A new ‘Contender’ is in town A new ‘Contender’ is in town (March 25, 2005)

Growing awareness of boxing showing at MV gym

By Julie O’Shea

The handwritten sign hanging on the wall of The Contenders Gym is simply put: “If you quit before you really try, that is worse than ever starting in the first place.”

The words are a testament to how Tom Espinosa lives every day, and they were the driving force behind his decision to open Mountain view's only boxing gym.

Espinosa and his wife, Geby, opened the El Camino Real site on Dec. 20.

The couple moved to California from Denver nearly three years ago to experience life in a different part of the country. When Espinosa, an avid boxer since age 14, discovered Mountain View didn’t have a place to box, he and Geby began scouting potential spots around the city to open a gym.

It was Geby who found the quaint looking space at 813 W. El Camino Real, which the couple quickly snagged and painted yellow and orange. Inside, the gym walls pay homage to Mohammed Ali with framed snapshots of the boxing legend at various matches. Taking up the width of another wall, is a huge American flag that had covered the coffin of Espinosa’s grandfather, a World War II veteran.

Espinosa said he hopes to install a ring in the gym within the coming months. For now, boxers can work out on a heavy bag and speed bags and get sparring and other training tips from Espinosa himself.

“Like my wife says, this is my playground,” Espinosa said. “I want to see how Mountain View reacts to this.”

Contenders, which is open Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., currently has 80 members who come into the gym regularly.

“Everyone comes in here as a contender,” Espinosa said, explaining the name of his gym, which is also the name of a new reality-television show about boxers. “Age doesn’t mean anything in here. You go up against whoever’s in the gym.”

Dwayne Golstein just started training with Espinosa, whom he calls “coach,” last week.

“I love boxing. ... It’s an art form,” said Golstein, a Mountain View resident whose father taught him to box when he was 7. “I cried when Mike Tyson got knocked out in Tokyo.”

Between jabs at the heavy bag, Golstein said boxing is a spiritual thing for him.

“It taps a certain place in my ego,” he said. “I’m almost fearful of myself.”

For more information about The Contenders Gym, call Tom Espinosa at 386-5143.

E-mail Julie O’Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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