This city is a pretty idyllic place to live. The only problem is, there isn’t an abundance of great boxing gyms here in Portland for you to choose from! Don’t worry though, there are one or two places that are definitively worth trying out. Let’s dive in:
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 Portland boxing gyms in the comments at the bottom and I’ll continuously update this page to make it as useful as possible!
The 6 Best Boxing Gyms in Portland🥊
1️⃣ McConnell’s Boxing Academy
- Summary: Top class, authentic female run boxing gym
- Address: 707 NE Broadway, Suite 201
- Google rating: 4.8
- Opening hours: very varied from day to day, see website for specifics
- Pricing: n.a.
- Best for: beginners, pros, women, and everyone in between
- Online: website, Instagram, Facebook
“Fighting Solves Everything” is the motto you’re met with on McConnell’s website. I like the sound of that.
There’s no doubt what you’re getting when you turn up here. And it certainly isn’t superfood smoothies and selfies.
McConnell’s Boxing Academy has been owned and operated by two-time world champion, Molly “Fearless” McConnell since 2012.
It’s a real deal boxing gym that focuses on teaching proper technique, conditioning, and the science of boxing. It has a variety of non-contact classes if your objective is to get fit, or you can also spar, join the amateur boxing team, or try and go pro.
They offer it all here. Everyone is welcome in this rare female-run gym that has a big community focus and a overwhelmingly friendly and motivating environment. This place has won all sorts of well-deserved awards – it’s undoubtedly one of the best boxing gyms in Portland.
There are several group classes for you to chose from everyday or you can book in private one-on-one instruction.
2️⃣ Portland City Boxing
- Summary: Great trainers, great environment, great facility.
- Address: 3228 SE 21st Ave
- Google rating: 4.7
- Opening hours: M-F: 6:15am – 8/9pm, Sa: 8am-2:30pm, Su: 9:45am-2:30pm
- Pricing: $119 / month (unlimited classes)
- Best for: those looking for varied combat training
- Online: website, Instagram, Facebook
Portland City Boxing is a much loved authentic boxing gym.
It’s members praise the great environment, the knowledgeable trainers and the decent crew of people that train there.
You’ll really be but through your paces here so don’t expect to get away lightly! Show up, put the work in, and you’ll reap the rewards of this top class instruction and limit-testing exercise.
They have up to 8 classes everyday to chose from, morning to night, 7 days a week, so there’s a time to suit anyone’s schedule. The classes are a mixture of boxing fundamentals, boxing conditioning, some kickboxing, and also the odd Krav Maga self defense and yoga sessions.
The facility itself looks awesome and is only a couple of years old so everything is state of the art, clean and in great condition. Complete with countless bags, a full size ring, and plenty of weight training equipment.
3️⃣ St John’s Boxing
- Summary: Very welcoming, no frills community-focused gym
- Address: 8511 N Lombard St
- Google rating: 5.0
- Opening hours: very varied from day to day, see website for specifics
- Pricing: $100 / month (unlimited classes)
- Best for: friendly, passionate types
- Online: website, Instagram
St John’s was founded in 2021 by former members of the Sweet Science Boxing Gym who were left without a place to train after the Covid pandemic forced Sweet Science to close down for good.
They initially started training outside until they found a premises to turn into a proper gym. They have carried the strong community spirit on and are steadily are reuniting members of the old gym in this new space.
There’s nothing fancy about St John’s but they care about each other and they care about the sport.
There are plenty of positive things said about this pure boxing gym, but the word that comes up the most is “welcoming”. It doesn’t matter if you’re a total newbie or if you’re Tyson Fury, St John’s will open it’s arms to you and give you some top class training in a very friendly atmosphere.
The only downer is that there aren’t more classes. Tuesdays and Thursday there are 4 or 5 to choose from, but otherwise there are just one or two to choose from which might not be convenient. All in all, great place, definitely worth checking out.
4️⃣ On Target Training
- Summary: Top quality private boxing coaching
- Address: 7200 SE 92nd Ave unit E
- Google rating: 5.0
- Opening hours: by appointment only
- Pricing: $50/hr
- Best for: those wanting one-on-one tuition
- Online: website, Instagram, Facebook
With over 50 5* reviews on Google, there is literally not a bad word said about On Target Training.
Most of the praise is directed towards Head Coach and Owner Jordan who works with all skill levels to give everyone the personal attention they need to reach their goals.
Seriously, go check out the reviews and the compliments about Jordan, this guy is clearly a top class trainer. This man and this gym seems to be changing a lot of people’s lives.
Don’t be fooled by the somewhat vague name of this place, On Target Training is all about boxing and kickboxing, and the coaches here are highly experienced in the real art of combat.
Whether you want to challenge yourself while having of fun, want to compete, or simply use combat sports for fitness, confidence, and self defense, then On Target Training is definitely worth a go.
All instruction here is done in either private one-on-one classes or in semi-private classes in small groups. There are no large group classes which is why I’m not giving this place a 10/10.
5️⃣ Beaverton PAL Boxing
- Summary: Local police initiative to connect with local youths
- Address: 7475 SW Oleson Road
- Google rating: 4.7
- Opening hours: T&T: 6-8pm, Sa: 9-11am
- Pricing: $120 / year
- Best for: kids, those on a tight budget
- Online: Instagram, Facebook
PAL stands for Police Activities League which is a non-profit organization that partners with law enforcement agencies to promote positive relationships between police and young people in the local community.
The Beaverton Pal Boxing Gym is run voluntarily by police officers with the purpose of helping help youth train in genuine boxing. Team members participate in conditioning, training, and sparring.
In addition to weekly training, boxing team members and coaches travel on weekends to tournaments and regional boxing shows. So if you’re aged between 8-18 and are serious about training and want to compete, this could be a great option for you.
6️⃣ Title Boxing Club
- Summary: Great workout boxercise franchise but not proper boxing
- Address: 7417 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy. Suite 300
- Google rating: 4.8
- Opening hours: M-F: 8:30-10:30am & 4:30-8:30pm, S-S: 9am-12pm,
- Pricing: $129 / month (unlimited classes)
- Best for: beginners and fitness fanatics
- Online: website, Instagram, Facebook
Title Boxing Club is no doubt a great workout but there’s not really any proper boxing technique taught here. It’s a boxercise studio really and it doesn’t allow any actual combat in the gym.
Having said that, members praise about the intensity of the workout and how motivational the instructors are. They have many classes throughout the day for you to choose from, Monday to Sunday, so many options to fit your schedule.
Title Boxing Club is a huge chain national chain with hundreds of locations around the country so you know that the equipment is top quality and that everything is very well organised.
Great place to get fit and let out some stress on the bag, not ideal if you’re serious if you’re learning the true art of the sport or want to compete. If you want to fight, try one of the more old school boxing gyms in Portland.
Related articles:
- The Best Boxing Gyms in Seattle
- Should I Start Boxing? (7 Reasons Why HELL YES!)
- Boxing Classes for Beginners (What to Expect and How to Choose)
How to pick a Portland boxing gym❓
- 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 Portland cost? 💰
- Monthly memberships: ~$100-150 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 $75 per hour as a minimum.
- Drop-in boxing classes for non-members: ~$15-$20 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 🔔
Ok, so there aren’t tons of boxing gyms in Portland for you to chose from but there are a handful of real gems here like McConnell’s and Portland City Boxing. I hope you can find one that makes sense for you!
Happy fighting!🥊🥊
“The possession of muscular strength and the courage to use it in contests with other men for physical supremacy does not necessarily imply a lack of appreciation for the finer and better things of life.” — Jack Johnson
