A buzzer loudly rings and a colossal man steps into the middle of a boxing ring. He throws a left, a right and another left punch, hitting the pads on his trainer’s hands; the sound echoes through the room. Beads of sweat drip down the boxer’s face as he moves swiftly around the ring. The buzzer rings loudly again signaling a one-minute rest break before the cycle of constant punching and moving begins again.

Resembling a warehouse, the training gym is immense and patriotic, decorated primarily in red, white and blue. Sunlight pours in from the high windows hitting 10 hulking punching bags – all red, white and blue - hanging from the black metal bars overhead. Posters of advertised boxing matches and different boxers adorn the wall to the left of the entrance, while workout equipment and a few lockers are tucked away in the back of the room. Different sized punching bags are spaced out among the room, while a large boxing ring stands gallantly to the right of the entrance, allowing many boxers to hone their skills.

“Boxing is not just a sport; it is a way of life,” says Paul Ferrari, a man who has been boxing since the 1970s. “Boxers have to be disciplined, have a strong self-will; they are always testing themselves. It is in your personality.”

Boxing is a sport that has been around since ancient times, but the rules that America is familiar with today were established in 19th century England. These rules, called the Marquess of Queensbury Rules, include many of the standards used in boxing matches today. There are 12 rules in all, among them - fights will be fair and take place in a 24-foot-square ring. Rounds will be three minutes long with a one minute rest between the rounds. Each fighter will be given a 10-second count if he is knocked down and wrestling moves are strictly forbidden. Finally the rules require that average boxing gloves – those looking like fat mittens laced up at the wrists – must be worn on both hands.

Segueing into the new millennium, traditional boxing has taken a step out of the limelight and digressed into a less popular spectator fighting sport, next to the growing popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) style of fighting.

“I think the reason UFC is so popular is because it is like a no-holds-bar style of fighting,” says Jeff Shouger, a young accountant who occasionally watches UFC. “These guys can kick, punch, and do almost anything. That is a lot more entertaining to watch than two guys just dancing around each other in a boxing ring.”

On the other hand, many men who have been in the boxing world since the 1970s and 1980s believe that UFC is just a trend marketed toward younger generations, which is why it is so popular right now. “UFC is just a marketing ploy for the 18 to 29-year-olds - the MTV generation if you will,” says Ferrari.

Ferrari also believes that boxing lacks spectator popularity because in recent years it’s become so much of an eye-candy display that it distracts from the actual fights. He says all the dirty managers, promoters and entourages cause the sport to be just too showy.

“UFC is just pure rage,” says Pat Ragan, a trainer and owner of a Westside Boxing Club in Burlingame. “It’s mayhem and it is just marketing drugs infested steroid users. With boxing, the individuals have a purpose. The fight was there and the fighters weren’t calculating things like money and fame.”

Ferrari adds that if someone is a boxer, all that matters to them is boxing and the upcoming fights. The characteristics of a boxer are usually all the same: somewhat of a loner because it is all up to him whether he trains or not and he is usually uneducated because he spends most of his time training and boxing.

Ferrari also says that the boxing lifestyle carries over into the boxer’s relationship with the manager. He compares the relationship to that of a marriage, with a fighter and his manager spending hours upon hours together, and just like all relationships, with the good comes the bad.

Boxers have to follow a strict diet and exercise routine so they can be lean, mean fighting machines. It helps if a boxer is physically built for the sport. “If you are not naturally big-boned and thick-necked with about 10 to 12 inch wrists, then you are at a disadvantage,” says Ferrari.

If a fighter is apt for the physical challenge and the boxing lifestyle, his daily regiment will change. Rodolph Pierre-Louis, a Canadian boxer now training here, has boxed since he was a kid and embraces the sport’s lifestyle.

Pierre-Louis trains six days a week, taking only Sundays off. Training two to three times a day, his day begins with morning runs and ends with evening weight training or sparring and hitting the bags. He eats lunch in between trainings, saying a healthy diet is essential to the health of a boxer.

“You wouldn’t buy a really nice car, take it to the gas station, and fill it up with crap,” Pierre-Louis says. “You’ve got to have a good diet and you’ve got to sleep well and eat well. The job is good and it is a lifestyle. You have to be good and you want to give a good show to the public since they are the ones who are paying to see you and paying your salary.”

The strict lifestyle boxers are forced to lead has its repercussions. “Most boxers are uneducated; some can’t even read or write. Larry Holmes couldn’t read or write, his manager had to teach him,” Ferrari says. “Fighting is all these guys know and if they get into it with someone on the streets they don’t hold back.”

He also believes that even though the life of a boxer is stringent, it is all worth the tough training sessions and hard work. “I loved the atmosphere of danger,” Ferrari says, referring to the risky elements of boxing. “I liked being able to do something others can’t do like fighting. If you have issues you need a release and to many that release is fighting.”