An eclectic group of Massachusetts residents gathers weekly at Roberto Clemente Field in the Fenway for outdoor boxing classes designed for members to improve their skills and confidence.
The classes are led by Johnny Murray, a former Irish boxer, along with his wife, Kaleigh Murray, and guest coaches. They are held year-round unless it’s raining, snowing or the temperature hits below 14 degrees.
After working a corporate job for a decade, Murray founded the business in 2014 and called it Back Bay Boxing because of the original gym location. When the pandemic hit, the Murrays relocated to South Carolina to keep the business afloat. In 2022, they returned to Boston and began hosting classes exclusively outdoors, rebranding as Beantown Boxing in 2025.
“Even though the workout is the same as what we did indoors, the culture and the environment is completely different,” Murray said. “I didn't want to be associated with the neighborhood, I wanted to be more associated with the city.”
Murray considers his classes to be a “third space,” a comfortable social environment where people gather to connect and decompress.
Kendall Burke, a member of Beantown Boxing since last June, said boxing is important for her mental wellness, due to both the physical exercise and the social connection.
“You get this supportive group of people, you're working out, you feel good about yourself,” she said. “That's like a cycle of confidence building as well as discipline.”
Rodrigo Cervantes, originally from Mexico City, discovered the group by chance while he was on a run through the park and heard Murray yelling instructions to a class. Now, Rodrigo has taken over 100 classes with Beantown Boxing in just eight months.
“I used to practice box[ing] in Mexico, but the vibe there was more, super masculine, you need to beat everyone, and I didn't like that,” he said. “I'm gay, so finding this way of feeling strong and protect[ing] myself is also a huge paramount for me to be here.”
Each class consists of mixing cardio, like jump rope and jumping jacks; bodyweight strength training, like squats and lunges; and a mitt workout, where each member works with alternating partners to catch each other's punches. The workouts focus on proper technique while avoiding traditional sparring or contact punches to reduce the likelihood of injury, according to the company’s website.
“It's kind of like speed dating while you're punching, because you punch for a round, then you catch for a round, then you meet somebody new,” Murray said. “That's why everybody knows everybody, because they've all worked with everybody.”
Shammara Humphrey, a Chestnut Hill resident, commutes 30 minutes both ways, four times a week to take classes with the Murrays, and said the coaches' skill levels are "above and beyond.”
Humphrey has been taking classes for six years and occasionally steps in as a guest coach, a title also belonging to Fenway resident Tim Drysdale. Drysdale discovered the program after having just moved to Boston because he needed a physical outlet.
“Not only was it great exercise, it's fun, super friendly, non-toxic,” he said. “But it ended up being just like a social thing that I needed as well, because I had just moved out here and [was] kind of hating everything about Boston.”
Murray said the partner-focused workouts have evolved into a type of social club.
“We engineer it that way,” he said. “What we found with people that don't stay is they don't buy into the culture of it, because it is a culture.”
This culture is what keeps Drysdale coming back. He said that he’s made lasting friendships at Beantown Boxing, with members of the class even helping him celebrate his birthday in January and supporting his singing career.
“I was doing this holiday concert, and a couple of friends from class came and watched my concert,” he said. “I've made, I think … real friends with really good people.”
This story is part of a partnership between The Independent Newspaper Group and Boston University Department of Journalism’s Newsroom program.