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Vegas Stripped: Former champion looks to make future champions — VIDEO

Johnny Tocco’s Ringside Boxing Gym isn’t very glamorous or flashy like the rest of Vegas, but within the humble walls you can feel the authenticity of the place.

It’s about disciplined boxing, the hard work without the frills. Huge names have trained here, including Floyd Mayweather, Sonny Liston, Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes.

Kelcie Banks is currently a trainer there, a former amateur world champion in his own right. He left the boxing world professionally in the 1990’s, and came to Johnny Tocco’s a couple years ago to pass on what he learned.

Banks spent 25 years as a boxer, was the 1986 United States Amateur Featherweight Champion, the 1986 World Amateur Featherweight Champion, and again the 1987 United States Amateur Featherweight Champion. He was on the U.S. Olympic team in 1987.

“Vegas Stripped” is a weekly profile series appearing on reviewjournal.com and on the Review-Journal’s Facebook page. Find Rachel Aston on Twitter: @rookie__rae

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