Concrete Jungle Boxing Club uses sport to build community and change lives
Jul 31, 2026
A new boxing club in Manitowoc is offering more than training it's offering a second chance.Watch full broadcast here: Concrete Jungle Boxing Club uses sport to build community and change livesConcrete Jungle Boxing Club welcom
es anyone, regardless of experience level, with coaching designed for beginners and seasoned boxers alike.For head coach Lee Williams, boxing has been a lifeline since childhood."When I was young, I got into a lot of trouble; my uncles took me to a boxing gym to see if I liked it, and I never turned back," Williams said.After losing his brother and sister to violence as a teenager, Williams moved to Wisconsin and channeled his grief into a new purpose."It was motivation to push me to keep going and not to slow down," Williams said.That purpose eventually became Concrete Jungle Boxing Club."I had a vision. I said one day I'm gonna have a gym," Williams said.Coach, manager, and fighter Daniel Escalante says the people who train there have become family."Growing up, I felt like I never had a place... I have the opportunity to be that welcoming person," Escalante said.Williams said he sees himself in the young people who walk through the doors."Some kids, they come in and have problems in their life, and I see myself in them when I was younger, so now, I sit and talk with them," Williams said.Escalante said the gym's inclusive environment is what sets it apart."All different races, all different genders, all different styles, but it's the same thing... it's boxing," Escalante said.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
...read more
read less