Picture Perfect: Inside the Gloves at Prime Time Boxing

In January, two Southside Stories trainees stepped onto the gym floor at Prime Time Boxing & Fitness Academy with mentor Matt Moyer, cameras in hand and ready to spar with a new kind of challenge: capturing the energy, grit and camaraderie of a working boxing gym. Under the guidance of Coach Joe Stray, owner of the academy, the trainees photographed students through drills, sparring and the quieter moments in between.

Prime Time Boxing & Fitness Academy is more than a gym. Under Stray, it has become a cornerstone for discipline, mentorship and community on the South Side of Syracuse, a space where students push their limits while still finding room to laugh between rounds. That same spirit of mentorship shaped the day for the Southside Stories trainees, who used the gym's low-light environment to practice a key photography skill: balancing fast and slow shutter speeds to either freeze a punch mid-air or blur it into motion. The result is a photo story with moments of intensity and camaraderie with fists connecting in sparring drills, punching bags hanging above the gym floor and Coach Stray guiding his students with the same focus he brings to every session.

Francis Cerio recovers after sparing with his opponent at Prime Time Boxing & Fitness Gym in Syracuse, NY. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

Coach Joe Stray (middle) instructs Ryan Fogarty (left) and Jamere Smith (right) during a sparring practice match. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

Jamere Smith (left) spars with Albert Appleton. Photo by Rabia Mustafa

Albert Appleton (left) battles it out against Francis Cerio. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

Red boxing gloves and blue headgear inside a gym closet, ready to be used by the next students. Photo by Jirah Johnson.

Albert Appleton rests on a bench as other fighters take their turns sparring. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

The legs and footwork of two students are seen during a sparring drill. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

Jamere Smith (from left), Francis Cerio and Albert Appleton joke around after their workout. Photo by Jirah Johnson.

Boxing gloves hang above the gym. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

Albert Appleton (left) and Francis Cerio complete jump rope exercises. Photo by Jirah Johnson.

Coach Joe Stray (left) laughs as he is picked up by Ryon Fogarty. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

Coach Joe Stray coaches from above as Ryon Fogarty accepts defeat from the floor. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

Discarded boxing gloves litter the floor as boxers take breaks. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

Albert Appleton (left) reacts to a slow punch by Jamere Smith as the two practice their movements. Photo by Jirah Johnson.

Family members keep busy while waiting on the sidelines for the classes to conclude. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

Coach Joe Stray sticks his fist out toward the camera. Photo by Rabia Mustafa.

Photographers: Jirah Johnson & Rabia Mustafa

Mentor: Matt Moyer