4:00pm | History say quite a lot: sometimes it is a bit too prolix and abstract, leaving one cold or it is very simple and finds itself connected to the human spirit because it inspires community.
Anthony Skalberg grew up in Long Beach, facing some of the city’s least affluent areas. His family was working class but had little income and, to avoid easily succumbing to the violence that surrounded him, he approached a sport that is ironically acknowledged for its own violence: boxing.
At 13-years-old, he started training at the well-known DG Boxing Gym, named after founder David Gonzalez. providing himself an outlet that permitted him to escape and remain disciplined. After graduating from Wilson High school, he trained tirelessly to advance from amateur to pro-fighter.
His reflection on history has not proven fruitless: this week, he opened a third DG location at Pine Avenue and 7th Street in the town he was raised in, all in the hopes that the location will help the citizens of the inner city. Following an injury and unable to pursue his dreams of continuing in professional fighting, this seemed the obvious thing to do for him.
“I’m a local guy who grew up in a working class family with very little income, I feel I am now in a position where I can help the neighborhood kids as DG helped me previously,” said Skalberg.
Skalberg is taking on the DG Boxing name and continuing the tradition of helping the average person achieve a better fitness level and providing an area for experienced fighters to excel. His new location is officially opened.