May 15, 2017

Meet George & Evangelos Giovanis of 15th Round Boxing in Glendale

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to George & Evangelos Giovanis.

Owners and boxing coaches, the Giovanis brothers opened 15th Round Boxing in December of 2015.

The brothers were born in Rhode Island. By the age of 13 they joined Rhode Island Boxing, home of five-time world champion Vinny Paz. Over the years, both brothers competed in amateur boxing matches and smokers where they refined their skills as boxers.

At the age of twenty-one, the brothers moved to Florida where they continued to train at St. Pete Boxing Club in Florida, home of the IBF champions Ronald “Winky” Wright & Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy.

Wanting to grow even more in the martial arts, George also learned Muay Thai, (Dutch style) which is perfect for self-defense and MMA as it originates in a boxing stance. So he always says, “be careful when you slip and dip.”

In 2013, George and Evangelos were working at XTC fight club where they trained kids and adults how to box. In two years, the Giovanis bros trained dozens of fighters that became champions winning belts in the PAL Adidas National Tournament, the Blue & Gold Tournaments and the So. Cal State Championship.

Alexander “the Great” Enriquez, who is coached and managed by the Giovanis brothers, is currently undefeated as a pro at 3-0-2 and is ranked in the top 35% of all pro fighters in the world in the Super Bantamweight division.

“Old School” Nigel Dawson, who is also coached and managed by the Giovanis brothers, is currently an undefeated heavyweight at 3-0. He is set to fight in Montebello on 5/5/17.

The Giovanis brothers also produce/direct feature films. Their latest effort BEREAVE starring Malcolm McDowell, Golden Globe Winner Jane Seymour, Oscar Winner Keith Carradine and Mike Starr, along with a stellar supporting cast, screened at over 22 film festivals and won 13 awards. The film will be distributed via Archstone Distribution and Sony in the Summer of 2017. You can see the trailer and read more about it at www.bereavethemovie.com

DAVID KAMAU also helps coach at the 15th Round Boxing Gym:

Retired and legendary boxer, David Nganga Kamau was born August 4, 1965 in Nakuru, Kenya. Kamau competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, in the Light Welterweight Division where he won his first two bouts to advance to the third round. He was recruited from Africa by Don King to compete as a professional boxer in the USA. Kamau had his professional debut in 1990, and although considered a late start for boxing (at the age of twenty-five), went on to amass an impressive list of victories with a professional record of 30W-4L-0D with 22 wins coming by KO. His only losses would be to boxing legends, Julio Cesar Chavez (who many feel he beat), Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Margarito and Danny Perez. David Kamau currently works with the Giovanis brothers and trains boxers with the hopes of making a champion. He is also a bus driver and is a very active member in his church.

The Giovanis brothers plan to open another gym soon, to expand and they also intend to make more feature films.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being in our 30’s, we are proud that we have opened and sold 4 family restaurants, where we were awarded as the best pizza several times (tough to do on the East Coast), made 4 award winning, feature films that have premiered at some of the most prestigious film festivals around the world and picked up numerous awards, and opened a thriving boxing gym where we train/manage two undefeated, professional fighters that are quickly climbing the ranks. On that journey, there were many difficulties along the way, and there are more to come!

Having never been accepted to film schools, we would open the pizza restaurants – to fuel and finance our films. Being that over 90% of restaurants close in the first year of operating, and over 50% of films collapse 2 weeks prior to, or 2 weeks into principle photography, one can understand things have been anything but, easy. And you can also understand that we had to work many odd jobs along the way; bouncers, substitute teachers, sales, cooks, Uber drivers, warehouse supplies, construction… we’ve done it all.

But we also had a severe passion for boxing and it is in the boxing gyms where we learned to fight and work very hard for what we want, often risking the comforts of traditional thinking and security to pursue our goals.

We named our gym the 15th Round for a reason. And as such, we ask our customers to give that extra effort, to push themselves beyond what even they expect. It’s with that tough love that we nurture our clients (a healthy ratio of males and females) and have them set and do their best, to achieve their personal goals. One of the questions we always ask “what are you looking to get out of this?” They have to answer that question. But most importantly, they have to start asking questions about what they wish to achieve in the transformation that always happens like some ticking jump rope or a bell ringing in the back ground.

Every customer is different and unique. The testimonials speak for themselves: one of our clients has lost over 90 lbs. and is feeling/looking healthier than ever. Another has lost 45lbs, (a requirement), as she wishes to join the military. Another client lost 25 lbs and is no longer pre-diabetic. Some clients have come to our gym looking to get off the streets, others have successfully quit drugs, others have tapered their anger issues, improved concentration, stamina, willpower, confidence and their grades in school. Others have come in here and swear the gym saved their marriage or their job. Others came in here and met their future wives or husbands. Some came to find out they weren’t boxers at all. And some just improved their golf game… And as such, they’ll swear that the 15th Round is not like any other gym in the world. And they’ll defend that oath in and out of the ring!

It’s hard not to believe them however, as this gym is more of a family than a business. When our pros fight, we all get together and have a ticket selling party to support them in their quest for the belts. We go to the fights screaming and cheering their names, deafening the judges and overpowering the announcer’s microphone. We gather together, play music, and yes, sometimes we indulge with libations and pizza on those particular Fridays! We have days where we all just carpool to Griffith Park and jog the mountain trails (yes, we’ve spotted P-22 and he ran away from us!). We have days where we gather at the beach to run in the sand and swim. We have days where we watch boxing movies together. I like “Raging Bull,” “The Fighter,” “Bleed for This,” “Triumph of the Spirit,” “Requiem for a Heavyweight,”… you get the pictures.

We support all our clients with the same love they give us, whether we need to bring people to a play they are putting on, or advertise a shirt they made, or just be there for them when life punches them around. And that’s how we advertise our brand… no gimmicks.

If you enter the 15th Round, you will read, imprinted on the custom clocks below the logo, the famous quote of Sophocles who said, “success is dependent on effort.” And although you’ll fill out the paperwork and give us your credit card, this is the gym’s motto. If you get past that, and walk deeper, beyond the gray, leather bags that hang like the toughest customers, you will see, and perhaps be inspired by, the large, custom mural of Jack Johnson – the first, black heavyweight in the world. The mural was painted by local artist Cody Patterson who works at Starbucks. The Giovanis brothers built the gym with their own hands: They laid out the rubber floor you walk on. They installed the ring. They stuffed and hung every punching bag. They assembled and installed every machine, painted every tile on the ceiling, every wall. They built the bench you sit on, installed the racks you hang your coats or rest your gym bags on. They even installed the toilet they ask that you not throw toilet paper into, and keep it clean. When blood splatters on the canvas after a hard day of sparring, it is Evangelos, one of the owners, who goes in there and sprays the rubbing alcohol before he vacuums the place.

It is in boxing gyms like this one, where we learned to endure the punishment of the ambition twisted in their DNA. It is in boxing gyms like this, we learned to roll with the punches that often require you get off the canvas of life after you get knocked down. Every real boxing gym has a ring in it, that everyone calls a square circle, where the sweet science goes down and people enjoy getting punched in the face. But it’s more than that. For us, the ring has always been something more; the truth machine. You can’t lie about who or what you are in there. You always go in scared and come out braver for it… and that’s a good thing.

We invite you to come and say hello. And we’re pretty certain, whatever preconceived notions you may think you have about boxing, or the type of people that enjoy the sport, will be shattered like a glass jaw – should you decide to try and make it to the 15th Round. Hopefully we will meet and exceed your expectations. Perhaps we will share and more importantly make some stories about overcoming the many struggles along the way…

Please tell us about 15th Round Boxing.
Though people can choose, and we offer and specialize in a variety of private lessons, our business also focuses in meeting each client’s individual needs, through a classroom and communal environment, regardless of age, sex or background.

Our classes and lessons teach the fundamentals, explore the psychology and the geometry, and of course the human automation that is practice, practice, practice – of boxing. It was Ali who said “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'” Who are we to argue with the champ?

George is 1 of only 39 coaches, licensed in the state of California, who is legally able to turn amateur fighters into professionals. Evangelos manages every fighter that comes out of the gym.

We are very proud of the fact that our active, professional boxers are undefeated in their respective weight classes and are currently ranked amongst the elite in the world.

Here at the 15th Round, we thrive on our work ethic which sets us apart from others. We are proud that we are not a faceless corporation, but rather a tight-knit community.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Every day is a chance at redemption. Every day is a chance to better oneself. Here at the 15th Round Gym we like to believe, that even if not differently, we do start over every day. We understand that a good work out, a good business, a good relationship, a good anything has growing pains and just like the muscles release lactic acid, you have to deal with it all. Sometimes learning and thriving is anaerobic too!

We understand it takes months to get in shape, and only a few weeks, or even a few days to lose it all. The same can be said about growing a small business; keep the good, throw away the bad and things start to take on a life of their own. We try our best, to admire even the difficult times, for we truly know that we learn more in our losses than our victories. And that’s how we celebrate our wins.

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