May 1, 2017

Meet Justin Fortune and Tamara Frapasella of Fortune Gym in Hollywood

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Fortune and Tamara Frapasella.

In 2008 Fortune Gym was founded by Australian Heavyweight Contender Justin Fortune. During Justin Fortunes professional fight career, he was trained by the hall of fame legendary trainer Freddie Roach. Fortune and Roach have since gone on to build a successful relationship in the training together of many world champions including: Manny Pacquiao, Israel Vasquez, Zou Shiming, Denis Lebedev, James Toney, and Mike Tyson.

Fortune Gym is a 1950’s style boxing gym that is home to everything from world champions, Olympians, amateur fighters to celebrities, stylists, makeup artists, lawyers, stay at home moms, producers, chefs, factory workers, uber drivers, you name it. Our members range in age from 69 years’ young to 6 years old. We have over 20 trainers ranging from former boxing world champions and Olympians to Muay Thai, K1 and Jiu-Jitsu champions.

In 2010, Justin Fortune trained Tamara Frapasella for her celebrity charity boxing match versus Kim Kardashian. I guess you could say it was love at first sight for these two. Although Justin Fortune failed to turn up and work Frapasellas corner in her victory over Kim Kardashian, these two quickly began dating and would soon marry. After being married for only two months, Justin Fortune was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage 4 head and neck cancer. Having built the gym by himself, Justin wasn’t sure the gym would survive while he was battling the fight of his life. Tamara an actor and producer by trade, put her dreams on hold while she made it her mission to take over the operations at the gym to ensure that Justin’s dream lived on. As with any business in California, especially a business in boxing, and to top it off being a female in boxing, it was a struggle both in and out of the ring.

Justin is now fully recovered from his cancer battle, and is involved in helping others whom are facing their fight in cancer. The gym offers free memberships to anyone that is undergoing any sort of cancer treatments. Fortune Gym is currently thriving with fighters, clients, and members. We like to say that we are one large dysfunctional family, but we are family.

Justin and Tamara currently run Fortune Gym together as a solid husband + wife team. They also have a tremendous amount of assistance from the Fortune Gym staff, and the love and support of close friends and family. As well they are still happily married with 3 shelter Pitbull mix puppies (whom make consistent appearances at the gym) and their first children (twins) are to be born in the summer of 2017. As we like to say at Fortune Gym “gohardorgohome”.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Fortune Gym is a 3600-square foot elite a boxing gym. We have all of the ‘old school’ boxing equipment bags, jump ropes, speed bags, double end bags, shadow boxing platform, treadmills, bikes, and a full size custom ring but we also combine it with new elite cutting edge equipment to ensure all of the professional fighters are in the top shape.

Justin Fortune trains his professional fighters with partner Freddie Roach. Fortune does his strength & conditioning work with the fighters at Fortune Gym while the boxing and sparring is done down the street at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym.

Justin Fortune is the captain of the ship at Fortune Gym. He trains himself daily to make sure that he is physically and mentally in top shape to prepare his fighters accordingly.

Tamara Frapasella runs the day to day activities at the gym and is currently the reigning Los Angeles Chess Boxing Champion. She will continue to box after the birth of her first children in July of 2017.

Fortune Gym does offer training in other sports. We have a back MMA/Jiu-Jitsu area that Lars Wallin of Wallin MMA runs. We also have several trainers that train in the art of Muay Thai and Kickboxing. Graham Mitchell a Men’s Health trainer offers training for those with handicaps and also strength and resistance training. Jose Navarro is a former world champion and Olympian – he focuses his craft on only training ‘everyday clients’ versus fighters. Game Johns (former amateur fighter) trains many notable celebrities and specializes in getting females into ‘fight shape’ Johnny Hunt is a former US Muay Thai champion who also specializes in fight coordination and stunts. Justin Fortune also has multiple assistants that train under him whom specialize in teaching boxing to beginners.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The United States is the capital of boxing. Fighters from around the country come to the United States to hold their training camps. Los Angeles is a city with a strong emphasis on physical fitness. Therefore, having a boxing gym in Hollywood that caters to both the professional and amateur fighters as well as everyday people who strive to be physically fit.

Fortune Gym is located on the world famous Sunset strip and we are very fortunate enough to have a parking lot. Traffic in Los Angeles is bad enough, but parking in Hollywood can be a real pain in the ass!

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