Everyone gets coached
One-on-one mitt work is built into every single class. You are not left to figure out a heavy bag on your own. A coach puts hands on the pads with you, every time.
About Ironhand
Built by a coach,
not a chain.
Ironhand Boxing on Staten Island was founded by Ian Sampaga to serve, influence and inspire our clients and members of our community through world-class boxing training. Ian’s commitment to the sport of boxing inspired the opening of Ironhand.
Proper Technique 1-on-1 Mitt Work Bag Work Conditioning All Levels Welcome Kids & Teens Amateur Fighters Staten Island
The Gym
A room that gives back what you put in.
Ironhand has earned its reputation as Staten Island’s premier boxing training facility by doing an unglamorous thing consistently: coaching every person in the room properly. Programs are built so every member gets training suited to what they actually need, whether that is sharpening technique, working the mitts, getting rounds on the bag, or simply getting into the best shape of their life.
Classes are designed for every level, from people exploring boxing for the first time to seasoned competitors refining their craft. What ties them together is the standard: proper technique, one-on-one attention, and a room where respect is the price of entry.
Ian no longer coaches alone. Ironhand now runs with a full staff, certified coaches, active amateur competitors, and fighters who came up through this program and stayed to teach it.
What We Stand On
Four things we don’t bend on.
Family first, always
Kids train here. Parents train here. People in their sixties train here. The room is built so a nervous first-timer and an amateur competitor can share it without either one feeling out of place.
Technique over ego
Sparring is optional and supervised. Nobody is thrown in to see if they sink. Fundamentals come first and they keep coming first, no matter how long you have been here.
Real Staten Island
This is a neighborhood gym on Castleton Avenue, not a franchise. NYC grit and a room full of people who actually know each other’s names.
The Corner
Coaches who
actually coach.
Ironhand is not a one-man gym anymore. The whole corner works the floor: active competitors, certified cornermen, and fighters who came up through this program themselves.
Founder & Head Coach
Ian Sampaga
Ian founded Ironhand to serve, influence and inspire the Staten Island community through world-class boxing training. He built the gym around a simple idea: everyone gets the same attention, whether it is their first day or their tenth fight. His commitment to the sport is what put Ironhand on the map, and what keeps people coming back.
Coach
Carlos Cartagena
A professional record of his own behind him, Carlos brings his own roster and his own approach to the Ironhand floor, coaching members one-on-one and in small groups out of the Castleton Avenue gym.
Coach · USA Boxing Silver
Arianne Elshawarby
An active open-class amateur and a certified coach who works corners as well as she works mitts. Arianne coaches from inside the sport, not beside it.
- Silver Level USA Boxing Coach
- 3+ years of cornerman experience
- Open Class Female Amateur Boxer
- Ringmasters Semi-Finalist, 2023 & 2024
- NJ Masters Champion, 2024
- Athlete Representative, USA Boxing Metro Board of Directors
Coach
Mark Molina
Ian’s protégé. Mark came up through Ironhand as a student and now coaches on the same floor he learned on, which is exactly why newer members gravitate to him.
Coaches
Manny & Raul Sandoval
Emmanuel “Manny” Sandoval is another product of the Ironhand program, helping run the floor and working with members building their fundamentals. His father Raul coaches alongside him. Between the two of them there is almost always a Sandoval in somebody’s corner.
Come see the room.
The best way to understand Ironhand is to walk in during a class. Reach out and we will tell you which one to come to.
Get in touch