"“There's a lot of great fighters from this gym, and all around Oakland,” McElroy Jr. tells me. At 19 years old, he's fully aware of the legacy of this soil. Retired Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward and current World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Devin Haney both started in the Town. Notable fighters like Bilal Mahasin, Amari Jones and Anthony Garnica learned the ropes here, as did Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and Juaquin “Killer” Gallardo, a 1996 U.S. Olympic team alternate."
"“The first African American fighter to win the Light Heavyweight title, John Henry Lewis, spent his adult years in the East Bay, running a gym with his brothers. (He was also the father of Joan Tarika Lewis, the first woman to join the Black Panther Party.) Reflecting on the Town's lineage, McElroy says, “I'm just adding the cherry on top.””"
"“Formerly ranked No. 2 in the nation in the 143-pound weight class, McElroy recently moved up to the 154-pound division, where he's ranked No. 6. Fresh from winning an exhibition fight by unanimous decision in Las Vegas this past weekend, McElroy Jr. is preparing for the Junior Olympics in June - which he predicts will be his last tournament before turning pro. And with that, he'll start the next chapter of a story he started as a baby.”"
"“I have a picture of him with his big old boxing gloves on,” says Renée Moncada-McElroy. “He's literally been doing this all his life.” Moncada-McElroy, McElroy Jr.'s mother, is also the creator of the documentary series Sons of the Sweet Science; the latest production credit on her already stacked résumé. She's worked as a producer for the reality show Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce and the nature show Man vs. Fish. She also directed on the series Chain Gang Girls and was the fo"
A four-part documentary series highlights rising fighters from Oakland, including a 19-year-old boxer who recognizes the legacy of the area. Multiple champions and Olympians trained in the Town, such as Andre Ward, Devin Haney, Nonito Donaire, and John Henry Lewis, who ran a gym in the East Bay. The boxer recently moved from the 143-pound class to the 154-pound division and is preparing for the Junior Olympics in June before turning pro. His mother created the documentary series and has production and directing experience across reality and nature programming. She describes his lifelong commitment to boxing from childhood.
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