LACEY — Shawn E. Darling of Lacey Township will be inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame on November 13 at the Venetian Restaurant in Garfield.
Darling, 55, has spent more than 20 years as a trainer, manager and gym owner, guiding fighters to success in and out of the ring. His work has produced regional champions including Chris “Sandman” Thomas, Dan “The Brawla” Pasciolla and Hafiz “Big Dawg” Montgomery. He has also worked with John Brown, Kevin “Kingpin” Johnson, Nick Valliere, Joel Delapaz, Mike Arnauatis and Natu Visinia.
Currently, Darling is coaching rising contenders Jaywon Woods, Cali Box and Tyler Vanorden. In 2021, he was named New Jersey Coach of the Year by the Hall of Fame. Darling credits much of his success to training under former WBC champion Matthew Saad Muhammad.
Darling owns and operates The Gladiator Gym, a 4,000-square-foot facility recognized as one of the premier gyms in South Jersey. The gym attracts elite fighters from across the tri-state region for sparring sessions, training camps and amateur tournaments.
Also being inducted on November 13 are John Freda, Ricky Gonzalez, Bobby Gunn, Samad Haq, Reggie Haines, Tracy Harris Patterson, Leo Loiacono, David McWater, Chuck Metzger, Arnold Robbins, Merqui Sosa, Gregory Joseph Speciale, Bruce Trampler and Johnny Turner.
