This past weekend (March 7-8), the new flagship Everlast Gym+ in Manchester’s Trafford Palazzo became a hub for community, celebration and charity. On Saturday, Everlast Gyms—part of leading retail powerhouse, Frasers Group—unveiled a new state-of-the-art gym: a 28,000 sq. ft. performance-led fitness destination packed with elite training equipment, recovery areas and a nutritional canteen curated by Myprotein.
The gym showcases the recent landmark partnership between Everlast Gyms and Nike Strength, providing Nike Strength’s Grind equipment alongside infrastructure designed in collaboration with both brands, such as integrated class programming. Specialised training zones include a HYROX Performance Center, a reformer Pilates studio complete with 18 state-of-the-art Allegro beds and a recovery suite fitted with three ice baths and two saunas; one dry and one herbal.
An array of classically styled Everlast boxing bags hang across the gym in the signature 1910 zone, opposite a HAYMAKER cage and stage used for personalised HIIT classes. In totality, the space looks like a fitness freak’s dream. Gymgoers flocked to get their first sessions in, while Trafford Palazzo visitors took part in the pop-up challenge hosted on the ground floor or peeked into the snazzy facility. Media, local boxing talent and willing participants gathered, waiting for the HAYMAKER session—hosted by Manchester’s rising boxing star, Pat Brown—and the 24 HRS for Hatton activation to begin.
Everlast is a legendary brand, iconised by an endless roster of GOATs and legends of the sport, like Muhammad Ali. The brand has been partnered with Matchroom since 2023, complementing Everlast’s athlete-first approach that supports fighters with gear and sponsorships. Recently, Everlast has represented names like Katie Taylor, Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, and now Pat ‘Bomber’ Brown. The Matchroom cruiserweight has made a strong start to his career, boasting a 5-fight, 5-KO record. He joins Everlast as their first cruiserweight signing and as a Mancunian who knows the city’s boxing circuit well.
A two-time North West Champion and two-time National Champion, Brown has been involved in boxing since the age of seven. After winning these championships at amateur level, he qualified as a Great Britain Olympian and competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Since turning professional, a steady rise has seen him sweep aside several opponents in emphatic fashion.
Brown’s next fight in April is against the experienced Vasil Ducar. It was fitting that the opening of the new Everlast Gym+ coincided with his signing, with Brown co-hosting a HAYMAKER class for young boxers. The session welcomed talent from local gyms including Fox ABC, Flatley Brothers Boxing, Collyhurst & Moston ABC and Sale West—the fabled gym that began the boxing journeys of both the late Ricky Hatton and Pat Brown.
An intense HIIT session, the HAYMAKER class was led by Everlast Gyms’ Head of Fitness, Martyn Oakey, as well as Pat Brown. The workout was split between round-based boxing combinations on the bag and strength-based training with dumbbells, medicine balls and kettlebells. In the session, several amateur prospects from across the region displayed their technique and grit. Already fit through boxing training, the youth received one-to-one advice from Brown, who corrected form and technique while offering tips suited to their individual styles.
Following the session, it was time for 24 HRS for Hatton. Over 24 hours, professional boxers and members of the local boxing community gathered to throw punches in aid of The Ricky Hatton Foundation—a charity honouring Mancunian boxing legend Ricky Hatton—and raising awareness for mental health through sport. “Obviously, we know what happened to Ricky,” said Paul Speak, Ricky Hatton’s former manager and close friend. “Very sad. And the mantra is that we don’t want anybody to fight alone. There’s no need to fight alone. If you’re struggling, then get help now. We’re hoping that down the line, we can liaise with lots of other charities that deal with mental health issues and just get the message out.”
Hatton openly battled mental health issues during and after his career and later became an advocate for initiatives like CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) and Tackling Minds. The Ricky Hatton Foundation was later established to support people facing similar struggles, with the aim of ensuring nobody fights alone.
“The initiative to get people into a gym in itself is good,” adds Speak, “but the fact that it’s going to hopefully raise some funds for the foundation, which can then go back into the community to help people who are struggling with their mental health issues, is great. We are using sports, not just boxing, as a vehicle to help people. I think most people will agree that if you’ve been in the gym doing a bit of training, when you come out, you do feel better. The endorphins kick in, and so it’s got to be good for you to go to a gym. And this is a fantastic gym.”
Overseeing the activation, Brown’s promoters, Matchroom, were also in attendance, reaffirming their commitment to grassroots boxing. “One of the biggest things for us is supporting grassroots sports, fitness and health,” said Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith. “We believe boxing can make such a positive change, and we feel it needs more investment. Boxing doesn’t get the investment like other sports do in the UK. For us, that’s where we want to make our push. We can use our platform, not just financially, by utilising the fighters we have. Boxing can change kids’ lives. You have someone like Pat, who’s from Manchester, working with kids from the area, showing them what they can do. It’s a big part of what we’re trying to push.”
After a busy morning of coaching, speaking with locals and announcing his signing, Pat Brown took some time to talk to Complex UK about the HAYMAKER session, working with Everlast, and his home city of Manchester.
COMPLEX: How has it been working with Everlast Gyms on the HAYMAKER sessions?
Pat Brown: Brilliant. You know, they always follow through with everything they say they’re gonna do. The gym setup here is unbelievable. It’s got everything you need. I was just looking at the squat racks, and there’s 12 squat racks! Where do you ever have that many racks in a gym? It’s got everything, and I haven’t even seen the recovery centre yet. In terms of a boxing setup, you’ve got the vintage look over here with the brown boxing bags, and then over there, where we were training, it’s more of a boxer-sized circuit sort of feel. It’s ticking all the boxes.
How does it feel putting on such events in your home city of Manchester?
I’ve been brought up around Trafford my whole life. All of my family and friends live around here, and so I’ve been coming to the Trafford Centre since I can remember. For the session to be hosted here, it really has a homecoming feel. My dad runs an amateur boxing club, Sale West ABC, where he does really well for the community. I already know that a lot of my mates and my family members are going to be coming to this gym because it’s just down the road. It’s nice to see that the community side of things is now rising in Manchester, because I do feel like it’s dipped recently.
Your dad has been running the Sale West ABC for a while now, but when did you fall in love with boxing yourself?
When did I fall in love with boxing? Hmm… I was always a hyperactive kid. My dad took me to the gym when I was 7 years old, and I wouldn’t have been allowed normally, as there was an age restriction in place; it was open to those 11 years and older. But because my dad knew the head coach there, he let me through the net. Ever since I walked through the gym at age 7, I’ve never looked back. It’s been my whole life. My dad used to box back in the day; now he runs that gym. The owner, Paul Dunne, passed away about 11 years ago. After, my dad took over. But yeah, since the age of 7, I have never looked back.
After boxing for such a long time, how has boxing helped you in your daily life as a person?
Oh, it’s helped massively. People think boxing is all aggression and fighting, teaching bad habits in kids and such. But it’s actually far from that. It’s all about discipline, about manners. I can guarantee that any boxing lad in a gym will never bully anyone because they’re brought up not to be bullies. My morals and everything about me stems from boxing. Race, religion, gender—you accept everyone who walks through the doors. It doesn’t matter. You’re all the same under the umbrella and that’s what boxing teaches you.
Often, when people think of boxing, they think of strength, force, that brutishness, and a way of being dominant. How did you see boxing when you first started, and how do you see it now?
So when I first started, I was a kid. I just wanted to make my dad proud. And I was quite erratic. They used to call me Mad Dog and stuff like that, because I used to just want to throw loads of punches. The technical side didn’t really come first for me; it was more just the strength and power. Whereas now, in knowing the technical side, it reduces power and reduces the idea of strength. I’ve learnt a hell of a lot in that aspect. As you know, boxing’s all about being explosive and your fitness. You’ve just done it then, with the HAYMAKER class, and that was just a little glimpse of a boxing training session. Boxing fitness is completely different to any other fitness out there. It really is, and it’s rated as one of the hardest sports in the world for a reason.
What would you say to the young people wanting to get into boxing to use it as a force of encouragement within their lives?
I’ve been around the amateur boxing scene for quite a while. Like I said before, my dad runs Sale West ABC. I later moved from that gym to another amateur gym in Moss Side, which Nigel Travis runs. He’s my current professional coach, along with Jamie Moore, who also runs an amateur gym in Walkden. I know all the amateur gyms around the North West and Manchester, and I can guarantee that for kids who are a bit scared to walk through the doors at first—which is the hardest step—it’s nothing like they imagine. Once you walk through the doors, they treat you like family. Kids need the confidence to take that first step, and parents need to realise that they’re not sending their child somewhere dangerous. They’ll look after him or her, and they’ll teach the morals and respect that kids need. Because kids on the streets nowadays are just running riot. Ultimately, I would just say: walk through the gym doors, and a life will be changed for good. I’m sure of it.
We are also here today in collaboration with the Ricky Hatton Foundation—what can you say about Ricky and his legacy within Manchester?
Ricky’s presence is massive. He’s the biggest boxer to ever come out of this city, and I think that’ll be forever. No one’s ever going to top Ricky Hatton. The crowds he used to draw, the following he had, it came from a generation where he’d go to the pubs and socialise with people. I take great honour that Ricky Hatton used to train at Sale West. When we went back to Paul Dunne, who was Ricky’s boxing coach as a kid, it really brought it full circle. This is why Ricky Hatton is so close to home for me. I started at the same gym he started at, and we won a national title there before moving onto the pro ranks. Ricky had his house built by Lofthouse Builders, who also sponsored him as a fighter, and they used to sponsor me as well. Dermot Craven helped Ricky out, and he’s helped me a lot too. Ricky’s team has supported me in many ways, including his cut man, Kerry Kayes.
It really feels like a full-circle moment, being here working in honour of Ricky Hatton. His presence inspires so many fighters in Manchester because everyone thinks, “If he can do it, why can’t I?” And if anyone can capture even a small percentage of Ricky’s career, they’ve done incredibly well. It’s such a shame what’s happened. Mental health is a real issue we need to address, and The Ricky Hatton Foundation is doing important work to support people, letting them know that help and guidance are there when they need it.
