Professional Golden Glove Boxing by Leslie, aka Central Park Boxing, is thriving and looking towards its next move to provide the program with an upgraded expanded space. They are located at 772 Amsterdam Avenue at 97th Street. The young company actually started without being sheltered by bricks and mortar but only in an environment of sky, trees, and grass – in Central Park in December 2020, during Covid.
Leslie grew up on West 108th Street, going to PS 87, Columbia Prep, and Horace Mann. He proudly trained with the Egyptian Greco-Roman Olympic Wrestling Team and earned his purple belt at the Renzo Gracie gym on 33rd Street in Brooklyn.
Leslie’s students include both male and female adults and adolescents over the age of 12. Many are novices. “Most have had limited training or absolutely no training at all,” he says. Why do they want to learn to box? “For women, it’s 50-50. Some care most about conditioning, others about self-defense. For men, it’s generally about building strength and technique.”
Leslie enjoys teaching everything – even the basics like protective hand wrapping. “I show them where to buy it and how to put it on.” The strength and conditioning routines are highly personalized.” He engages most students one on one in shadow boxing with only the most advanced students sparring with each other.
He and the training staff at Central Park Boxing find it rewarding to help clients attain measurable goals relating to conditioning, strength and weight balance management, and confidence building.