Raw Talent Boxing & Fitness Opens in Indian Orchard

Holyoke boxer Jovanni Feliciano spars with his teacher and owner of Raw Talent Boxing, Isaac Reyes, at the new gym on 176 Main St. in Indian Orchard.
Reminder Publishing photo by Ryan Feyre

SPRINGFIELD – A dream and a drawing on their daughter’s tablet have become a reality for Isaac and Nancy Reyes.

After a year of planning and working with the city, the couple has officially opened Raw Talent Boxing & Fitness at 176 Main St. in Indian Orchard. They want to give back to the community with their new gym.

“Our daughter drew this place on her tablet,” said Nancy Reyes. “It went from a tablet drawing to a real building, and that’s been amazing to see.”

Isaac always wanted to run his own boxing gym. A longtime boxer and instructor, he said the sport changed his life, helping him escape a arduous past.

“Boxing saved my life,” Isaac said. “It got me off the streets.”

He started boxing at 18 at the South End Community Center. He trained with the Whitley brothers at Whitley’s Boxing in Holyoke and won the Western Mass. Golden Gloves in the cruiserweight division in 2017.

He then volunteered as a coach at Heart of Champions in West Springfield, helping students improve their boxing skills and learn discipline, resilience, and how to grow as people.

Now, he wants to share those lessons at his new gym in Indian Orchard.

“It feels like a dream come true,” Isaac said.

The new gym was possible with help from Project Manager Wilson Darbin, who secured a $50,000 grant from the city’s Small Business Assistance Program, which is run by the Office of Planning and Economic Progress.

The grant program helps businesses pay for costs related to starting up, like furniture, equipment, and interior improvements.