Drew started his fighting career at the age of 18 with Chris Herzog and Walter McDonald at Empire Academy in Rochester. Returning to Buffalo, he focused on boxing and kickboxing with the legendary Ray Casal of Niagara Falls and boxing coach legend Juan Deleon. He’s posted winning records in all three fighting arts and won the super heavyweight NYS Golden Gloves Open Class Championship in 2012 and 2014. Today, Drew uses the different fight conditioning routines and training regimens from the coaches he’s worked with and his experience in the ring.
Michael Graziadei started his career at Empire Academy in Rochester with Chris Herzog and Walter McDonald. He would later go on to work with the legendary Ray Casal in Niagara Falls. Mike originally began training as a form of losing weight and fell in love with the sport and it’s high level of commitment and the dedication it takes. This makes Mike a very knowledgeable coach and technician in the sport. His drills are some of the most intense around and will be sure to challenge any person at any athletic level.
Joe, a former Division 1 collegiate baseball player, started his boxing career at the age of 24 during the Covid-19 year(2020) for weight loss purposes. He lost over 90 pounds on his way to finding out he was a natural at the sport as he had always studied the game with his family members having a very successful boxing history. (Baby Joe Mesi 36-0) Joe, named like his world champ cousin, is competing nationally in the amateur boxing world as an active decorated Amateur boxer. With only a handful of fights Joe became the 2022 Super Heavyweight NYS Golden Gloves Silver medalist. Joe, is an exciting heavyweight prospect, and is very knowledgeable in the boxing world as he has been around some of the best Boxers in the world. Joe’s expertise is in the sweet science of Boxing to also go along with the weights and the cardiovascular aspect of working out. Today, Joe mixes his boxing knowledge with his physical fitness knowledge to include some of the best workouts in the game. Joe, a big teddy bear, is always smiling and bringing positive energy. When you walk in the door he will welcome you with open arms, but he expects the best version of yourself as he will push you to your limits. Joe is great with all levels from first day Beginners-Professionals.
A lifelong love of combat sports inspired Matt to start boxing in 2016 when the first gym opened up in his hometown of Lockport, NY. After a few years, the urge to compete had slowly converted to a passion for the coaching aspect of the sport.
As a competitor and coach, Matt instills a movement-first approach to the sport. From head-movement to footwork, offensively or defensively, he’ll be the first to tell you how important it is to the sweet-science. This ideology is on display during his mitt rounds, as you’ll be sure to hit your daily step count during those three minutes in the ring.
The self-proclaimed “coolest guy in the gym” (hence the nickname “Matty Ice”) looks to provide our Boxstar family with not only great boxing-based workouts, but a fun and welcoming atmosphere as well.
Courtney started boxing while living in Chicago and immediately fell in love with the sport. Eventually moving back to Buffalo, she made Boxstar her go-to gym. Over the past 4 years, she has continued to hone her boxing skills and is most recently learning kickboxing. She loves both the physical and mental health benefits of boxing and thrives in the high energy atmosphere. Always aiming to add skills to her arsenal, she loves to learn and challenge herself in the ring. Courtney teaches at Boxstar Express located in Seneca One, where she focuses on the basics of boxing and kickboxing. If you catch one of her classes, you can expect a mix of high intensity bag work and long builder-style combinations on the pads. Expect to leave better than when you arrived!
Sam’s lifelong love for fitness began at an early age when she embarked on a decade’s long swimming career. Later picking up running, Crossfit, power yoga and finally boxing in January of 2021. She immediately fell in love with the sport because it is as mentally challenging as it is physically challenging. Since starting at Boxstar she has earned her USA Boxing Green Coaching Certification, is a certified Level One Baptiste Power Yoga instructor and is working toward her CPT certification. She loves to challenge her students and help them in working towards their fitness goals. In addition to working at Boxstar, Sam is a freelance web designer and developer.
Bio coming soon!
Hailing from the dance and performance world, I fell hard and fast for spin at the end of my undergrad. After learning what I could and chasing my own goals on the bike, I found that I loved challenges, meeting high metric goals, and completing rides I didn’t think I could complete. I love spin’s ability to combine strength work with cardio, and my classes follow suit. I believe a great workout should be fun and a real challenge. Despite my background, my classes favor HIIT and hills training and metric based goals and power to choreography. And with my mix of heavy metal, throwback hits, and rock you won’t even notice you’ve doubled your watts.
After an injury that prevented me from running, a friend recommended I try spinning & it was love at first class! After 8 years of taking every spin class I could I decided to become an instructor & received my Stages certification. In my class you can expect high energy, heavy climbs, quick sprints, and tap backs to the beat of some *loud* hip hop & EDM tracks. My classes are inclusive and welcoming of all levels and experiences.
As a long time client on the boxing side of things I am so excited to be able to bring two of my favorite forms of movement into one incredible space!
See y’all on the bike ✌️ 💜
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