Having grown up in a big boxing town in Pennsylvania, fought himself for seventeen years and now trained other fighters since 1992, you can only say that Xavier Biggs, the owner of the Decatur Boxing Club, is a world class trainer with impeccable credentials. With plans to make Atlanta a great fight city like his hometown of Philadelphia and a strong desire to help his boxers get in shape physically, mentally and spiritually, Biggs opened the training club in Decatur three years ago.

The key ingredient Biggs hopes to see in the boxers he trains is dedication. While he generally prefers to have a period of six weeks to get his boxers ready for a fight, he can get someone ready in a week if the person makes the right commitment. The facility, not a glamorized environment and not intended to be a conventional fitness club, is a venue for serious training. It is “the realness” and that “gritty feeling of the gym” that Biggs loves and one which he believes makes the gym a great place for boxers, men or women, to train.

One of his fighters, Terri Moss, excelled to the point of becoming the WIBF Strawweight title, which she still holds. Moss’s success enabled her to leave her 13-year career in law enforcement.

For each boxer he trains, he helps them to set goals for themselves and expects them to seek to meet them. He wants them to be strong, quick, alert and coordinated while in the ring. As for the spirit of the gym, there are no stereotypes. There are specific time periods where they conduct a female boxing program and all men must leave. The hours of operation for the club are 12 noon to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. They are closed on Sundays. To learn more, contact them at (404) 371-0551.

According to Biggs, whose brother, Tyrell, fought with Mike Tyson in 1984, “My biggest reward from my experience in boxing is being able to use my skills and knowledge to help the average person better themselves. Whether it’s a fighter preparing for a world title or an executive on a personal mission, my desire is to see that person at their best using all my resources to obtain those goals.”

For more infornation about Decatur Boxing Club and Xavier Biggs, please visit www.decaturboxing.com and www.xavierbiggs.com.