HOUSTON – A former gang leader teamed up three others to open a boxing gym in Greenspoint Mall. They're hoping to change the mall's reputation and kids' lives.
Greenspoint Mall's newest tenant throws a mean one-two punch. Customers train for boxing and mixed martial arts at CDM Boxing Youth Center. They are coached by men named Rey, Mo, "Beast Mode" and Fred, a former neighborhood gang leader running a new kind of ring.
"I figured if I can recruit people for (gangs), I can help people another way too," Fred Crowe said.
"You want the truth," Charles "Beast Mode" Brown, one of the gym's co-founders, said. "People call (Greenspoint Mall) Guns-point. We're taking away that stigma. It's not Guns-point. It's some hidden talent in Greenspoint."
Want proof? Every three or four months, CDM hosts amateur MMA bouts. Proceeds from ticket sales for each event pays the gym's rent and bills. It also helps feed young fighters' self-esteem.
"A couple years ago I was 220 (pounds)," said Jasmine Trawford, an MMA fighter. "Now, I fight in MMA at 135."
Trawford is undefeated in boxing and MMA fights. Saturday, March 21st, she will fight for the kind of championship belt Eric "Tha Monster" Thompson owns.
"(This gym) is like a second home," Thompson said. "It's like family."
Its given 7th grader Adrian Norton guidance away from trouble.
"My coach teaches me focus, never give up," Norton said.
His grades in school are up, Norton said. His chin is too. Norton credits CDM, which is an acronym for Courage, Determination and Motivation.
It's the gym's motto and they hope it helps change the area's reputation.
The next CDM amateur MMA event is Saturday, March 21st at 4pm inside Greenspoint Mall in the Dillard's wing. For more information about the gym check out www.cdmboxingassoc.com.