The handshake tells you everything. It comes after the final bell, when lungs are burning and nerves are raw. That simple act  offered without hesitation  tells you you’re watching a club with standards. That’s Newark Boxing Academy.

This is a gym that doesn’t need to advertise its integrity. The red and white tracksuits arrive at tournaments carrying a reputation earned over years: respect, composure, and the kind of quiet authority that others notice. Officials speak of Newark with genuine regard, a rare distinction in a sport where tempers and egos often push courtesy to the sidelines.

At the heart of it all stands Gary Springett  a head coach whose presence is a lesson in control. He doesn’t command his corner with volume or drama. He anchors it. His fighters return between rounds looking for steadiness, and that’s exactly what they get. Gary’s smile  easy, unforced  marks a man entirely at home in the storm of competition.

Beside him is Roy Brumpton, a coach cut from the same cloth. Roy belongs to the old, respected school of boxing: technical precision combined with decency, toughness guided by principle. Together, they set a standard that runs through every fighter they send into the ring.

The boxers themselves show it. Newark turns out fighters who are sharp, well-drilled, and impressive in the moments that reveal character. Victory is handled with quiet satisfaction. Loss is met with dignity. There’s no shouting at referees, no chest-thumping, no sulking in the corner. They carry themselves with a kind of grace that’s rare at any level  a reflection of the men in charge.

Newark may have four boxing gyms, each deserving of praise and their time in the spotlight. And that time will come. But today, in this small but surprisingly visible space  one that’s drawn the attention of ITV reporters and sportswriters alike — the focus is on Newark Boxing Academy.

To the coaches in the corner, to the boys in the red and white, to the standard they carry with them wherever they go: we salute you