See How One Man in San Diego Lives His American Dream, One Right Hook at a Time

From Custodian to Owner, Artem Sharoshkin Shares His Experience With How Hard Work Pays Off

Written By: Marisa Thrasher Boxing Club SD

When Artem Sharoshkin got on a plane and traveled from his native country of Russia to San Diego to attend his sister’s wedding, he was blown away by the city. Even though he was only 16, he knew he would return one day. A couple of years later, in 2004, Sharoshkin did just that. With limited English, he arrived to San Diego ready to find his passion and enrolled in classes at a local community college to pursue a veterinary degree and on the side, found a job detailing cars at a car wash. But it just so happened that The Boxing Club was right across the street.

When Sharoshkin lived in Russia, he had taken a couple of boxing classes. He enjoyed it and even had a passion for the sport. But where Sharoshkin is from, most kids start training at a young age and because of that, Sharoshkin never thought he would be able to train enough to work professionally within the sport. When Sharoshkin’s sister surprised him with a 30-day membership, he went in with the intention of simply training. He took a couple of boxing classes and felt unimpressed at his performance. However, the gym also offered Muay Thai and to his own surprise (thanks to his own perseverance and consistency), he excelled in the sport. Within six months, he went from beginner classes to more advanced classes. Shortly after, Sharoshkin started sparring with others at the gym, and within one year, he had his first fight.

The start of Sharoshkin’s big break happened when a custodian at The Boxing Club quit. In a pinch, management asked Sharoshkin if he wanted the job and he accepted. Within three years of walking in the door of The Boxing Club, Sharoshkin not only turned into a professional fighter but also transitioned his custodial job into a full-time coaching position. His plate started to fill up between school, coaching and training, and Sharoshkin realized something had to give. “I was training for a huge fight in Japan and the workload became too much,” he said. “Degree or no degree, I’d be making the same amount of money.” After dropping out of college, Sharoshikin’s career skyrocketed; he became a professional fighter and a state and national champion.

In 2013, the opportunity arose for Sharoshkin to buy The Boxing Club, and because Sharoshkin had climbed the ranks and served in various staffing positions, he knew the ins-and-outs of what the club needed. Sharoshkin believes his most significant achievement to this day is that he was able to “save the company’s name and brand.” His team worked hard to shift to a more customer service-based model. In the past five years, The Boxing Club has broken many membership records at their UTC location and in early-September, they added a second location in San Diego’s East Village neighborhood. “Long story short, we’re here!”

The Boxing Club exudes serious Fight Club vibes, complete with an Edward Norton painting. The clean aesthetic and high ceilings that go up to the second floor where the pilates, spin and yoga studios are housed, provides an airy feeling and makes clients excited to work out. A huge mural of Muhammad Ali greets clients as they walk through the door. Behind the muraled wall is an open-plan gym floor, with state-of-the-art cardio equipment and two areas for classes in addition to the ring that separates the space between them. The Boxing Club offers a variety of classes including boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu, spin, yoga and Pilates as well as traditional gym equipment. Sharoshkin says he is proud of their culture in the fact that his trainers are “extremely knowledgeable fighters as well as fitness fanatics,” which allows everyone to grow in a non-alienating environment.  

As for what inspires Sharoshkin? “It’s not about the money. You want to be known for leaving a legacy behind. We try to do this with The Boxing Club, with our coaches, our culture and the charity events we do.” By the looks of his East Village gym, Sharoshkin is well on his way.

Running on Passion: Sharoshkin has never taken any formal business classes. According to Sharoshkin, his success is “100 percent running on passion.”

Hand-Painted Hero: A huge, hand-painted mural of Muhammad Ali that greets clients as they arrive is a commissioned piece by graffiti artist and SD local, Kyle Boatwright.

Work It Out: The Boxing Club is not just for boxing! The club also has Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, Muy Thai and spin classes.

The Boxing Club
491 15th St
San Diego, CA 92101 Boxing Club SD
858.366.7885 Boxing Club SD

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