New Yorkers have a new place to practice their uppercuts.
The West Coast-based boxing studio Gloveworx made its New York City debut Tuesday, with a location in the Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center.
Founded by former U.S. Nationals heavyweight competitor Leyon Azubuike in 2015 in Santa Monica, the studio now has a second California location in Los Angeles (where Azubuike attracts celebrity clients like Jennifer Aniston and Andre 3000). But Azubuike always had his sights set on the East Coast.
“I’m from the Pocono Mountains,” Azubuike, 32, said. “My dream was always to open a facility back near my hometown.”
For the NYC studio, Azubuike recruited trainers he knew from his “athletic days” in basketball, track and field and boxing, with a mix of personal trainers, Division I and professional athletes, and high-level boxers.
The studio offers private training, as well as an intro class dubbed Gloveworx 101 and two group training sessions: Boom, which covers a variety of boxing techniques and exercises with work on the bags, and Blitz, which focuses more on strength training and functional movements. Classes are an hour long, with drop-in fees $45. Sessions are capped at just six people.
“You can immediately see the personalized attention is one-of-a-kind,” Azubuike said. “It’s very hands-on and interactive.”
Gloveworx joins a growing boutique boxing scene that includes Rumble, Shadowbox and Title Boxing Club. It is the only studio in the downtown mall, which features fitness-friendly retailers like Under Armour. Gloveworx is located near the PATH entrance, with the space decked out with a ring, free weights and workout equipment like Woodway treadmills and VersaClimbers.
A second NYC location is also in the works.
For more info, visit Gloveworx.com.
