposably a good amateur fighter back in the day. His name is Brian he's a short mid 30's blonde haired guy who likes to call himself a trainer...long story short dont go there, charges too much. Fitchburg is not bad and they often hold amateur exhibitions to raise money for the gym and to keep the sport alive in the poor gansta wanna be city. Dont really have good trainers but they are open to you and is a good place for beginners, and it's cheap to use the gym. Gardner isnt really a gym, the first woman boxer to fight at the Fleet Center fought out of there. She was 38 years old and a great person good friend of mine and she could fight. Trainer was ok also a big talker but not serious about setting up fights for his fighters. Used to be a Carribian boxing champion and knows what hes talking about only problem is he's not dedicated to his fighters like they are to him and fighting. Worth the price you pay which isnt expensive because you get the equipment minus the sparring and actual fighting (often). Worcester is run by good people at the boys and girls club but carlos the trainer there is very educated in the sport and loves the sport, worcester itself is not very good with fighters although they do have Jose Antonio Rivera. It's finally starting to gain respect again because it used to hold many fights but lost it during the 80's and 90's. Good price for what you get, you get all the equipment you need in an old sweaty gym area of the boys and girls club. plenty of sparring and supervision to assist you when you need it. Woburn (Dennis Murphy Gym) DO NOT GO HERE!!! This place is the biggest joke of all places I fought and trained out of. I went here after being out of the ring for over a year first day back training he wanted me to pay one payment of 160 then 2 more payments of like 90 dollars then just a monthly membership to use the gym which is only open 3 hours in the morning then 4 hours at night and not on weekends! haha whats that, no friggan weekends? Not only that he is a big talker never had anyone special out of his gym, teaches you in a days lesson no one on one mind you this is classroom shit. Teaches you how to punch in the clinch, how to fight dirty, then throws people in the ring to spar totally mismatched for instance 185lb kid with 140lb kid with no holding back during this while one kids on his 3rd week against someone there 8 months, there is no rules at this place and it's dangerous. DO NOT GO HERE!! HE KNOWS NOTHING AND WILL STEAL YOUR MONEY FOR CLASS LESSONS NOT ACTUAL TRAINING 1 ON 1. Boston's Ring Club isnt bad but it's expensive and too high tech for me, they show you alittle but definately not enough experience especially if you want to go pro, you see more people just going for getting into shape factor as opposed to competing. Lowell isnt bad although they only really have Ruiz to show for it which isnt exactly exciting but he's the one of the states Former World Champions. Bad attitudes there though at that gym everyone thinks they are better than everybody in life not just in boxing so personalities collide there. They do hold the annual State Golden Glove and Silver Mitten Championships there. Good price you get everything you need for pros and amateurs. Conclussion Massachusetts is ok for Boxing but mainly its amateur fighting and no true professionals come out of here not anymore, whether it be due to the lack in true boxing trainers and promotions or lack of talented fighters in a sport that has lost it's following through the recent years. Keep your eyes peeled for over priced gyms with big mouth trainers, each place is different although they may all look and sound the same. Sit a day for a few hour in each of the gyms and look at how everything is transpiring and you can tell which is real and which is the rip offs.