The legacy of Pete Wright
Karinn Davis was in 4th grade when he was bullied for the first time.
Born in Benton Harbor as one of six kids to a single mother, Karinn remembers being chased home from school by a group of kids nearly everyday. His life would change when his uncle took him to the FireHouse Gym. Boxing built up Karinn’s self confidence, built discipline, and helped him overcome his insecurities.
An amateur and professional boxer from 1987 to 2018, Karinn’s biggest role model was his trainer Pete Wright. Pete wasn’t the richest person in the world. He lived social security paycheck to paycheck every month. His gym was his home garage, where he trained his fighters by the dim light of the garage with heavy bags scattered around.
But anything his fighters needed, from food, to equipment, he made sure they got it. Pete’s training was strict, expecting boxers to listen without talking back, but under the hard exterior was a man who sought to give back to the community and ensure that young kids in Jackson learned discipline and kept out of trouble.
Pete passed away three years ago, but his legacy continues with Karinn.
Karinn Davis looks at a newspaper clipping of a story that featured his relationship with Pete. After Pete passed away three years ago, Karinn decided to start a boxing gym named in honor of Pete, and to continue Pete’s legacy in the Jackson community.
“It’s not about the money.” Karinn said, “I don’t care if I get broke, it’s about making people happy and giving back to the community”.
Karinn poses at his gym, Wright Way Boxing, which he created in honor of his late trainer Pete Wright. Karinn had initially planned on opening the gym September 2022, but after a wave of public inquiry, he opened it over the summer. Karinn charges 30 dollars for a month of classes but chose not to charge families who cannot afford it despite living paycheck to paycheck himself.
Karinn opens up his gym, Wright Way Boxing. Two weeks before purchasing the building, there was a fatal shooting directly across the street at the local liquor store. Karinn was undeterred however, and bought the building because he felt that the gym was exactly what the neighborhood needed.
An excited Jayce Sims arrives before Karinn has opened the gym.
Karinn checks the mouth guard of one of his students before sparring.
Karinn gives advice to Carson McCoy before his sparring match with Tajai Peterson (background). Boxing lessons at Wright Way have quickly become a family affair. Parents often stay during the lessons to watch and joke around with each other while the kids practice and goof off with each other.
Karinn Davis watches as Tajai Peterson (left) and Carson McCoy (right) spar during a boxing lesson at Wright Way Boxing on August 11, 2022. “More than just training, its love” said Carson’s father Sonny McCoy. Both of Sonny’s sons, Jayven and Carson are enrolled in classes at Wright Way. “We’ve been here about a month and a half, and they [his sons] ask about it all the time.”. Sonny heard about the gym after running into another student running down the street to warmup before a lesson.
Jayce Sims poses as he wraps his hands during his lesson at Wright Way Boxing. “Karinn teaches them work ethic, discipline, and self confidence” said Kiesha Pearson, Jayce’s aunt, “having them here keeps them off the streets.”. Her sentiment was one echoed by many other parents who enrolled their kids at Wright Way.
Karinn spars with his oldest client, Dierre Carlton outside the gym. When Dierre joined the gym in the Winter of 2021, Karinn hadn’t even opened up yet, so for the next couple months Dierre was his sole student.
Karinn spars with Dierre during a lesson outside of the gym. When asked why Dierre loves boxing, Dierre cited the “hard work and perseverance”, saying that “boxing teaches me to never give up.”.
Dierre warms up on the heavy bag during his lesson. A once shy child, Dierre’s father Tevares credits Karinn with helping him break out of his shell. “A lot of these kids are coming in here and their fathers are not involved, so they need a role model.” said Tevares, “This gym is a safe haven for the kids to interact in a positive way.”.