If you’ve ever been to a boxing gym, you’ve heard the distinct sound of the 3-minute countdown timer. It represents the same amount of time as one round of boxing.
In Fort Myers, one boxing gym has built a legacy of helping young lives one by one.
“This gym has brought me together. Made me mature. Allowed me to do things that college and high school would never allow,” Josh, one of the gym members, said.
Another devoted gym member shares how the gym, changed his life, “I’ve been coming to SJC for about 10 years now, since I was a freshman in high school. Like some of the other guys, I was getting into trouble. Came here, learned how to fight, it’s great. It’s like family to me, a second family.”
A new documentary entitled “worth the fight” tells the story of SJC boxing. The gym recently celebrated 34 years of changing lives.
Located just across the street from the Edison mall in Fort Myers. SJC stands for the initials of the man who pioneered the boxing club Steve J. Canton.
1 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
Steve Canton, president of SJC Boxing, said a few words as he kicked off the evening. The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
2 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
Mario Nunez, fighter at the gym, watches from inside the ring. The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
3 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
Professional Boxer Oscar Montilla, handed out awards of people who inspired him. Cape Coral teacher, Jackie Allen, was the first recipient. The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
4 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
5 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
6 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
Steve Canton, president of SJC Boxing, and film maker, John Biffar, share a laugh as Biffar said a few words before the documentary was played. The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
7 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
8 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
9 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
10 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
Professional Boxer Oscar Montilla, handed out awards of people who inspired him. Steve Canton, president of SJC Boxing, was his last recipient. The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
11 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
12 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
John P. Fernandez, trainer at the gym, helps a fighter out of his gloves after sparing. The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
13 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
“Home Of Champions” is written on the threshold of the gym. The boxers have to walk over the words as they enter the gym. The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
14 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
Dylan Madina, 9 years old Lehigh, has been boxing for the past three years and wants to be a professional boxer. The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
15 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
16 of
— WGCUSJCBoxingClub06052023AM
The documentary, "Worth the Fight," produced by nine-time Emmy Award winner John Biffar, was one of the featured films of the Fort Myers Film Festival. One week later, May 26th, they held a celebration and public showing of the documentary at the SJC Boxing Gym, in Fort Myers. SJC Boxing recently celebrated 34 years in Fort Myers and are working on the Legacy Trust Fund, which will enable SJC Boxing, the Mentor Program and the FBHOF Museum to remain a permanent part of Southwest Florida.
Andrea Melendez/WGCU
“So many people have come in this gym throughout the years. And professionally achieved greatness, several of them won world championships. They’re in the boxing hall of fame, many of those. Others who have never even boxed became great people in business, in life, in general, because of boxing. And others became Amateur boxers and became amateur champions. So, it’s a good mixture. That has been the goal of this gym since day one, was to help as many people as we can,” says Canton.
Recently an audience of friends, family and supporters of the gym came to watch the new documentary.
The documentary was directed and produced my 9-time Emmy award winning documentarian John Biffar.
SJC Boxing in Fort Myers is saving lives and celebrated in documentary
He says he learned about the sport of boxing but most importantly…
“The love that I’ve shared making this film and the people that opened up their life story to me…I didn’t’ know anything about boxing but I know about love. And I experienced a lot of it making this film,” says Biffar.
And it’s love that keeps kids, teens, young adults and older adults coming to the gym on Cleveland Ave. In Fort Myers where hard work, dedication and inspiration lives and grows every day.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
