Central City Boxing & Barbell was founded by Dean Fay, an 18 year veteran of the Springfield Police Department. The following is brief history of how Central City Boxing & Barbell came to existence. Dean is a native of Holyoke, MA spending most of his childhood and being educated in Chicopee, MA. He grew up involved in athletics and competed in Football, Hockey, Baseball and Boxing. Being from Holyoke and the son and grandson of Holyoke Firefighters, Golden Gloves Boxing, which was a staple in Holyoke since 1957, was a large part of his life. In addition to being a yearly tradition and being a source of civic pride, this tournament was the source of much needed funding that supported several area youth programs.