Contenders Boxing

Hi, Coach Joe Mayer here, started boxing at the younger age of 19 (a couple days after Tyson won the heavyweight title from Trevor Berbick), and I was Hooked! I competed in the 88, 90, and 91 Charlotte Golden Gloves & a couple of Tuffman Contest.

After a couple of years owning my first house at 1405 Tyvola Rd., I decided Charlotte needs more boxing gyms! (if I build it, people will come!) So I saved my money, drew out a plan, got the permits to build, got my friends over, & late in 1998, we framed up a gym off my garage and named it Southside Boxing.

In 2005, I started a second gym on Hawthorne Ave, Since it made no sense to have a gym named Southside on the Eastside, I decided to name both to CONTENDERS (Southside & Eastside). In 2010, I started a Boxing Gym in Lake Norman, lasting till 2015.

I no longer have any desire to start another gym. The goal is for my current gym to be like no other! Although Charlotte isn’t a big boxing city, I want my gym to be a landmark for boxing enthusiasts and competitors. Since late 2017, I’ve been doing a gym makeover by incorporating sweet science, History & much more