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An amateur boxer in his college years, Justin Blair wanted to share the workout benefits of the sport without the intimidation factor of elitist training grounds. He opened this boxing gym for both novices and professionals in 1997, and it has since become the largest of its kind in Manhattan. Located across from City Hall, the gym attracts a mix of "white collar, blue collar, two collars and no collar" members, says Blair, including trained Raging Bulls (Félix Trinidad, the Klitschko Brothers), Wall Street office grunts, construction workers, and housewives. The open front space is filled with activity bags, speed balls (bring your own), and a boxing ring where fighters bob and weave beneath a twenty-foot mural of Joe Lewis. There, the highly trained staff is on hand to give private lessons or offer pointers on your form—all the instructors are former competitors themselves. The back area houses beginning and advanced group classes, as well as Muay Thai kickboxing; it's also where celeb boxers like Tyson and Holyfield come to work out privately when they're in town. Handwraps can be purchased on site for $10, but boxers bring their own towels for the showers. — Lauren Salazar

Blair has since started branching out into the promoting side with special events like the bi-monthly Friday Night Fights series and the annual Rumble on River, which boast up to ten fights per event and sell out places like The Armory and the Hudson River Park.

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Best of New York Awards

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• Best Boxing Teacher in New York (3/12/07)