A new boxing gym is set to open early next month in Capitol Riverfront, owner Jerome Wilson confirms.
DC Boxing and Fitness will be the inaugural retail tenant in the Capitol Hill Tower building, a 344-unit co-op located at 1000 New Jersey Ave. SE. The D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) approved permits Jan. 17 for the boxing club's interior work.
The 3,000-square foot space will be a bit "intimate" for a gym, Wilson says, but "it's a great location.
"I love the area," he added. "I think it's going to get really big."
Wilson is the former head trainer for the D.C.-area LA Boxing locations and a competitive Muay Thai fighter. Thus, DC Boxing and Fitness will be a "kickboxing-slash-MMA [mixed martial arts] gym. If you never want to touch the ring we have classes. We're a fitness gym and a fighting gym," he says.
That means that while cardiophiles can punch bags to their hearts' content without ever having to square off against another human, aspiring
Rocky Balboas and
Tony Jaas will be served too. "If you want to learn how to compete we can do that," Wilson says. "I still compete. My wife actually fights. She had her first fight in November."
While Wilson's history with the region's LA Boxing means that some of his initial clients may be coming from far-flung areas, Wilson says, "my individual goal is to take over D.C."
Wilson plans to open by Feb. 2.