There is something unique, almost sacred, about a boxing gym…
The dull sound of gloves hitting the bag, the short breath, the sweat falling on the floor, and that look in the mirror, the one of a man or a woman learning to fight, but above all, learning to know themselves. Boxing is, at first glance, violence… but once tamed and understood, it becomes beauty, art. It is a discipline born from chaos, yet it demands calm, precision, and respect.
Beyond appearances
People on the outside see two people hitting each other. Those who have already worn gloves know it’s something else entirely. There is, between two opponents, a kind of silent brotherhood. Because the one who faces you pushes you to surpass yourself. Because they force you to confront your fears, your limits, your ego. And when the bell rings, there is often an embrace, not out of obligation, but out of recognition, out of respect. In this sport of blows, bonds are born that can last a lifetime.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Christian Mbilli
The noble Art
Boxing is a chess game played at 180 beats per minute. You discover that the mind can overcome brute strength, that strategy, patience, and reading your opponent can move mountains. It is an art where every gesture has meaning, every movement tells an intention. Those who think boxing is just about hitting have never truly watched. Like jazz or ballet, you must know how to observe to understand. You must feel the rhythm, the musicality of the movements, the poetry in defense, the perfect balance between chaos and control.
A sport that changes lives
I’ve seen young people arrive in a gym, lost, bitter, without direction. Boxing gave them a reason to get up in the morning. A structure. A family. I’ve seen men and women turn pain into energy, fear into courage, anger into respect. In every gym, you find the same light: the light of people who simply want to be better than yesterday. Some come from tough backgrounds, others seek self-improvement or a second chance. Boxing offers them options, but above all, a way out of misery and an entry into dignity.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Osleys Iglesias
Working with passion
As a coach, I work hard, like everyone who lives from this sport. But every day, I remind myself that I am lucky to live from my passion. And perhaps that’s the greatest lesson boxing has taught me: you must keep going even when everything tells you to stop. That’s what a boxer does, round after round, when his arms grow heavy, his legs weak, his lungs burn, and his mind screams to give up. He keeps going. Because he knows that often, after the pain, come the most beautiful victories.
Boxing is life, concentrated between the ropes. You fall, you get back up. You learn to take hits, to observe, to wait. You learn that glory doesn’t exist without discipline, that respect is earned through consistency and humility. It’s a sport that teaches you that the real victory isn’t just having your hand raised at the end, it’s having dared to step into the ring.
Photo: Sports Illustrated – Artur Beterbiev
My first loves
I became addicted to boxing by watching the fighters of the 80s and 90s. Those legends had something timeless: class, courage, ring intelligence. But if I stayed addicted, it’s because I saw the sport evolve, reinvent itself, refine itself. I saw new legends emerge, new masters rise, and I understood that the noble art never dies, it transforms, it adapts, it inspires.
Today, whether in a large arena or a small neighborhood gym, I see the same flame in the eyes of boxers. That flame is the flame of passion, of perseverance, of dreams. And as long as it burns, boxing will remain the most beautiful sport in the world…
Photo: IG – Samuel Décarie-Drolet
