A KNOCKOUT OF A SPORT Whether just to get in shape or to go the distance, plenty of boxing enthusiasts are answering the bell for workouts at Shawn Darling's Gladiator Boxing gym in Lacey. Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/29/06 BY JOHN BUSH STAFF WRITER PHOTOS BY PETER ACKERMAN CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Shawn Darling knows better than anyone that boxing is a different kind of pastime. A certified U.S. Amateur boxing coach, Darling, 35, of the Forked River section of Lacey, once took part in a few unsanctioned bouts. He now runs his Gladiator Boxing gym in Forked River when he is not working as a correctional officer at the Atlantic County Jail in Mays Landing. "Sometimes I come into work with a black eye," Darling said. "People who don't know about boxing, they'll be like, "What happened? You got beat up at the gym? You got a black eye?' I'll say, "Man, I work with all these guys from 50 pounds to 250 pounds, and I spar with them all. And it doesn't matter how good you are, you're still going to get black eyes sometimes.' " Ever since Darling opened Gladiator Boxing, located on the second floor of a small office building not far from the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, he's found varying reasons why his clients have decided to take up the sport sometimes called "the sweet science." Some have already tried boxing and want to continue their training. Others are new to the sport. Still others sign up as a way to work out under Darling, who also happens to be a personal trainer, or work under the direction of former World Boxing Council light heavyweight champion Matthew Saad Muhammad. No matter what the reason, it doesn't take long for his clients to discover that boxing can become an all-consuming passion. It's part of boxing's fascinating allure as one of the most physically and mentally demanding - and violent - sports. Mike Smith, a sixth-grader at Mill Pond School in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey, began boxing under Darling's guidance last year along with his older brother Rob. Already, Smith has earned himself a nickname, "Mike the Maniac." "We had a choice between boxing and karate," Smith said. "We thought that karate was kind of old and everyone's already heard of it, so we thought that boxing would be a lot better. We came into it as a way to get in shape and for self-defense. It's a lot of fun. We meet new people and make new friends." Stephen Acciardi, 8, of Freehold Township, and his brother Anthony, work with Muhammad. Stephen already knows what he likes best about boxing. "I like it, the sparring," Acciardi said. "You get to beat people up." Chris Montanez, a sophomore at Lacey High School, also took up boxing last year, and quickly became hooked. "I've played sports like baseball, basketball and football," Montanez said. "I just figured boxing would be a cool type of sport to try out. I've been at it for six, seven months. I love it. There's no better sport. (In) a lot of sports there's a lot of contact, but boxing is just all-out. It really shows what you got, to see who can talk the talk. "I thought I was going to get bored of it, but you don't get bored of boxing. It's different every night," Montanez said. Another sophomore at Lacey, Travis Carroll, recently moved with his family from Ewing and began training at Gladiator Boxing two months ago. He also was drawn by boxing's appeal as an extremely physical activity. "I've always wanted to box," Carroll said. "I've always been looking for a full-contact sport. It's awesome; it's a lot of fun. The training and the changes in your muscles, it's crazy. It's a good workout." Montanez and Carroll squared off in the ring at a Gladiator Night sparring demonstration Darling held on a recent Saturday night. Darling staged five bouts, consisting mainly of three one-minute rounds, as a way to get his young boxers some experience in the ring. "It's a rush, three minutes," Montanez said. "A lot of guys make it look easy, but you get tired fast." "It was a lot of fun," Carroll said. "I've sparred before, but not fight, not at that intensity. It was exciting." For the Gladiator Night, Darling tried to simulate the atmosphere of a professional boxing match, complete with strobe lights and smoke machines. "I tried to make it a little more exciting than the regular amateur bout," Darling said. "I let them pick out the songs they want to come out to, things like that. It's just a demonstration. It gives the families a chance to come out and see what the kids are learning, and it gives the kids a chance to perform. Some of the kids know they're never going to compete as an amateur, and they're using this as their time to actually box, which is fine." As far as Darling is concerned, just getting into the ring to go one-on-one against an opponent is a victory in itself. "It doesn't matter if you're boxing exhibitions, Tough Man, amateur or professional," Darling said. "It takes a lot of heart and courage to step in the ring against someone else because it's no joke. It's a serious thing." Joe Post, a freshman at Toms River High School South, already can relate to what Darling is talking about, even though he began training at Gladiator Boxing a few weeks ago. "It's the most extreme sport I've ever done," Post said. "I did wrestling before, too, and I think this is just harder than wrestling. The contact that you have with other people, it's just you and him. It's just physically more demanding here, and you need to concentrate. You have to be constantly aware of what's happening. All it takes is one punch, and you're down."