Trainer Jack Loew returns his boxing gym to Erie St. locale

By Greg Gulas

sports@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Looking to remain in the sport but realizing that his days as a trainer are numbered, Jack Loew has returned to his former South Side Boxing Club location at 331 Erie St.

It’s a move that has been in the works for some time and one that he embraces.

“I’d like to make one thing clear and that is our current location at 1714 Market St. was bought and paid for,” said Loew, who was putting the final touches on his new “old’ location. “It turned into more of a fitness place because I was too nice to charge those that weren’t boxing.

“I was paying $1,200 monthly when you include utilities, insurance and taxes, and wasn’t bringing in that amount each month,” Loew said. “Of the 30-or-so that religiously used the facility, only 10 were boxers so a change had to be made.”

Loew’s first SSBC location was on Southern Boulevard, a facility that he oversaw from 1989-94.

He moved the gym to Erie Street and remained there from 1994-2008 then moved to Market Street in 2008, remaining there until earlier this month.

“As a trainer, I realize that my days are drawing to a close, but I want to remain in the sport as either a manager or promoter,” Loew said. “I had a decision to make and lucked out.

“It was basically like a script out of the movie ‘The Godfather.’ They made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. I was happy to sell it to CCA [Corrections Corporation of America] but most of all we were both happy with the overall deal.”

As Loew’s training career winds down, he’s ready to pass his training duties on to longtime friend, fighter and co-trainer Vinny O’Neill.

“Vinny will take over SSBC and when he does, there won’t be much overhead as long as we keep the upstairs rented,” Loew said. “There’s a lot of history here and other than Popo Salinas in his early days and Brian Gonzalez, everyone else is new.”

During Loew’s first Erie Street go-round, he played host to five amateur national champions. They are Kelly Pavlik; James McClendon, who rose to a No. 2 ranking in the country; Durrell Richardson; Salinas, who won the Police Athletic League tournament; and Popo’s brother Juan, a national Silver Gloves champion.

Professionally, Loew promoted Pavlik, who claim the middleweight championship of the world; Craig Kikta, an IBC world champion; and Ken Sigurani, WBF world champion.

“We didn’t win many titles while we were on Market Street, but if the walls on Erie Street could talk what tales they would tell,” Loew said. “This was the first year that I didn’t place a boxer in the Cleveland Golden Gloves tournament and that’s unacceptable to me.

“We’ll have more structure and I’ll have a better handle on things now.”

Jake LaMotta, the former middleweight champion played by Robert DeNiro in “Raging Bull,’ once visited the Erie Street gym.

“HBO filmed their 24-7 on Kelly Pavlik right here at this gym,” Loew said of the Erie Street location.

“I can still remember [Josh] Todd [lead singer of the singing group Buckcherry] sparring with Kelly when they were appearing in town,” Loew said. “He wasn’t bad, took conditioning seriously but I doubt if he was considering changing professions.”

Loew’s gym decreases in size considerably from his previous 4,200-square-foot location.

Other differences due to space constraints include downsizing from two rings to one, from 10 heavy bags to four, from four speed bags to two and from two double end bags to one.

There’s also less places to hide, Loew said.

“They don’t have a clue as to what is in store for them,” Loew said. “I can promise you they won’t hide in the basement because there are spiders bigger than them. This location is more compact, homey and a place that I have always held dear to my heart.

“The photos on the wall that we just moved over here say it all,” Loew said. “Right now, we have 12 registered boxers, we’ll take up to 15 and then see where things go. It will be different in that you will have to make the team to work out from 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Our B team will work out from 6-7 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The move has reinvigorated Loew.

“I’m back, my batteries are recharged and I’m rejuvenated,” he said. “This place just makes me want to work with kids again.”