New gym geared to building new talents

OPENING SOON: RotoVegas Boxing Gym owner Aaron Warren (front) at the site of his new boxing gym on Te Ngae Rd, which is set to open in early December. PHOTO/BEN FRASER 250914BF25

Aaron Warren has already found more than his fair share of diamonds in the rough.

With 10 years experience training fighters under the banner of RotoVegas Boxing Gym, and a track record of producing 36 national champions and six national representatives, the enthusiastic trainer has always had the ability to spot and then shape a champion.

His new boxing gym and fitness facility at 212 Te Ngae Rd will boast quality equipment and a stable of fighters who have been together for up to a decade.

From the outside the gym will likely look like many others.

Inside, through the eyes of Warren, it will be nothing more and nothing less than a facility in which to help the community and sift through more potential.

"We started with a dirt patch and one boxing bag, my two sons and his friend and as it stands now we've got two rings, 15 bags and all the equipment," Warren said.

The new gym is closer to town, allowing greater ease of access for the many Rotorua school pupils who train at the gym under the Champion Made programme, which is sponsored by the First Sovereign Trust in schools throughout the country.

The scheme has been running for five years and gives up to 300 kids a unique opportunity.

"They have heaps of other opportunities when they can have free membership to the gym and they can get their yellow book, which is a boxing licence, so they are able to compete," he said.

"Our programme is not just working in the schools, it's working after schools with the kids and families. This is why we are opening it up too."

The kids are being taught to fight under the Commonwealth and Olympic rules, with the ultimate aim to craft fighters capable of bringing home medals from international competition.

Warren is keen to open up the facility to as many people as possible when it opens in early-December.

"I'm looking forward to meeting new people in the community when the doors open and being able to make a small influence on them.

"We're looking at running some free classes for senior citizens because at the end of the day these people have been around for years and paid thousands of dollars in tax and we need to look after those people."

The business will have a commercial side, giving members the chance to train alongside national champions and up-and-coming fighters.