Roy Jones Jr. opens new boxing gym in Craighall
The American champion has partnered with South African manager and trainer, Jodi Solomon, to open a brand new gym for boxing fans in Joburg.
Calling all boxing fans in Johannesburg. Craighall’s the place to hone your skills. The suburb is now home to a new boxing gym, launched in 2018 by American boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. and South African boxing trainer and manager Jodi Solomon.
Jones and Solomon were joined at the launch by Thulani ‘Sugar Boy’ Malinga, the South African former professional boxer who faced off and ultimately lost against Jones in the USA in 1993. Jones reflected on this moment, lamenting Malinga’s apparent lack of opportunities as a South African boxer. He said, “to me‚ he didn’t have a fair chance”, carrying on to explain, “I didn’t even realise how difficult it was for a fighter to get out of South Africa to come fight in the US until I met him.”
It’s hoped, therefore, that Roy Jones Jr. and Jodi Solomon Boxing Gym will act a stepping stone for aspiring South African boxers who wish to make a name for themselves in America. As Jones, said, “I’m just trying to help speed up the process.”
Jones has had quite the illustrious career himself. He has been named world champion in four weight categories: middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. He also won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in the light middleweight category.
Jodi Solomon has also made great strides as a boxing manager in both South Africa and the US. For the past six years, she has represented Malawian boxer Isaac Chilemba. She explains, “my greatest desire is to help boxers…my aim is not to be wealthy‚ it’s to be invited to their wealthy houses for a cup of tea one day.”
Solomon has also discussed the gym, saying “[it] will be teaching and passing on the techniques, skills and knowledge of Jones himself”. She mentions how this “will be the first time that we have a legitimate boxing legend from the US invest his time and energy in trying to grow boxing in SA.”
With two experienced founders such as these, Craighall’s new boxing gym is sure to be a hit (no pun intended) with all avid boxers in Johannesburg. It’s also bound to attract more than a few new residents to the suburb, so if you want to be nearer the action, first find out more about living options in Craighall.
