An interview with Boston boxing trainer Ed LaVache

Ed LaVache with students of the Boston Boxing Club.
Photo by Jim Fitts

I caught up with Coach Ed LaVache during a viewing of the Pacquiao vs Clottey fight a couple weeks ago. As owner of the Boston Boxing Club in Allston, he has a significant experience training local fighters. We talked about what the club is up too and some technical observations of last weeks Pacquaio vs Clottey match.

Ed Anderson: A lot of gyms are closing due to the economic climate these days. how are things going at the Boston Boxing Club?

Ed LaVache: Things are actually going pretty well at the gym. Even in a bad economy we are in an age where people do not necessarily cut out their gym memberships to save money. Fitness is always going to be an important part of everybody's daily routine.

Ed Anderson: How many students are training at the club these days?

Ed LaVache: I'm not entirely sure how many students we have, its tough to count because the rollover is so great. we are one of the only remaining "old school" gyms, meaning that we do not lock people in to long term contracts with automatic withdrawal from their account. They can join for one month and never come back again (although most do). our womens class is probably the most popular, we provide open ended classes to the women and their classes that they purchase in bulk do not expire. Which means that if they all showed up for a Saturday class at once, there would be over 300 of them there

Ed Anderson: The New England Sports Network (NESN) had recently aired a six-episode reality television program at your gym titled, Boston Boxing: Team Training. How has the show impacted your business?

Ed LaVache: The TV show has helped a great deal not only to drive membership but to really legitimize our business. People on the outside see that we are not just your old school rundown boxing gym where every kid is trying to get paid. we are actually a premier fitness facility where everybody comes to get into the greatest shape of their lives. but, we also have that group of guys and girls who are dominant competitive boxers in new england. So other people and potential sponsors were able to see that mix within the gym.

Ed Anderson: What makes BBC stand out compared to other boxing gyms.

Ed LaVache: Some of the key facts that make Boston boxing standout first in the community is our commitment to providing a total fitness experience in a family oriented friendly atmosphere. We are highly rated on all on-line review sites and we make it our #1 mission to have every client that walks out the door have the best overall experience in a gym. We are very much into the client. As i said earlier we don't rely on long term contracts so we need every member to continue coming back so customer service is our highest priority. Where other gyms sign up members and forget about them totally, we stay with them every time they walk in the door. We greet them by name and we know when they haven't been there for awhile.

The other fact that makes us stand out is our commitment to combating childhood obesity. BBC has a great after school program that is free for middle school and high school kids from 330-5, and we teach them about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. We teach them proper stretching, cardio, and for the older kids we teach them proper weightlifting technique. The after school program is nor focused on boxing as much as it is on fitness in general.

Ed Anderson: Do you have any pro prospects coming out of the gym?

Ed LaVache: We currently don't have any pro prospects in the gym, we did but he got in a little trouble. We do have a gym favorite and that's Danny O'Connor out of Framing ham. He trains with Dave Keefe at the 401 gym in Rhode Island, but he comes up often to work with some of our amateurs and he is always a generous, genuine pro who is doing great things in and out of the gym. although he doesn't train out of our gym, we are his biggest fans

Ed Anderson: We had the chance to both watch Pacquiao vs. Clottey at 21 Nickles in Watertown last week. What were your observations on Clottey's game plan.

Ed LaVache: I thought this could have been Clottey's crowning performance, the fight that he could have been remembered by. But he packed it in right from the start and survived for the entire bout. He didn't have to win, no one expected him to. But he did have to fight with heart and pride in his career and he didn't. He needed to attack from the start and give Pacquio all he could handle at least for 6 rounds and if he faded at least those 6 would have been talked about for along time like Gatti/Ward 9th round, Castillo/Corrales last round, Hagler/Hearns 1st round, etc.....This was Clotteys platform and he came out looking worse than when he went in. Wasted opportunity.

Ed Anderson: So as a trainer what do think it's going to take for a fighter to beat Pacquiao?

Ed LaVache: To beat Pacquiao right now he need to box an opponent with speed and endurance. Someone who has the feet to keep them in the fight and out of danger. Obviously Pacquio should be fighting Mayweather, but i think the Mosely/Pacquio match-up would have been more interesting than any of the other combinations. Mosely has been in this type of fight all of his career and knows how to rise to that level in a fight.

Check out Boston Boxing & Fitness at

www.bostonboxing.com
8 Rugg RoadAllston, MA 02134-1627(617) 987-0142