Everlast, the boxing brand that started in the Bronx in 1910, has signed on as a partner of Bronx Legends Boxing Academy, a free after-school gym at 1761 Walton Avenue, a block west of the Grand Concourse. The company announced on October 16 that it will give the academy yearly financial support and supply its rings, heavy bags, gloves, shoes, headgear, groin guards, hand wraps and training clothes.

For the young people who train there, that means the gear on their hands is the same kind of equipment found in professional gyms, and none of it comes out of a family's pocket. The academy charges nothing to join.

What Bronx Legends is

Bronx Legends Boxing Academy is a nonprofit run as a structured program rather than a drop-in gym. It serves young people ages 12 to 21 and describes itself as the only free boxing gym in the Bronx. The academy was founded by filmmaker Jay Bulger, and its board is chaired by Eric Blinderman.

Boxing is the core, but the program is built around more than the ring. The academy lists five pillars: boxing fundamentals; wellness and stress regulation, with chi gong, yoga and meditation on Mondays led by partner Woosaa Wellness; strength and conditioning; mentorship and leadership; and academic support, including SAT tutoring and study help. Students are expected to show up consistently and on time, respect the space, and help coach the younger kids as they progress.

What Everlast is providing

Under the partnership, Everlast is supplying the academy's bags, rings, gloves, hand wraps and apparel, along with yearly funding. The company says the goal is to let students train safely with professional-standard equipment without the cost that usually keeps teenagers out of the sport.

Everlast is also sponsoring a film and photo series about the academy shot by Bulger. The first film, Backyard Brawlers, follows three students who, before the gym existed, boxed inside an empty above-ground pool in a backyard. One of them, Carlos Peralta, joined the academy in September 2025, has kept training, and brought his younger brother Kyle into the gym. He has also taken every acting class the program has offered, and the acting class is the subject of the next video in the series.

A homecoming for a Bronx name

Everlast was founded in the Bronx in 1910. The company, now owned by the British retailer Frasers Group, framed the Bronx Legends partnership as a return to the borough where it started.

How to join

The academy is open Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Weekdays cover boxing fundamentals and conditioning, Mondays add the wellness session, and Saturday mornings are for training and special sessions. Tutoring and SAT prep run alongside the boxing.

For a first visit, the academy asks new students to arrive 15 minutes early so coaches can learn their goals and place them in the right group. No gear is needed on day one. Registration and contact information are on the academy's website, bronxlegendsboxing.com, and the Instagram account @bronxlegendsboxingacademy posts the film and photos from the Everlast series.

Bronx Legends Boxing Academy is at 1761 Walton Avenue in the Bronx, between the Grand Concourse and Jerome Avenue. The 4 train stops at 176th Street on Jerome Avenue, and the B and D trains stop at 174th-175th Streets on the Grand Concourse, both a short walk away.

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