A boxing and mixed martial arts facility will open on Mission Street next Sunday, according to the owners.
World Class Gym, 1943 Mission St. between 15th and 16th streets, is the product of Ata and Mohammed Salem, brothers who have been boxing for more than 16 years. Mohammed won the Northern California Golden Gloves tournament in 1998 at the Cow Palace, and another younger brother is training to go pro.
“I’m still in the gym,” Mohammed said. “It’s the ultimate workout.”
The storefront, which had been vacant since 2007, is below a residential hotel owned by the Salem family.
The brothers decided to open the gym after noticing that local boxing and mixed martial art gyms were getting crowded. Some passersby who saw their banner outside have already signed up, Mohammed said.
“Mission Street needs a boxing gym; it’s been needing it for a while,” Mohammed said. “It’s more restaurants, bars and nightclubs, but there are no gyms in the area.”
World Class will compete with Park Gym, a tae kwon do and boxing gym that opened at 1960 Harrison St. in 2010.
The gym will have all the necessities, including the ring itself, different kinds of punching bags and weights. It will also feature fights among members and possibly some professional bouts, Mohammed said.
“They are going to be on a professional level — no little kids’ stuff,” Ata said of the gym’s members. “We are looking to have some champions.”
The gym will, however, train youth who want to get into the sport. The brothers have hired former amateur and professional trainers.
“Anybody who is interested in boxing, they are going to be interested in this gym, because we are going to deliver,” Mohammed said.
This is great for the Mission!