Jose Benavidez Sr. has bought Phoenix’s historic Central Boxing Gym at 1755 W. Van Buren St., and he’s throwing open its doors this Saturday with a grand re-opening, a ribbon cutting, and an amateur fight card by nightfall. The gym where he first raised his own champion sons is getting a second life, and he’s framing it as a return rather than a reinvention.
According to fightnews.com, the gym will open its doors at 7 a.m. Saturday, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 8:30 a.m. Bodega on Central will provide breakfast for the occasion, and the day builds toward Fright Night Fights, a USA Boxing-sanctioned amateur boxing smoker set for 4 p.m. the same day, as reported in the same Fights Around The World coverage.
For Benavidez Sr., the gym carries deep personal weight. He has developed world champions, contenders, and title challengers out of this corner of Phoenix, including David Benavidez, Jose Benavidez Jr., Rayo Valenzuela, Diego Pacheco, and the Tellez sisters, per the same fightnews.com report. “We started in this boxing gym,” he said, describing the site’s significance to his family and the sense of being blessed to come back and help more children become champions.
A Gym With Deep Roots And A New Direction
Benavidez Sr. said it was Hank Zanzucchi who first sent the Benavidez family to California, a detail that underscores just how long this particular Phoenix gym has been tied to the family’s rise. He recalled starting out with no real background in the sport himself. “I was 26 and didn’t know nothing about boxing,” he said, describing the moment he first stepped into the position that eventually led him here.
That same humility now shapes who he wants the gym to serve. “Those are the kids I want to help. Abused kids and mothers,” Benavidez Sr. said, pointing to children and mothers who need support as a central focus of the relaunch. He has also invited Phoenix community members and local businesses to get involved and support the gym going forward.
New Leadership, Familiar Faces In The Corner
Day-to-day operations will be overseen by Emily Pandelakis Girten, who has worked alongside the Benavidez family since David and Jose Jr. were children. She brings 15 years of public relations and event support experience working with boxers and promoters around the country, according to the fightnews.com account of the relaunch.
Junior Lopez, founder of JL Boxing Academy and overseer of multiple gyms throughout the Valley, will lead the coaching operation. Longtime trainers Juan Mendoza and Carlos Alvarez will serve as head coaches. Lopez said the gym will teach principles meant to help people build champions not just in the ring, but in life.
Smokers, Lucha Libre, And A Restoration Project Ahead
Benavidez Sr., Girten, and Lopez are aiming to transform Central Boxing Gym into a cornerstone for youth mentorship, athletic development, and community engagement while preserving its legacy, per fightnews.com’s reporting. Plans include more children’s programs, additional smokers, and even Muay Thai and Lucha Libre events, alongside efforts to deliver more value to members.
The gym also hopes to host media workouts and events featuring prominent names in boxing down the line. A major restoration project is planned for the building itself, and businesses will reportedly be able to participate in that work and be recognized on the gym’s east exterior. The site has a storied past in the sport: Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Julio Cesar Chavez, and Kostya Tszyu have all spent time training or visiting the gym, according to fightnews.com.
The gym describes itself as beginning a new chapter focused on community impact, youth development, and athletic excellence. A business-directory listing from chamberofcommerce.com places Central Boxing Gym at 1755 W Van Buren St in Phoenix, Arizona 85007, listing a phone number of 602-254-0995 and a contact named Olivia Casteneda. The same listing shows a 4.8-star rating from 63 reviewers and an estimated staff of two to five employees.
