WACO, TX — Waco Boxing Club has Hispanic roots and is proving the sport doesn't discriminate once you step foot in the ring.
"The boxing gym is the only gym you can walk into where you can see criminals and policemen training together," says lead trainer at Waco Boxing Club Jaime Lerma.
Waco Boxing Club just off of Franklin Avenue and 30th Street was founded in 1972 by the late Gilbert Sanches.
"The Waco boxing club has been known all over the world for years now, for our competitors that we create here at the gym. It's been here for 48 years and is actually the longest-running boxing gym in the state of Texas," says Lerma.
This year the gym overcame a new opponent the coronavirus pandemic.
"Everyone was itching to come back...the city of Waco, town, the culture the community supports it, without our members, their families we wouldn't be here," says Denis Hanley, a coach at Waco Boxing Club.
WBC operates thanks to membership fees and donations from the community, as it gives hope to new generations of boxers.
"I'm really hoping to go pro... that's been my dream ever since I've been 6 years old. It brings everybody together, it doesn't matter what color you are or anything like that. It's just home, it makes you feel welcome," says WBC member Nathaniel Fernandez.
Waco Boxing Club says they have big plans for 2021 as they're training their team to return to competing in the ring.
