The newest gym in town doesn't have shiny exercise machines, a juice bar or even a sauna. If you don't have a good heart and a good chin, you're not going to be a good boxer. People like Baker are heading to gyms all over America to learn if they have what it takes to fight.
Business gets especially good around Olympic years.
A kid just wakes up one day and says, 'Hey, I guess I want to make the Olympic team. The ranks of registered boxers rose 25 percent during the same period, from 18,992 to 23,798, according to USA Boxing. At Carbondale's Tough Enough gym, which opened in January, owner Britt Van Buskirk has about 100 members. Plus, it gives a lot of kids here something to do. Opening a boxing gym in a rural area can be risky.