The two fighters circle one another, bobbing and weaving, watching for the slightest opening to launch an attack. A jab here, a head fake there and, suddenly, one fighter unloads a straight-arm right to the head, followed by a flurry to the solar plexus. The other fighter counters with a couple of quick shots to the jaw and backpedals out of harm’s way.

Seconds later, the bell rings and the two gladiators, exhausted from three rounds of sparring, remove their protective headgear and crack smiles that even their mouth guards can’t hide.

They aren’t professionals training for the next pay-per-view bout, nor ranked amateurs trying to make it in the boxing business. They’re brokers, bankers and sometimes lawyers, accountants and others learning a new skill, losing weight and getting fit by hitting the boxing gym.

Situated in Winnipeg’s Exchange District, just a stone’s throw from the city centre at Portage and Main, the Pan Am Boxing Club welcomes nine-to-fivers at its executive club — a thrice-weekly, noon-hour program designed to improve foot and hand speed in the ring. But participants are also finding it boosts their energy levels and efficiency once they have climbed back through the ropes and taken the elevator to their desks.

The president of the non-profit club — and the undisputed inspiration to its boxers of all ages and abilities — is Harry Black, 48, managing partner of local accounting firm F. H. Black & Co.

He looks like an accountant when he’s wearing a shirt and tie. But, once he pulls on his boots, shorts and gloves, he’s a boxer from head to toe. Tipping the scales at 168 pounds, he weighs the same as when he was Canadian middleweight champion in 1980-81. He was also a member of Canada’s 1980 Olympic squad, which was denied the chance to compete on the world’s biggest stage because of the U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow Games.

Black’s goal is to make sure Pan Am has a positive impact on as many lives as possible. At the other end of the spectrum from the suits in the executive program, he has at-risk youths coming in off the street to use boxing and the discipline it requires to bring structure in their lives and help them stay out of trouble.

Black says training to be a boxer is extremely demanding. It requires watching your weight, eating properly and achieving mental discipline.

“The strength these guys get from that kind of discipline carries over into how they conduct their businesses,” he says. “They come to the table thinking like a fighter. They’re able to deal with stress much better than before because boxing provides them this quick release in a big way. Boxing hits that nail right on the head.”

Black doesn’t care who people are, why they’re there or what their goals are — there’s no preferential treatment for anybody. “We treat them like boxers,” he says.

Charlie Aiello, a financial advisor at CIBC Wood Gundy in Winnipeg for the past 19 years, started his boxing training three years ago because the gym’s location was convenient, he was overweight and he had some “cholesterol issues.”

He has since shed 20 pounds off his frame and sits at 166 pounds. But boxing took some time to grow on him, he says.

“For the first two to three months, I hated it,” he says. “I got yelled at for an hour and everything hurt when I got home. But at the end of three months, I was hooked. It brings your fitness level up to a whole new level. This is the best conditioning, strength-building and cardio-building workout, bar none, of anything I’ve seen out there. I’ve seen personal trainers that couldn’t keep up with this workout.”

Andrew Krahn, an investment executive at ScotiaMcLeod Inc. in Winnipeg, has played competitive sports all his life. And he has never had workouts like the ones at the Pan Am gym.

“For the first three weeks, I was on the verge of throwing up in each class,” he says. “But now, after four-and-a-half months, I’ve seen huge improvements in my stamina and strength. The workouts are phenomenal. I have a lot of respect now for what boxers go through to get in fighting condition.”

Executive club members who want to put their new-found training and skills to the ultimate test can get in the ring during Black’s White Collar Fight Nights, which are held every few months to raise money for at-risk youth. For three two-minute rounds, normally mild-mannered professionals let their inner pugilist out as they try to knock each other to the canvas — while wearing protective headgear and mouth guards, mind you. In the audience are friends, family and co-workers who pay $25 to see them in action — or $50 for VIP seats.

@page_break@Aiello admits he was very anxious before his first White Collar fight because the crowd was full of people who had come to watch him, including brokers and members of Winnipeg’s Italian community. He even had a couple of friends fly in from Ottawa to catch his fight.

“I was more worried about embarrassing myself than getting hurt. As the fight wore on, it was a lot of fun. You burn so much energy out there, it’s amazing,” he says. “My opponent and I had a beer together afterward.”

Aiello finds his boxing training spills over into his work life in a very positive way. He finds himself more efficient and sharper, and he gets a lot more done in less time.

“When you have a clear head and you’re not frustrated, you end up making more level-headed decisions at work,” he says. “When you’re physically fit, you’re mentally capable of dealing with bigger issues and making better decisions for you and your clients. It helps me deal with the fluctuations of the market a lot better.”

Krahn agrees. He says the improved physical fitness and the dedication required to train for boxing is helping him in his job.

“You can focus better when you feel better about your physical condition. Everything seems a little bit easier. You’ll make better decisions all around,” he says.

Krahn, a lifelong fan of the sweet science, has yet to make his White Collar début. But it is in the works. He recently passed the medical, so he can start sparring.

“I have a healthy fear of pain,” he admits. “I want to move up that learning curve before I take the next step. I’ve never done any full-contact martial arts before. I definitely want to get in the ring, but I think it might be a year out.” IE