Boxing gym to open in Annandale

Something new is coming to Annandale – Z’s Boxing Gym is expected to open in mid to late October at 4119 John Marr Drive next to Goodwill.

While the facility will help clients improve their fitness, the main objective is to train people for boxing matches.  

“We want to train a champion; that’s my goal,” says Eric Zimmerman, the majority owner.

Zimmerman started boxing at age 12 when he joined the Dallas Police Athletic League. “That’s when I fell in love with the sport,” he says.

He was the Texas Golden Gloves Champion in 2008, went on to compete nationally as an amateur, and continued to box during a nine-year stint and several deployments in the Air Force.

After two eye surgeries, he had to stop boxing and turned to coaching. As one of the coaches for the USA High-Performance Team, he trained youths aged 15-17 to represent the U.S. in international tournaments and assisted with the Olympic team.

One of the boxers he trained went on to earn a Silver Medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

In addition to boxing classes and one-on-one instruction for teens and adults, Zimmerman says Z’s Boxing Gym will offer classes for children starting at age 5. A ladies-only boxing program will be taught by two women coaches – a firefighter and a former Marine.

He also plans to offer adaptive boxing for people with disabilities. “We invite them to train alongside us. They’re athletes like any other athletes.”

Eventually, Zimmerman hopes to start hosting boxing matches in Annandale.

A boxing gym doesn’t need a lot of equipment, he says. Z’s will have bags, as well as strength and conditioning equipment, but not as much as a conventional gym. Nevertheless, if you’re training to be a boxer, “you will get fit,” he says.

“This is about skills training, community, and building confidence,” he says. “The main intent is empowering people through boxing.”

If you want to learn more, visit Z’s Boxing Gym’s table at the Taste of Annandale.