Boston, one of America’s most storied cities, is by all accounts a great place to live, and also happens to be home to some world class, old-school boxing gyms.
Let’s take a look:
My preference is always for those rare, pure, old school boxing gyms, free of ego, and full of passion for the sport. But sometimes I include the odd boxercise place because I know that not everyone wants the nitty gritty of actual combat.
Why listen to me: I’ve been boxing as an amateur for 6 years and trained in countless boxing gyms around the world from Seattle to Spain. I’ve learnt that picking the right gym can literally change your life and want to help you do the same. Learn more about me here.
PLEASE leave your own opinions and experiences about Boston boxing gyms in the comments at the bottom and I’ll continuously update this page to make it as useful as possible!
The 7 Best Boxing Gyms in Boston🥊
1️⃣ Peter Welch’s
- Summary: Boston’s best real-deal boxing gym
- Address: 371 Dorchester Avenue (Southie)
- Google rating: 4.9
- Opening hours: M-F: 5:30am-1pm & 3:30-8:30pm, Sa: 7am-1pm, Su: 9am-12:30pm
- Pricing: $150 / month
- Best for: beginners, pros, and everyone in between
- Online: website, Facebook, Instagram
Peter Welch’s boxing gym is the real deal. It’s a hands-on, no-nonsense, old school gym where world class fighters train alongside newbies and kids.
Their classes – of which they offer a whopping 7 or 8 every weekday and some on Saturday and Sunday too – are focused on 3 core areas: boxing conditioning, boxing strength, and boxing technique.
It’s very difficult to find a bad word said about this place. With nearly 200 5* reviews on Google praising the welcoming and professional atmosphere, the spacious and clean facilities, and passionate coaches – Peter Welch’s is undoubtedly one of the best boxing gyms in Boston (and real institution of the local community) for pros and beginners alike.
If you’re looking to get fit, this place is for you. If you’re looking to learn real combat boxing, this place is for you. If you want to train with the best in positive, include environment, this place is for you. I’d love to train here!
2️⃣ Boston Boxing & Fitness
- Summary: A value-driven, top class pure boxing gym
- Address: 100 Holton St (Lower Allston)
- Google rating: 4.9
- Opening hours: M-F: 3-10pm, Sa: 10:30am-3pm
- Pricing: $79 / month
- Best for: all boxers!
- Online: website, Facebook, Instagram
“This is the only gym I’ve ever actually looked forward to going to”
Just one of many, many, great testimonials about Boston Boxing & Fitness. This gym is a fully licensed, fully insured full-time Olympic boxing training center sanctioned through USA Boxing, and caters to all skill levels.
Whether you want to compete or just get in shape, their popular and experienced coaches (like the cool and friendly Ed) will adapt to your wants. And once you’ve mastered the basics, they’ll let you get in the ring and spar if you want.
If being a great pure boxing gym with an awesome atmosphere isn’t enough, they also have various community initiatives like offering free training to those struggling with addiction and a program for people with Parkinson’s disease.
They host regular fight nights here too so if you want to watch some competitive fighting or even try your hand yourself, then this is the place for you.
3️⃣ Grealish Boxing Club
- Summary: Top class, old school family run boxing gym for all
- Address: 79 Freeport St (Dorchester)
- Google rating: 4.7
- Opening hours: M-F: 4-9pm, Sa: 9am-2pm
- Pricing: $60 / month
- Best for: kids and women as well as competitive fighters
- Online: website, Facebook, Instagram
Grealish Boxing Club has been plying its trade for nearly 30 years since it was founded by former pro boxer Martin Grealish who still runs this gym alongside his son Gerry and daughter Nicola.
The family nature of the gym manifests in a very welcoming environment that trains boxers of all ages and skills. Here they work extra hard to be inclusive and have a particular focus on involving women and kids in the sport of boxing. When you join this gym you become part of the family too.
Nothing but positive reviews about this place (apart from some sad little person who gave them a poor review for not answering an email).
If you want a pure boxing gym in south Boston this place is for you. And at just $60 / month you wont find any better value boxing gyms in Boston. Highly recommended.
4️⃣ Redline Fight Sports
- Summary: High quality mixed combat gym with boxing classes
- Address: 21 Prospect St
- Google rating: 4.7
- Opening hours: M-F: 7am-9pm, Sa: 10-2pm
- Pricing: $189 / month
- Best for: those wanting mixed combat training
- Online: website, Facebook, Instagram
Redline is a mixed combat sports gym offering expert training in MMA, Kickboxing, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling and Kung-fu, as well as a cardio and weight training classes.
In particular, members rave about the quality of the staff who are not just experienced at what they do but are also caring, welcoming and motivating for fighters of all skill levels.
The facility itself looks pretty awesome. It’s clean, spacious, and full of all the equipment you need to train. They also work damn hard here, Redline is open 14 hours a day during the week and also on Saturdays.
If you’re focused purely on boxing, then they have 2 or 3 boxing classes everyday, in among all the other classes they offer for the other martial arts. If you’re looking for some extra variety in your training, then Redline would be a great choice for you.
5️⃣ Somerville Boxing Club
- Summary: Community-focused pure boxing gym
- Address: 11 Otis St (Somerville)
- Google rating: 4.6
- Opening hours: M-F: 3pm-8pm, Sa: 10am-2pm
- Pricing: Free for locals
- Best for: locals on a tight budget, kids
- Online: website, Facebook
Somerville Boxing Club is truly unique. Set up nearly 40 years ago, it is a charitable organisation that provides residents of Somerville and surrounding towns with boxing instruction, coaching, mentorship, and a safe, social environment to train, for free! It is made possible by the support of local businesses and residents.
Don’t be fooled by it’s wholesome values – this place is a genuine boxing gym that trains its members in the art of the sweet science and has produced no fewer than 8 New England champions.
They really know what they are doing here. However, as it’s free there isn’t much in the way of organised classes: people will teach you if you look like you need the help or ask. And people will spar with you if you ask. But that’s about it.
Somerville is a lot more than a boxing gym, it is a vital part of the local community. If you’re in this part of town looking for somewhere to train, then definitively check this place out.
6️⃣ Everybody Fights
- Summary: Much-loved fancy, modern boxing fitness studio
- Address: 1 Federal St (FiDi) & 15 Channel Center (Fort Point)
- Google rating: 5.0
- Opening hours: M-F: 5am-9pm, Sa: 7am-2pm, Su: 8am-2pm
- Pricing: $150 / month
- Best for: beginners, pros, and everyone in between
- Online: website, Facebook, Instagram
There are two Everybody Fights locations in Boston (FiDi & Fort Point) and both of them have hundreds and hundreds of 5* reviews, with most of the praise focused on the top class instructors who ensure that every class is fun, challenging and unique.
EBF offers several different classes (of which there are 12+ everyday to choose from) including boxing technique on the mitts, bag work, and a variety of exercise classes.
The company was founded by George Foreman III (son of THE George Foreman) so it has its roots in boxing royalty.
If you’re looking for a high-quality facility, with fun, killer workouts, and buff instructors then Everybody Fights is the place for you.
They also have top ranked pros who train out of the club and a large group of amateur boxers training for smokers and haymakers fights. Something for everyone here – definitely worth a visit.
7️⃣ Title Boxing Club
- Summary: Great workout boxercise franchise
- Address: 381 Revolution Dr #1132 (Somerville), 226 Causeway St (North End), 338 Newbury St (Back Bay)
- Google rating: 4.5
- Opening hours: M-F: 6am-9pm, Sa: 8am-2pm, Su: 8am-12pm
- Pricing: $149 / month
- Best for: beginners and fitness fanatics
- Online: website, Facebook, Instagram
If you want a great workout while having fun in a luxy facility then Title Boxing Club is for you but if you want actual combat boxing then it’s not for you.
It’s a non-contact workout and it doesn’t allow fighting or sparring in the gym. They say it’s boxing fitness, not fitness boxing. So there is a focus on technique and you can do some mitt work sometimes too.
Members rave about the quality of the workout and how great the instructors are. They have multiple classes through the day, 7 days a week, so many options for you to chose from to fit your schedule. Title Boxing Club is a big chain with hundreds of clubs across the USA so rest assured that the equipment is top quality and it’s well run.
There are 3 Title Boxing gyms in Boston for you to choose from: Back Bay, North End, and East Somerville.
Related articles:
- Should I Start Boxing? (7 Reasons Why HELL YES!)
- Boxing Classes for Beginners (What to Expect and How to Choose)
How to pick a boxing gym in Boston❓
- Coaches – an experienced, motivating coach makes all the difference. Not just when it comes to improving your technique but also in encouraging you to keep coming back time and time again. Becoming a good boxer takes a long time and so it’s important you find a coach that you click with if this is something you want to do for many years. Reviews will often focus on coaches so try looking for those for some insights.
- Convenience of location and class timings – for me this is so important. My boxing gym is on the same block as my home so I have no excuse not to go almost everyday, even if I’m not feeling up to it. Finding a gym that’s close to home or work will make your life much easier and help to make going to boxing training a habit. The same applies to class timings, if you have to massively disrupt your day to get to a class because it doesn’t fit your schedule then you’re going to be less likely to go.
- Gym focus – I don’t have a problem with boxercise classes, but make sure you know what you’re signing up for if you join one of these. Boxercise is very different than actually learning how to fight and getting sparring experience. If you truly want to learn how to box then you need to box. That involves punching other people and getting punched yourself.
- Trial class – most boxing gyms will allow you to have a free trial class so you can get a feel for the place before you sign up. This is a great way of evaluating whether you like the coach, the energy, and the focus of the gym. Always worth asking for a free trial class if you’re not sure whether it’s offered.
How much do boxing gyms in Boston cost? 💰
- Monthly memberships: ~$100-200 per month. Most places offer unlimited classes to their members. Be sure to check for this.
- One-on-one personal training: This can vary a lot but expect to pay around $100 per hour as a minimum.
- Drop-in boxing classes for non-members: ~$15-$30 per class
- Initiation fee: not all places make you pay one of these (and I’m not a fan of it) but those that do usually charge a one-off fee of $50-$100
12th Round 🔔
Boston is a great city with a great boxing scene and even better boxing gyms. With some top class places like Peter Welch’s, Boston Boxing, and Grealish Boxing Club, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding a great place to train in this city.
Happy fighting!🥊🥊
“It’s different when you become a professional, because you also have to become a businessman, and that takes something away from it.” – Sugar Ray Leonard
