Grand Ave. Boxing Gym Counts No One Out

A year after he opened his Fair Haven gym, Luis Rosa, Sr. is prepping three boxers for pro fights at Foxwoods — and helping a younger teen ditch drugs, drop weight, and start eating salad.

Luis Rosa, Sr. (at right in photo), runs the Boxing In Faith Gym, which opened in May, 2009 at 134 Grand Ave. in Fair Haven, in the heart of the city’s Latino community.

On Wednesday, he found himself lacing up the gloves of Edwin Soto (at left in photo), a 20-year-old, Puerto Rico-born light welterweight. Soto, who’s undefeated after five pro fights, is one of three of Rosa’s boxers preparing for professional competitions this weekend.

As the not-for-profit gym enters its second year, Rosa is drawing a stream of young fighters off the streets and into the ring. Between training fighters, he shared some early results, both in the spotlight and behind the scenes, where he said it really counts.

He spoke as nearly two dozen boxers, including half a dozen girls, ranging in age from nine to their mid 20s did road work, footwork, and hit the bag on Wednesday afternoon. That’s what happens every afternoon between four and seven as kids from across the city and as far away as Weston, Derby, and Hartford come to train at the gym. (Click on the arrow to see the gym in action last year.)

In the spotlight, Soto, David Bauza and Rosa’s son, Luis Rosa, Jr., are on the ticket to fight at Foxwoods Resort Saturday evening. The three young fighters have trained for up to seven years and have already turned professional, each with 40 to 80 amateur fights behind them, as well as Golden Gloves and other achievements.

Out of the spotlight, the Rosa, Sr. is working on what he calls a much important quest: Helping kids like 16-year-old Carlos Casul win their own battles.

Carlos (at right in photo, with sparring partner Gary Cirillo), has been training for less than two years. He has not yet had even one amateur fight. However, he said boxing has already transformed his life.

“I always used to be in trouble before I came here,” said Carlos, who is a junior at High School in the Community.

Trouble meant fights, drinking, and disciplinary problems in school. At Amistad Academy, which he attended until the sixth grade, he had problems taking direction. At Fair Haven School, the problems continued. They resulted in probation, he said.

In high school, none of the sports or after-school activities spoke to him. He described his after-school hours as a kind of aimlessness that included ​“drinking, smoking, gangs.”

Then his family suggested the Boxing in Faith Gym.

The instant he set foot in the gym, something clicked, he said.

With a daily regime of running along Grand Avenue, then exercise, and sparring, his weight dropped from 180 to 152 pounds.

That was only an external sign of change.

The presence of Rosa, Jr. (pictured), Bauza, and Soto, the young men turned professionals, along with Luis Rosa, Sr., a former pro and trainer, added up to many soft-spoken role models.

No swearing is allowed in the gym. Respectful conduct a must.

“I give them discipline and love,” said Rosa, Sr.

And that discipline has carried over from the gym. In order to keep to the Monday through Saturday, 4 to 7 p.m. regime, Carlos uses the hour and half between school and boxing to get all his homework, to lay out his clothes, to be ready.

He’s changed his diet, too.

“I used to eat fried foods, hamburgers, hot dogs,” he said. Now he eats salads and proteins and, when he is preparing to fight, lots of carbs.

Carlos said he wants to become a pro himself.

“It’s a passion. You got to let it take you,” he added.

Carlos spoke almost romantically about the sport, which is growing in popularity in New Haven. Ring One in the Hill, which where many boxers, including light heavyweight champion ​“Bad” Chad Dawson, got their start, is still going strong on Congress Avenue.

Rosa, Sr. opened up his gym as a non-profit with his wife Marilyn Rosa, who runs a realty company in a building out front of the gym. The gym is now brimming with fighters, almost all by word of mouth.

Before building the gym behind the rambling Victorian house they own on Grand, Rosa, Sr. worked or four years at a boxing program in Hamden, where the three young pros developed. He said the gym is not just focused on big headline fights or world championships.

“Our main goal is to keep the kids off the street,” said Rosa, Sr. He said boxing was a blessing in his own life – he had 30 amateur and 16 pro fights — and he wanted to pass the benefits along to others.

“Most of these guys are not going to become world champs. It’s more than boxing,” Rosa said. ​“If they become a pro or a cop, that’s extra.”

The difference between being a pro and an amateur boxer to a reporter, Rosa, Jr. explained: Pros take off all protective headgear and use smaller gloves. Of course, they also fight for money.

Luis Rosa, Jr., Edwin Soto (pictured), and David Bauza fight at Foxwoods on Saturday night at 7. Most of their prior pro fights took place out of state.

This time they expect a huge throng of family and friends. They’ll be undercards to a headline fight between Joey ​“KO Kid” Spina ad ​“Sucra” Ray Oliveira. Marilyn Rosa said at least 200 tickets have been sold already out of the gym. Those interested can call Marilyn Rosa at: 203 – 776-ROSA.

Rosa, Sr. said Boxing in Faith’s next challenges include finding a way to expand and organizing tutoring for the kids between work-out sessions. He’s also looking for a venue where he can host amateur matches and exhibitions right in Fair Haven.

Carlos Casul said he is looking forward to his first amateur fight, which may be scheduled for as soon as October 16.

Meanwhile, he stood upstairs near the ring, waiting for his turn to spar.

Asked to describe the gym, he touched his wrapped hand to his heart.

It’s ​“a house full of brothers,” he said.