Q&A: BOXR Gym

Mateo Attalla

Miami, FL – October 5, 2022 – Mateo Attalla, the founder of BOXR Gym, made his dreams a reality when he built a state of the art gym from the ground up. Attalla had one goal in mind, and that was to be the best gym in the world. From MMA and boxing, to weightlifting, yoga, indoor basketball, and even a recording studio, the vision for BOXR is to serve as a one-stop-shop for all. Five months since BOXR Gym opened its doors to the public, Miami locals have experienced a place where they can thrive in pursuit of their goals. With vibrant lights, a booming sound system, top-of-the line equipment, and world class trainers, the state-of-the-art facility is focused on bringing an experience unlike anything anyone has ever seen. BOXR is truly the ultimate destination for fitness, and has a community and culture like no other!

World Red Eye went behind the scenes with Mateo Attalla, where he showed us around the gym and explained to us the inspiration behind BOXR Gym. Read the full Q&A below.

Mateo Attalla

WRE: Mateo, tell us a little bit about your background. How did you come to open a gym in Miami?

MA: I am originally from Sydney, Australia and come from a boxing background. At the age of 13, my mother and father decided to enroll me in boxing lessons to help with my footwork in tennis, and after one month of training, I went into national golden gloves as a novice and won! That’s where my boxing career began. I was Nominated Australian Sports Person of the year and won multiple national and international championships.

Once the lockdowns began in 2020, I decided to take training back up and make a comeback into the ring. People noticed my training: Running, shadowboxing, and boxing. They were curious to see how I learned to move and box, because they had never seen anyone move or throw punches like that. So, I began thinking of ways to train and teach people the fundamentals without any equipment or gym. I actually just taught people because of my love for the sport and I wanted to test myself out — I wanted to see how I worked as a teacher rather than always being the student. I started taking on private clients for boxing and let them decide what my value was worth, never setting a fixed price. They would tip me or give me what they thought was fair for my time and value and people started to see real results fast. Since the gyms were closed, I ended up doing this in my parking garage, then in the parking lot outside in front of my building. In the following phase, I began teaching classes for a local bodybuilding gym, using a real space to hold my classes for the first time.

I had to attach a name to what I was doing, so I decided to use my nickname and fight name from Australia, which is my brand today: BOXR. The second phase was my condo. I eventually removed all my living room/dining room furniture and began putting together a mini boxing studio in the middle of my apartment. I even built a ring in the living area, added bags, an ice bath, a turf — all of your boxing needs. This is where I officially introduced my concept BOXR. In just a month, my clientele grew so quickly that I realized I needed more room for growth, so I began looking for a bigger space. Two years ago, I asked the owner of the gym where I was still doing classes next to my apartment to rent out 35,000 sq feet of space. Within 10 months, I grew BOXR Studios to over 400 members and a team of coaches with a full class schedule.

Now, just five months after opening, I’ve been operating a 30,000 sq ft facility equipped with full boxing, MMA, bodybuilding, fitness, basketball, and the largest amount and variety of classes that any gym can offer in Miami.

Mateo Attalla

WRE: How would you describe BOXR? What is the concept behind it?

Mateo Attalla: BOXR is not just a gym, it’s a lifestyle facility. A community of good-hearted, like-minded people, who want to reach their maximum potential. That’s why we have a sports therapy company (RECVR), a barbershop (The Dapper Scoundrel), a beauty / aesthetic company (JV Aesthetics), and a healthy smoothie company (Blends Nutrition) all inside our facility. Everything you need to look and feel your best under one roof.

WRE: Is the gym made for athletes, or can beginners feel welcome too?

MA: Our gym is made for everyone, from beginners to professional athletes. We have people who are just starting their fitness journey to boxing greats like, Floyd Mayweather and Andre Berto who train at our facility frequently. We even offer youth classes as well.

Mateo Attalla

BOXR is not just a gym, it’s a lifestyle facility.

Mateo Attalla

Mateo Attalla

Mateo Attalla

WRE: What makes BOXR “The best gym in the world”? 

MA: THE PEOPLE. There is an energy you feel as soon as you walk through the doors. I made this very clear before I built it, this will be the mecca of gyms, like walking into a Las Vegas fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The aesthetic, music, art, exotic car, and lights… but the glue of the culture of BOXR that holds it all together, is the people. This is large in part to our classes, the people are the foundation of BOXR. Once you join a class with one of our world class coaches, you’re forced to interact with others and build bonds with so many people due to the competitiveness and the friendly atmosphere of wanting to get better together. A lot of our members take back-to-back classes. The best part about BOXR is its networking ability, Entrepreneurial Hub. You could be in a class with a business tycoon, a recording artist, or whatever. While in BOXR, we are all equals, and you can feel that. 

WRE: Unlike most gyms, BOXR is open 5 am to midnight – Why did you decide on these hours?

MA: Eventually, we will be a 24hr gym, but for now we wanted to provide our members with a gym that caters to 99% of people’s schedule. A lot of our members are busy professionals or business owners, and their schedule can be hectic at times. It’s important to us that they are able to get in a workout before they start their workday or after leaving the office, or a late night meeting.

Maria Camila & Mateo Attalla

Mateo Attalla & Emiliano Calderon

Emiliano Calderon

Usama

WRE: What amenities does the gym have?

MA: Inside BOXR, we have showers, lockers, infrared saunas, basketball court, outdoor training area, weightlifting section, boxing area, MMA cage, yoga area, professional boxing ring, cardio area, up to 150 lb dumbbells , recording studio, and a fight apparel shop. 

WRE: What’s the inspiration behind the decor? 

MA: The decor is especially unique for a gym, there are life-sized Kaws and a hard-to-miss Ferrari in the middle of it all. Since my mother is an architect, I learnt at lot from her. So I learned how to design and put things together. I drew my vision on paper, did the rending plans, and executed my plan to a tee… my dream turned into a reality.What miami represents, the decor, is all about motivation, ambition and lifestyle. Everything and anything is possible to achieve, that’s why I put high quality pieces in the gym. For me, it’s all about the detail in every aspect of the gym.

This will be the mecca of gyms, like walking into a Las Vegas fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Mateo Attalla

WRE: We see that along with boxing classes, you also offer pilates, yoga and dance classes – Why was it important to you to have this wide range of classes?

MA: When it comes to fitness, consistency is the most important thing for getting results. A lot of people don’t stay consistent, because working out for them is a chore and not enjoyable. There are so many different types of fitness levels and classes, so  we offer a fun and competitive atmosphere with a large variety of classes because we want our members to explore new methods of fitness and find one they actually enjoy.

WRE: Where can people sign up?

MA: In person at the facility, 1310 NE 1st Ave or on our website, boxrgym.com