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\u200e 22-year-old Professional Boxer Elijah \u201cThe Bully\u201d points to a photo of himself at age 8 with Hook Elite Boxing Club sporting a championship medal and belt.<\/p>\nBy Journalist Dr. Ms. Jones<\/p>\n
NEWBURGH \u2013 Inside the steady snap of punches and the sharp calls of coaches, Hook Elite Boxing Club has become more than a gym\u2014it\u2019s a heartbeat for Newburgh youth, families, and fighters of all ages and genders. Founded by longtime trainer and community mentor Leonard Lee, the club has spent years shaping discipline, confidence, and opportunity while keeping young people off the streets and inside a space where they are seen, supported, and challenged.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been in boxing or dealing with boxing since I was eight years old,\u201d Lee recalled. \u201cLife for me, was up and down. I did some prison time [for] drugs, guns, [and] assaults\u2026 I was raised up in the church, and I\u2019ve always had someone telling me the right thing to do, even though I didn\u2019t do it\u2026 My daughter got sick. I promised God that if He dealt with that, I\u2019d serve Him \u2018til I die. My service is right here trying to teach these kids, trying to raise them up to be World Champions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u200e 22-year-old Professional Boxer Elijah \u201cThe Bully\u201d points to a photo of himself at age 8 with Hook Elite Boxing Club sporting a championship medal and belt.<\/p>\n
Hook Elite once ran a powerful community ritual known as Friday Night \u201cGloves Up, Guns Down.\u201d It wasn\u2019t about aggression. It was about defusing it. If two people in the neighborhood had tension, instead of letting it spill into the streets, they brought it into the gym, under supervision, with rules, gloves, and respect. The program taught emotional control, accountability, and the idea that real strength comes from discipline\u2014not weapons. It became a symbol of Newburgh choosing structure over chaos, community over conflict, and a better path forward for young people who needed somewhere safe to put their frustration and pride.<\/p>\n
Though boxing has long been viewed as a man\u2019s sport\u2014defined by grit, toughness, and a history dominated by male fighters\u2014that perception never slowed down 13-year-old Zyranna Ortiz Espinosa, who began boxing at the age of seven before pausing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three months ago, she returned\u2014fueled by determination and a series of persistent requests to her father who boxed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad did boxing. So, I want to do boxing. I don\u2019t want to do Girl Scouts or anything like that\u2026 My big sister does Girl Scouts and she wanted me to do it, but I never felt like doing anything like Girl Scouts. I was mostly into sports, like baseball [and] boxing\u2026 [I like] that I can spar in front of people and train here,\u201d Zyranna said shyly, gloves dangling from her fingers.<\/p>\n
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13-year-old Zyranna Ortiz Espinosa trains at Hook Elite Boxing Club.<\/p>\n
She has been sparring, working drills, and developing her footing but has not yet entered a match. At home, she trains on her punching bag and runs to build stamina, and her father is building a backyard setup to support her growing passion.<\/p>\n
17-year-old Tyra Lane is another girl that trains at Hook Elite. She didn\u2019t walk into Hook Elite because she was following in her father Antwaun Hedgemond\u2019s footsteps, who boxed while serving in the military and once competed at the national championships in Colorado. She came because she wanted to. Tyra saw the ring not as a barrier, but as a place to claim her own power.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like fighting,\u201d Lane said confidently. \u201cAt first, I was doing it for fun\u2026 The opportunity is there, so why not take it? You never know where it\u2019s going to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\u200e17-year-old](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Boxing-6-228x300.jpg\")
\u200e17-year-old Tyra Lane trains with her father Antwaun Hedgemond at Hook Elite Boxing Club.<\/p>\n
The sense of family runs deep\u2014especially for athletes like 22-year-old Elijah \u201cThe Bully\u201d who has been winning medals and championship belts with Hook Elite since age 8 and is now a rising professional boxer and credits the gym with changing the direction of his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my home,\u201d Elijah said. \u201cI left it for a while. I messed around with football and I messed around with other stuff and I realized that this is going to take me further. So, that\u2019s why I came back\u2026 This is who I am. Without this, I don\u2019t know where I would be.\u201d
Asked why he stays connected to the club, Elijah grinned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was running with the wrong crowd. I had a run in with the police. Because of this, I was on probation\u2026 I got off a year early because of [Hook Elite]. \u2018We see you boxing. We see you staying out the way, not doing what you used to do,\u2019\u201d said Elijah as he looks over at Lee. \u201cI owe that man everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hook Elite\u2019s influence extends beyond athletics\u2014mentorship, accountability, academic encouragement, and character-building are embedded into the culture. For many parents, the gym represents safety, stability, and positive male role models.<\/p>\n
![\"\u200eBoxers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Boxing-3-300x196.jpg\")
\u200eBoxers spar at Hook Elite Boxing Club.<\/p>\n
Now, the club is preparing for one of its proudest community events, the International Box Off, taking place Saturday, December 20th at 2pm at the Newburgh Armory. Fighters from across regions and nations will compete, with Hook Elite athletes showcasing their growth, heart, and home-grown talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an international tournament. We have Ireland, we have London, Mexico, Canada, and\u2026 Australia,\u201d Lee said. \u201cWe had that years ago\u2026 It turned out really well. We\u2019re expecting it to turn out even better this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Families, sports fans, and community members are invited to attend, cheer, and experience the energy firsthand. At Hook Elite Boxing Club, champions aren\u2019t just born in the ring\u2014they\u2019re built in the choices young people make every day.<\/p>\n
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