“Tough times don’t last, tough people do!”
If you’re looking for a compliment sandwich from Eric Kelly…., well you may as well be looking for a pink unicorn. The Brooklyn boxing coach doesn’t pull any punches (literally) when it comes to his coaching style.
Kelly is a four-time national amateur boxing champion, a two-time NYC Golden Glove tournament winner and a former member of the US National Olympic team. At one point, ranked 4th in the world, his boxing career was cut short when a pool cue damaged his left eye during a street fight.
Despite the list of impressive achievements, he is arguably best known for his “No BS” coaching style, highlighted in the “Animal New York” viral video “Boxing Lessons with Eric Kelly.”
The popularity of the video launched Eric’s coaching career into high gear as celebrities started seeking him out for his no-nonsense approach to coaching the “sweet science” of boxing.
Before starting his coaching career, Kelly had worked a number of blue collar jobs. He cites the birth of his children as the reason for getting serious about coaching as a career.
Eric started coaching at Church Street Boxing Gym in NYC, coaching a clientele of “F**king Nerds” as he describes them. He’s since moved to his gym in the Bronx, called “SouthBox by Eric Kelly.”
Eric continues to coach in the same manner as he always has. People (young & old, blue collar & white collar, famous & infamous) continue to seek him out for not only his knowledge of the sport, or the workout that goes along with it but perhaps a little of his “Take it on the chin” style of coaching.
