Forget about Vegas and New York, I think America’s Finest City could also be America’s Boxing City. San Diego is full of world class boxing gyms. The biggest challenge you’ll have here will be choosing just one of them.
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 San Diego boxing gyms in the comments at the bottom and I’ll continuously update this page to make it as useful as possible!
The 10 Best Boxing Gyms in San Diego🥊
1️⃣ Maxwell’s Boxing
- Summary: Old school, pure boxing gym
- Address: 7090 Miramar Road (Miramar)
- Google rating: 5.0
- Opening hours: M-F: 9am-11:30am & 4:30pm-8:30pm, S: 9am-11:30am
- Pricing: $90 / month
- Best for: anyone looking to improve their boxing
- Website: www.maxwellsboxing.com
Maxwell’s is a family run and operated pure boxing gym that trains people of all levels, skills, ages. Whether you’re looking for a great workout, are new to the sport, or looking for some intense sparring, Maxwell’s is a great option.
It has been described as serious but relaxed, intense but playful. The instructors, led by head coach Sherman, are experienced and kind, and have created a welcoming and passionate environment for all.
Maxwell’s is the real deal, and at just $90/month for unlimited classes, is a absolute steal. It is undoubtedly one of the best boxing gyms in San Diego.
2️⃣ House of Boxing
- Summary: Used by pros but welcoming to all
- Address: 2304 Reo Dr (Paradise Hills)
- Google rating: 4.7
- Opening hours: M-F: 8am-8pm. S: 8am-1pm
- Pricing: n.a.
- Best for: competitive boxers
- Website: n.a.
There’s nothing fancy about this place, they don’t even have a website. But that’s because they’re too busy focusing on the boxing.
In fact, House of Boxing is so true to the sport that world boxing champion, Canelo Alvarez, even trains there from time to time (see the pic above).
But don’t let that intimidate you, House of Boxing is open to boxers of all levels and ages, including kids, and is free of egos and pretentiousness. And with highly experienced staff, you know you’re in good hands.
Members talk of the family, old-school vibe with plenty of dedication from the coaches. If this place is good enough for the pros, then it’s good enough for rest of us. Check it out.
3️⃣ City Boxing
- Summary: Top quality mixed martial arts gym
- Address: 1059 14th Street (East Village)
- Google rating: 4.8
- Opening hours: M-T: 6am-9pm, F: 8am-9pm, S: 9am-3pm
- Pricing: $195 / month (less if you sign up to a longer contract)
- Best for: those wanting lots of flexibility in timings and disciplines
- Website: www.cityboxing.com
Awesome mixed martial arts gym that welcomes everyone from the novice enthusiast to the up-and-coming professional fighter. City Boxing has been around since 2002 and has grown into one of the best boxing gyms in the city.
Its trainers across the three martial arts that it coaches, Boxing, kickboxing, and Jiu Jitsu, are all former world champions so you’re getting taught by the best.
Members have unlimited access to over 40 classes every week, of which 4 or 5 per day are boxing so there are plenty of classes to chose from to suit your schedule. The gym itself looks pretty damn cool too and it offers day passes if you’re just in town fleetingly. Very highly recommended.
4️⃣ Bomber Squad Academy
- Summary: Top class family owned boxing & Muay Thai gym
- Address: 1404 E Main St (El Cajon)
- Google rating: 5.0
- Opening hours: M-F: 7am-7pm, S: 8am – 12 noon
- Pricing: $99 / month
- Best for: fun lovers and boxing fanatics
- Website: www.bombersquadacademy.com
This place certainly wins the prize for the most badass name. And it looks like the gym is pretty awesome too with over 200 5* reviews. There is literally not a bad word said about Bomber Squad by anybody!
The vibe at this family owned gym is incredible and they have classes for all ages and experiences throughout the day, across boxing and Muay Thai.
There aren’t many gyms that people don’t want to leave, but apparently this is one of them.
I REALLY wanna train here regularly! Go check it out if you’re in El Cajon – it’s undoubtedly one of the best boxing gyms in San Diego.
5️⃣ Undisputed
- Summary: First class community-feel boxing gym
- Address: 4151 University Avenue (Teralta West)
- Google rating: 4.6
- Opening hours: M-F: 8am-9pm, S: 9am-1pm
- Pricing: n.a.
- Best for: kids and teens
- Website: www.undisputedusa.com
Members of Undisputed talk of the place feeling like family and being a central part of the local City Heights community. It’s very welcoming to beginners and they’ve been doing it for decades so they really know their stuff.
Owner and head coach Dave is an extremely popular figure who will train you to fight and give you a serious workout in the meantime.
It specializes in coaching kids and teens, but also has multiple classes everyday (in boxing and Muay Thai) for adults. Another great boxing gym in San Diego – the city is really spoiled for choice!
6️⃣ The Arena
- Summary: The USA’s largest combat sports gym has it all
- Address: 3350 Sports Arena Blvd (Midway)
- Google rating: 4.7
- Opening hours: M-F: 7am-8:30pm, S: 9am-1pm
- Pricing: $99 / month
- Best for: those wanting lots of options
- Website: www.thearenagym.com
This place is an institution in San Diego and is the largest combat sports gym in North America! It was founded back in 1949 by Sesnsei Holtmann – that’s over 70 years of experience teaching combat sports.
The Arena clearly knows what it is doing and has collected nearly 450 overwhelmingly positive Google reviews.
Of all the boxing gyms in San Diego it has the largest and most diverse schedule: offering over 25 classes every weekday across 12 different combat sports (including 4 or 5 boxing classes daily). There’s something here for everyone.
The staff are welcoming and highly knowledgeable, the facilities are state of the art and clean, the atmosphere is great. And at just $99 / month for unlimited class and full access, it’s great value. The Arena ticks all the boxes.
7️⃣ Bound Boxing
- Summary: Top quality pure boxing gym with fight nights
- Address: 675 Palomar St suite E (Chula Vista)
- Google rating: 4.6
- Opening hours: M-F: 12-8pm
- Pricing: n.a.
- Best for: anyone passionate about boxing
- Website: www.boundboxing.com
Whether you want to compete in amateur or professional boxing or simply work out and learn self defense, Bound Boxing is for you. All are welcome here and Coach Juan and his team train with passion and experience.
We love a pure boxing gym and Bound Boxing is certainly that. Google reviews are full of great things to say about this place.
They also put on epic Friday Night Fights so get down there if you want to go and watch some high quality live amateur boxing! The gym itself also looks spacious and high quality.
Only downside is that they their website is very light on information about class schedules and pricing.
8️⃣ The BXNG Club
- Summary: Fancy but high quality boxing and fitness gyms
- Address: 8623 Spectrum Center Blvd 9 (Kearny Masa), 491 15th St (East Village)
- Google rating: 4.8
- Opening hours: M-T: 5:30am-9pm, F: 5:30am-8pm, S: 7am-4pm, S: 8:30am-2:30pm
- Pricing: $179 / month
- Best for: those wanting a bit of luxury
- Website: www.thebxngclub.com
These gyms look slick and from what members say, they are slick too.
Those who train here are highly complimentary about the service, facilities, cleanliness, staff, and even parking.
The BXNG Club offers a wide array of different classes including boxing, Muay Thai, cycling and more across 4 different locations from early morning to late at night. 7 days a week.
For $179 / month you can get access to all four gym locations in the wider San Diego area (East Village, Kearny Mesa, Solana Beach, and Rancho Bernardo).
The BXNG Club is slightly pricier than some of the other options in the city but it’s well worth it.
9️⃣ Old School Boxing
- Summary: Simple but effective
- Address: 5987 El Cajon Blvd (El Cajon)
- Google rating: 4.9
- Opening hours: everyday, 6am-9pm
- Pricing: n.a.
- Best for: those looking for somewhere simple and down to earth
- Website: www.oldschoolboxingandfitnesscenter.com
This place does what it says on the tin.
There are no bells and whistles here, but if you want to learn how to box, no matter your age or ability, then you’ve come to the right place.
There’s a great atmosphere at Old School Boxing, largely thanks to head coach and owner Ernie, who is regularly praised as being patient, knowledgeable and encouraging.
Definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for boxing gyms in the El Cajon area. Simple but effective, just how good boxing gyms should be.
🔟 Title Boxing Club
- Summary: Great workout but it’s not really boxing
- Address: 2852 University Ave (North Park) & 2015 Birch Rd. Suite 1215 (Chula Vista)
- Google rating: 4.9
- Opening hours: vary depending on the gym
- Pricing: $139 / month
- Best for: fitness fantatics
- Website: North Park & Chula Vista
There are two Title Boxing Clubs in San Diego. If you want a great workout while having fun then sure, Title Boxing Club is for you. If you actually want to box then it’s not for you. Their website says it is a non-contact workout and that it will never allow fighting or sparring in the gym…
It’s a fitness studio not a boxing gym. If that’s what you’re after then great, they have multiple classes through the day, 7 days a week, and the coaches and workouts sound fantastic.
Title Boxing Gym is a big chain with hundreds of clubs across the USA so the equipment is top quality and it’s well run. There are plenty of incredible pure boxing gyms in San Diego so why not go for one of those if you really want to try boxing…
Related links:
- The Best Boxing Gyms in Las Vegas
- The Best Boxing Gyms in San Jose
- The Best Boxing Gyms in San Francisco
How to pick a boxing gym in San Diego❓
- 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 San Diego cost? 💰
- Monthly memberships: ~$150-200 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 🔔
There are so many awesome boxing gyms in San Diego that you’re honestly spoiled for choice here. No matter your style or your budget, there is a high quality boxing gym in this city for you. Damn, get me and my gloves to San Diego now.
Happy fighting!🥊🥊
“Rhythm is everything in boxing. Every move you make starts with your heart, and that’s in rhythm or you’re in trouble.”
—Sugar Ray Robinson
