Lockport mixed martial arts gym saved boxing prodigy Solamon Britton's life

LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) — The late Johnny Taylor was a professional boxer in the 1970s. One of the Lockport native's lifelong goals was to open a boxing gym that would act as a safe space for the community.

A dream that his son, Joe Taylor, brought to life.

"It was very difficult for him to get the support he wanted from the community to give out free programs," said Taylor, the owner of JT’s Mixed Martial Arts. "We have a smoothie bar. They can hang out and watch TV in there."

One of those kids is Lockport native Solamon Britton. He joined JT’s Mixed Martial Arts when he was 11 years old and only did so because he was bored at home. 

"I came here and I started working out," Britton said. "Joe asked me if I wanted to fight and I was like, 'Yeah.' It was a very fun experience, and then I lost like three, four fights in a row."

Britton said he likes fighting, but loves winning. So he trained hard — for years. 

"I came in here and I was running," Britton said. "I was training. I was doing mad cardio. I was skill working and everything."

Taylor is also a professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He said his record as a professional is 23-2 and has a fight coming up on Feb. 21 at the Seneca Niagara Casino.

"He’s [Britton] the hardest working person in this gym other than me," Taylor said. "He spars me. I’m a grown man. He’s 15 years old and I’m his main sparring partner."

Last month, his hard work paid off with a national championship in the 154-pound division at the Silver Gloves Boxing Tournament in Independence, Missouri. 

"I almost cried," Britton said. "It was super super emotional."

Britton won all three of his matches at the Silver Gloves Boxing Tournament.

"He didn’t almost, he did," Taylor said. "I did too, but that was a special moment."

That moment almost never happened. Britton spent part of his childhood growing up in Syracuse and he said moving away and finding this gym saved his life. 

"Lot of my friends there, they didn’t get to grow up with a positive influence," Britton said. "They’re just bad. They’re bad people. They didn’t have positive influences. They’re out there in the streets committing crimes or something. I was looking at the belt and I said, man I came a long way. A very long way. If I didn’t come here, I probably would have ended up like that."

Britton has come a long way, just like JT’s Mixed Martial Arts. What began as a safe space for kids is now a safe space for national champs.