Founded in the Bronx in 1937, Gleason’s Gym is a relic among boxing gyms in New York City. Jake LaMotta, Roberto Durán, Benny “Kid” Paret, Gerry Cooney, Mike Tyson, and Muhammad Ali have all trained here. Yet its survival now depends partly upon events like Fight Night at St. Ann’s Warehouse in DUMBO where in September it took on the NYPD Boxing team for an event that brought out quite an interesting crowd even for New York. Nestled under the Brooklyn Bridge in an old tobacco factory, the setting conjured up images of the old prizefighting venues in the early part of the 20th century. The mixed drinks and smart phones gave it away though it almost had me.
