Foundation
Boxing Classes
Technique, footwork, combinations — proper boxing from the ground up. All abilities welcome.
All Levels
Manchester · Est. 2016
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A fully equipped boxing gym. Novice to professional. Kids to adults. Real boxing — no gimmicks.
World champions, legendary coaches, and boxing royalty have all walked through the doors of Fight Factory Manchester. This is the level Sean Krool operates at.
Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World. The greatest pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
Born in South Africa. Forged in world championship boxing. Now based in Manchester — and building something that will last a generation.
Sean Krool has spent 25 years at the very top of professional boxing. He has trained world heavyweight champions, worked fight camps on three continents, coached Premier League footballers, and mentored hundreds of ordinary people who simply wanted to transform their lives. In 2016, he put all of that experience into one place — Fight Factory Manchester.
"I've been in world title dressing rooms, I've trained heavyweight champions — and the thing that drives me every single day is seeing someone discover what they're truly capable of." — Sean Krool, Head Coach & Founder
"Boxing doesn't care where you come from. It cares about what you put in. That's the culture here — from the first class to the world title camp." — Sean Krool
Confirm current times directly with the gym — schedule subject to seasonal updates.
| Day | Time | Class | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Monday | 6:00 – 8:00pm | Boxing – Adults & Juniors | All abilities | Boxing |
Tuesday | 5:00 – 7:00pm | Open Gym | Members | Open |
Tuesday | 7:00 – 8:30pm | Fitness & Circuits | All abilities | Fitness |
Wednesday | 6:00 – 8:00pm | Boxing – Adults & Juniors | All abilities | Boxing |
Thursday | 6:00 – 8:00pm | Sparring / Fight Prep | Intermediate–Advanced | Boxing |
Friday | 5:30 – 7:00pm | Fitness & Circuits | All levels | Fitness |
Saturday | 9:00 – 11:00am | Boxing – Adults | All abilities | Boxing |
Saturday | 11:00am – 12:00pm | Junior Boxing Club | Ages 8–16 | Juniors |
* Timetable is indicative. Follow @fightfactorymcr for live updates.
"I walked in knowing nothing about boxing. Six months later I've lost 14kg, I'm fitter than I've ever been, and I actually look forward to every session. Sean and the team make everyone feel welcome from day one."
"My son started the junior club at 9 — his confidence has completely transformed. He's more disciplined, more focused at school, and he absolutely loves it. Best thing we've ever done for him."
"I've trained at gyms all over Manchester. Nothing comes close to the level of coaching here. Sean's knowledge is elite — he's worked with world champions and he brings that same intensity to every single class."
Attend any class, any time. No commitment. Just show up and train.
All classes within a 24-hour period plus full use of the gym and facilities.
Full access to all classes plus the gym whenever it's open. Our most popular option.
Save £60 per year. Maximum access, minimum cost. For the seriously committed.
From world champion pad work to first-timers finding their feet — this is what it looks like inside Fight Factory every single day.
Head Coach · Fight Factory Manchester · Training session
Ages 8–16 · Saturday mornings · All welcome
Building confidence from the very start
Fight Factory works with Manchester's Secondary Pupil Referral Unit — supporting complex-needs students, building confidence, discipline and community through boxing.
Follow @fightfactorymcr for daily training content
From the townships of apartheid South Africa to the world stage — and now to the heart of Manchester. This is the journey of Sean Krool: fighter, coach, and the man who built Fight Factory.
Sean Krool grew up "coloured" in apartheid South Africa — a classification that carried enormous social and economic disadvantage. In his own words, people from his background were viewed as potential criminals with limited horizons.
Boxing became his escape route. And the gym that changed everything belonged to Nick "Mthakathi" Durandt — mthakathi meaning "The Wizard" in Zulu — the most successful trainer in South African history, who produced 38 world champions across his career.
"Growing up surrounded by poverty and the underprivileged, it has been my life goal to help vulnerable people and those less fortunate than myself." — Sean Krool
Nick Durandt's record remains completely unmatched in South African boxing history: 97 National Champions, 38 World Champions, and 28 International titles across the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO.
His fighters beat Lennox Lewis, fought Floyd Mayweather, and knocked out Nigel Benn. The standards, methods and discipline Sean absorbed in that gym are the exact same foundations Fight Factory Manchester is built on today.
Nick passed away in a motorcycle accident on April 21, 2017, aged 53. He was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the South African Sports Awards. His legacy lives on through every fighter Sean coaches.
Sean carried everything he learned in Durandt's gym across the Atlantic to Manchester, where he built a reputation as one of the most respected strength and conditioning coaches in British boxing.
He travelled to Brooklyn's Barclays Center as S&C coach for Brian Rose's world title shot against Demetrius Andrade. He provided specialist conditioning for Danny Welbeck at Manchester United. And he played a key role in Anthony Crolla's world championship campaign.
In 2016, he founded Fight Factory Manchester — a gym built on the same values that defined Durandt's academy: discipline, belief, and the understanding that boxing can transform a life.
WBA Lightweight World Champion Anthony Crolla training under Sean at Fight Factory Manchester
Alongside Dr Penny Trayner — clinical neuropsychologist and England Boxing Coach — Sean secured £20,000 in Ministry of Justice funding to deliver a ten-week programme for young people referred through Youth Justice Services.
The programme uses boxing as a vehicle for transformation: building prosocial identity, discipline, and belonging for vulnerable young people who might otherwise have no positive outlet.
It is the most personal expression of everything Sean learned from Nick Durandt — that a gym can be more than a gym. It can be the thing that changes the direction of a life.
No experience needed. No judgement. Just turn up, work hard, and you'll be made to feel at home from day one. First session? Come along and see for yourself.
We reply within 1 working day. First session always welcome.