Fighters relish piece of past

James Smith always had this idea of owning a cafe.

In 2004, he purchased a building on West Charleston Boulevard near Main Street. But once he walked inside, he realized this wasn't the place to have a cafe. Too many ghosts were inhabiting the joint.

Instead, Smith, a maintenance worker for the Clark County School District, is a caretaker, a preservationist. He has been entrusted to maintain the integrity of one of Las Vegas' few remaining landmarks.

As the owner of Johnny Tocco's Ringside Gym, Smith knows he has a responsibility to keep alive the vision of the legendary boxing trainer. Tocco died in 1997. But his gym, which opened in the early 1950s and has served as a place for generations of fighters to train, remains vibrant and relevant.

"I bought the building as an investment," Smith said. "I had no intention of running a gym. But I've learned to love it."

With the proliferation of mixed martial arts, a number of gyms have sprouted up around town over the past decade. A couple of boxing gyms also have opened. All are brightly lit establishments with every known modern amenity.

Johnny Tocco's looks a lot like it did when the man himself was in charge. You won't find a treadmill, a StairMaster or fancy weight-training machines on the premises. Two rings, several heavy bags, a couple of speed bags, a tire that Sonny Liston used to pound with a sledgehammer, and dim lighting -- that's Johnny Tocco's. For $5, a person can spend the day working out. Monthly fees are $50, or $25 for those under 21 years old.

"I tell people, 'You want to run, the mountains are that way,' " Smith said, pointing to the west toward Mount Charleston. "When you step inside here, you're stepping back in time. This is the purest idea of boxing, and people like it."

The photos that adorn the walls -- of greats such as Ali, Liston, Holmes, Frazier, Foreman, Holyfield, Tyson, Marciano -- share space with the myriad fight posters from bouts held at the old Showboat Hotel, as well as the megafights at Caesars Palace, the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay.

"It's surreal," said Luis Monda, who manages the gym for Smith. "I came here in 2005 from Florida to continue my boxing career, and I love the history of the sport. I can still feel Johnny's presence -- even though I never met him."

Monda said a steady flow of visitors from all over the world makes the pilgrimage to the gym. Tony Bello came from Texas to spend a week working out with Floyd Mayweather Sr.

"I love boxing," Bello said. "I love the history of this place. You don't have gyms like this in Dallas."

Bello is not some up-and-coming fighter. He's 53 and owns an air conditioning and heating company in Dallas. His friend Cody Childs found the gym on the Internet and called Smith, who contacted Mayweather, who agreed to hold a one-man, one-week fantasy camp with Bello.

"The good fighters always like to come here to train," Mayweather said. "I was here in 1982. My brothers (Roger and Jeff) trained here. My son (reigning WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.) trained here.

"To me, any gym's all right. But it's about getting your business taken care of. This is the kind of gym where you can take care of your business."

And while Smith enjoys having some of the sport's celebrities frequent the gym, his most valued customers are the 30 or so amateurs that comprise Johnny Tocco's Boxing Club. The fighters, who range in age from 8 to 19, have represented the gym in various competitions and have won several trophies.

"That's what I'm most proud of -- those kids," Smith said. "We're giving them something positive to do and keeping them off the streets."

Jesus Celis has trained at Tocco's for the past three years, and the 21-year-old welterweight from Las Vegas is looking to turn pro soon.

"It's exciting to be able to train here," Celis said. "A lot of champions have trained here, and seeing all the pictures on the walls, it motivates me. It's a dream of mine that one day I'll have my picture on the wall here."

Space remains to add photos of future stars. Smith also said he thinks there might be enough space to put in that cafe he always dreamed of owning.

"I might do it upstairs or out front," he said. "I want a place where guys can come, have a cup of coffee, a little something to eat, hang out and talk boxing."

Even if that happens, Smith promises that as long as he owns Johnny Tocco's, the gym will remain true to its intentions -- as a place for fighters to train seriously and get better.

"It's definitely a good feeling to see the place retain its charm," Smith said. "Johnny would be proud of what we're doing."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.