A Young Oakland Boxer, Poised for Greatness, Carries on the Town’s Legacy

After a car smashed through the front doors of Lightning’s Boxing Club in East Oakland this past New Year’s Eve, the young fighters who’d found sanctuary at the facility went looking for a new home.

That explains why there’s currently a boxing ring inside downtown Oakland’s landmark nightclub Geoffery’s Inner Circle.

Up two flights of stairs, past framed images of superstars who’ve performed on the Geoffrey’s stage, there’s all the amenities of a boxing gym. Punching bags suspended from the ceiling. Weights stacked near a bench press.

During a recent visit, a boxer jumps rope in the mirror on the far side, while another gets lessons from the gym’s owner, coach Kris “Lightning” Lopez. In the center of the room is a traditional boxing ring, and shadowboxing in the middle of it is a determined young man named Thomas McElroy Jr.

A nationally top-ranked amateur fighter with medal-wining bouts behind him and miles of potential in front of him, McElroy Jr. and his circle of boxing friends represent the next wave of boxers carrying the baton for the Bay.

His story, along with other rising fighters, is illuminated in the new four-part documentary series Sons of the Sweet Science.

“There’s a lot of great fighters from this gym, and all around Oakland,” McElroy Jr. tells me. At 19 years old, he’s fully aware of the legacy of this soil.

Retired Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward and current World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Devin Haney both started in the Town. Notable fighters like Bilal Mahasin, Amari Jones and Anthony Garnica learned the ropes here, as did Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and Juaquin “Killer” Gallardo, a 1996 U.S. Olympic team alternate.

The first African American fighter to win the Light Heavyweight title, John Henry Lewis, spent his adult years in the East Bay, running a gym with his brothers. (He was also the father of Joan Tarika Lewis, the first woman to join the Black Panther Party.)

Reflecting on the Town’s lineage, McElroy says, “I’m just adding the cherry on top.”

Formerly ranked No. 2 in the nation in the 143-pound weight class, McElroy recently moved up to the 154-pound division, where he’s ranked No. 6. Fresh from winning an exhibition fight by unanimous decision in Las Vegas this past weekend, McElroy Jr. is preparing for the Junior Olympics in June — which he predicts will be his last tournament before turning pro.

And with that, he’ll start the next chapter of a story he started as a baby.

“I have a picture of him with his big old boxing gloves on,” says Renée Moncada-McElroy. “He’s literally been doing this all his life.”

‘It’s not just about boxing’

Moncada-McElroy, McElroy Jr.’s mother, is also the creator of the documentary series Sons of the Sweet Science; the latest production credit on her already stacked résumé.

She’s worked as a producer for the reality show Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce and the nature show Man vs. Fish. She also directed on the series Chain Gang Girls and was the force behind a documentary about Oakland rap legend Too Short, Life Is: The Life and Times of Todd Shaw.

But this one is different.

“It’s not just about boxing,” says Moncada-McElroy, explaining her goal to show the ring as a rite of passage. “Coming of age under pressure,” as she calls it, “and it’s connected to real-world stakes.”

The series was filmed around 2021, in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd and numerous other high-profile extrajudicial murders of Black people. “The gym was a safe space for them during that time,” says the filmmaker, recognizing the pressure that her son and his friends faced as teenage Black men in America.

She credits coaches Kris Lopez and Abe Morones for creating a place for young people to fully express themselves. “The gyms are social service agencies,” asserts Moncada-McElroy. “They’re an alternative to the streets for a lot of these boys.”

But even in finding a bit of escape, the influence of the Town isn’t far behind.

“The Oakland style of boxing,” says coach Kris Lopez, “is an intellectual style of boxing.” The best fighters from the region, he says, have a great understanding of distance, and of keeping their front guard hand up at a 45-degree angle. They also make tremendous use of the jab.

It’s a balanced style that doesn’t rely on power punching, but instead focuses on rhythm, good fundamentals, sharp lines and timing.

“You’re not going to catch an Oakland fighter sitting in the shell too long,” says Lopez. “They’re going to dictate the fight with the jab and be more like a sniper, landing clean shots.”

In addition to the technical aspects of the sport, the community safety net and coming-of-age experience, the series centers fatherhood.

Rattling off a list of great boxers, male and female, Moncada-McElroy notes how deeply their fathers (or father figures) were involved in their upbringing. Thomas McElroy Jr. is no different.

A mother’s love, a father’s guidance

“I love that my son is achieving all that he wants to achieve so far in boxing,” says the elder Thomas McElroy. “There’s so much you can learn from boxing that doesn’t have anything to do with punching and not getting punched.”

McElroy, as one half of the acclaimed music production team Foster and McElroy, has produced hits for legendary groups En Vogue and Tony! Toni! Toné!, as well as Timex Social Club and Club Nouveau.

He’s also a longtime Muay Thai kickboxer.

“Boxing is a beautiful art, it’s a craft,” says McElroy, describing the lessons his son is gleaning in the ring.

It takes a certain type of person to want to become a boxer, McElroy says. Most folks avoid conflict. “They don’t want to get in the ring and fight, they’d rather run,” he says. “And then some people run toward the flame, you know? They don’t mind getting burned. They don’t mind getting heated up.”

McElroy says, “They just add to the flame when they get there.”

McElroy Jr. maintains a healthy relationship with his father, somebody he says he can talk to any time. “He’s a very cool dude,” adds the young boxer, referring to him as a coach, trainer and an all-around person in his corner.

“I look at my dad,” McElroy Jr. says, “as more than just a father.”

Oakland boxing is different

The importance of family support, the intricate mindset of a young boxer and the texture of the Town are all prominent in the first episode of Sons of the Sweet Science.

In one scene, fathers deescalate a potentially bad situation where a boxer doesn’t have proper equipment. In another brief clip, Moncada-McElroy holds her son close as he processes emotions after a rough fight. And in yet another scene, McElroy Jr. and his friends smile wide as they jump into a swimming pool, evidence that they retain their childlike joy in the midst of constantly training for battle.

By fusing narrative storytelling with a very intentional soundtrack, Moncada-McElroy guides the viewers through the emotions that come with fighting — both inside and outside the ring. In the end, for an activity that involves getting punched in the face, she creates a language that expresses the poetry of the sport.

“It’s strategy, it’s precision, timing and control,” she says. “And so I wanted to make sure that I used certain tools or certain formats to communicate the language that boxing has.”

Moncada-McElroy breaks that language down into a bit of a paradox, one that parallels the knotty nature of Oakland.

“It’s complicated,” she says, comparing the Town to the sport. “You have opportunities, but you also have limitations. There’s community, but there’s also isolation.”

Within Oakland’s style of boxing, she sees a deeper dichotomy: “There’s a sort of lightheartedness,” Moncada-McElroy says of the boxers she watches, “but they do take care of business when they get in the ring … They may not start it, but they’re gonna finish it.”

Even the existential questions that the boxing gym currently faces illustrate a duality. It’s unfortunate that a stolen car busted through the gym’s front wall six months ago. It’s also truly beautiful that a storied nightclub and cultural hub would open up its space and allow its young athletes to continue to grow.

It turns out that the secrets to being an incredible city and a respected fighter are one and the same: support from community, a bit of conflict, and a confident jab. And balance — always maintain your balance.

The first episode of ‘Sons of the Sweet Science’ is available to watch now. Check the series site for upcoming episodes and more information.