If I've said it once...

We had an unpleasant incident in the gym over the weekend. Two boxers in the ring were accosted by a trio who apparently assaulted them with weapons, mocked them on voice, and, when one of the boxers teleported away to escape, ganged up on the remaining one with activated gloves.

The incident started with the three goofing off among themselves, and that's fine, well and good. The line was crossed when they barged into the ring and involved two unwilling people in the "fun".

It's a fairly common story, one which has swelled the gym's ban list to a rather epic level, as newcomers come to the gym and either fail to grasp the idea of basic respect, or act with deliberate malice.

The twist this time comes in when you learn that the newcomers were the ones minding their own business in the ring, and that their attackers were experienced Averlasters of good standing and reputation.

No names here. The parties involved know who they are.

When word of the incident got to me, I was very disappointed, and very, very angry. The trio had been at Averlast long enough to know better. The decision of what to do with them was out of my hands, as the one victim willing to come back to the gym had gone to another Averlast official first.

One of the things I keep telling people is this: Stay out of an occupied ring unless you have been invited in. There's a simple reason for that, namely respect for others and for the gym. Incidents like this, perpetrated by people who, as I said, should know better, hurts us as a brand and as a community. It degrades trust and discourages the influx of new people that keep the place going and competition hopping.

Who wants to go to a place where they know they'll be harassed? Nobody, that's who. And that sort of reputation is the last thing that Averlast needs.