The 5th Street Gym opened in 1950 in Miami, Florida, and became one of the most popular boxing gyms in the world. Muhammad Ali trained at the gym in the 1960s, earning it worldwide recognition for decades. The gym attracted many other celebrities throughout its glory years including the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and Joe Louis.

 

Elvis Yero was a childhood friend of Albert's who trained at the 5th Street Gym before becoming a golden glove champion. In addition to being an amazing boxer, Elvis was also a talented amateur artist. While Albert and Elvis made many memories as kids at their after-school art program, Albert’s favorite memory of Elvis took place at the 5th St. Gym. After “teaching” Albert how to block, Elvis threw what he thought was a soft punch, but it sent Albert flying backward and left him sprawled on the mat with a broken nose – his first of many.

 

The 5th Street Gym helped shape the history of Miami Beach, and as Angelo Dundee, an original trainer at the gym, explains, “As shabby and unkempt the area was, the gym simply belonged.” Despite reopening at its original location in 2013, Albert wanted to memorialize the original building in history forever with his piece 5th Street Gym.