Nolan Bros. Boxing & Fitness revitalizes the Boston-area boxing scene

Take a turn onto Sun Street in Waltham, and it might not look like much. Just a few nondescript warehouses and a brick garage.

Behind the garage doors, however, lies a factory of well-being and camaraderie. Nolan Bros. Boxing & Fitness is a gem for the city, providing everyone from professional fighters to the everyday person  with the opportunity to train in an upbeat setting.

The gym, founded in 2017 by brothers Matt and Mark Nolan, offers locals the chance to drop in for a variety of classes any day of the week. Meanwhile, Matt obtained a fight promoter license, allowing the group to put on events of their own, while the duo trains up serious boxing talent as well.

“It’s just local guys doing good for the community,” said customer Bryan Brennan. “It’s like walking back in time. It’s real boxing. You show up and it’s in this building that has a loading dock, a place you know used to be a warehouse. You walk in, and all you see is heavy bags and a couple of boxing rings in the back. None of it is super polished or glossy. It’s used, which in the boxing world translates to it being loved and cared for.”

The gym offers a plethora of options for those looking to get a sweat on. There is the 6 p.m. Punches & Crunches workout on weeknights, where each participant alternates between landing swings on the heavy bag and working on their core strength with sit-ups. Customers can also ramp up the intensity with Club NBB at 7:15 p.m. The coaches shut the lights off and fire up the house music and laser shows. Those working out fire punches and rip through body weight exercises while feeling as though they are at a nightclub.

“We are heavily invested in Waltham,” Mark said. “If you just want to get in shape and have fun, Club NBB is an awesome way to do it.”

Perhaps the most impressive part of the slate of classes is that they are just $10 to attend when bought as part of an 8-class pack, or $15 for one-off classes.

“We are really proud of our cost and affordability,” Mark said. “We are cheaper than any other option. Beyond that, finances are never a reason to not come to the gym. If you cannot afford the gym, you are free. It is such an eclectic mix of people, a really interesting group. We couldn’t be more grateful for the community we have.”

The low barrier to entry coupled and warm sense of hospitality make for a fun environment behind the garage doors.

“You just go in and everyone is insanely welcoming and friendly,” Brennan said. “I can’t believe they haven’t raised their prices. It’s still 10 bucks, and it was like that back in 2017. These guys are awesome.”

The twin brothers’ love for the sport began at a young age. Growing up on the Watertown/Waltham line, Matt and Mark started following their father to the Somerville Boxing Club in the early 1990s. The pair got to learn the tricks of the trade from some local legends and fought competitively with Newton’s Nonantum Boxing Club after attending college. Both eventually hung up their gloves but still yearned to start their own gym while teaching middle school science by day.

“We fell in love with coaching,” Mark said. “It is hard to leave a sport when it’s all you know. We started out as a gym with a small amateur program, and then it really exploded.”

On the amateur and professional side, the brothers have placed a keen focus on sprucing up the local event scene. As the competitive team at Nolan Bros. Boxing grew, Matt and Mark were less than impressed by the opportunities their boxers had to fight in Eastern Massachusetts.

“Everything about it was awful,” Mark said. “It was the worst venues in the world, like high school gymnasiums, and the fights were terrible. There were really established professionals essentially fighting Uber drivers. The money was also awful. So, Matt was like, ‘I can do this better.’”

Matt garnered his state license to organize events last June. Since then the group has put on events at Royale on Tremont Street in Boston and the Oceanside Events Center by Revere Beach. The fights went so well that the brothers received the invitation to host a fight in the Fenway Park concourse on June 7. It will be the first time America’s Most Beloved Ballpark hosts a boxing match since 1956.

“That is 11 months into the game,” Mark said. “We have no ego, we are very humble guys. But we have taken over Boston and changed the landscape of the sport. Our business model is the best fighters, the best local fights, and giving fighters the chance for the most money.”

Landing a spot at Fenway Park might seem like a tall task, but the brothers used their honesty and the respect they have racked up around the region to make it happen.

“We were like, ‘What’s the biggest venue we can do in Boston?’” Mark said. “People have done TD Garden, but no one has done Fenway Park. Fenway said no to everybody, but we are like the anti-promoters. We said, ‘Hey, we are good guys and we want to do this thing. Whatever boxes we need to check to do it, we’ll check those boxes.’ And they said yes. If you ask nicely sometimes, people just say yes. We are super excited.”

Beyond the paid events side, Matt and Mark are working on establishing a nonprofit organization with the objective of providing local middle and high school students with free fitness training after school.

“We grew up with very little at times,” Mark said. “We now have an opportunity and the means to give back, so it is really important for us to do that. We love being in these environments where people are thriving.”