BoxUnion, Santa Monica, California, has acquired Title Boxing Club, Overland Park, Kansas, according to a Jan. 6 announcement from the companies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but a company spokesperson told Club Industry that current plans are for both brands to retain their names.
Founded in 2016 by Todd Wadler and Felicia Alexander, BoxUnion has three studios and a digital subscription service that started in April 2020.
Title Boxing has 166 clubs across the United States, Mexico and the Dominican Republic specializing in boxing and kickboxing classes. The company has another 130 clubs in development.
As a result of the acquisition, Wadler takes over as CEO, and Alexander will continue in her role as the chief revenue officer of the combined company.
“Title Boxing Club is the biggest player in the fitness boxing and kickboxing category,” Wadler said. “Our goal is to triple the studio base while also providing a state-of-the-art, engaging digital experience to the at-home market.”
Title Boxing Club’s ownership team will remain equity holders in the new company. The ownership team includes former Title Boxing Club CEO John Rotche, David Barr, Shelly Sun, Doc Cohen and NFL quarterback Drew Brees. Rotche will continue to serve on the board of the combined company. Brooke Budke, who is currently Title Boxing Club’s vice president of marketing, will take over as president, franchise system.
The transaction was backed by Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano Supercharged Initiative (KJSI), which is BoxUnion’s lead investor, plus other existing shareholders. KJSI has committed more than $80 million in diverse/women founders, for-profit businesses, and nonprofit organizations that align with their mission.
“The popularity of fitness boxing and kickboxing is growing rapidly,” Rotche said. “I set out on a deliberate path to find a promising boxing brand to accelerate our growth. Todd and Felicia’s collective dedication to revolutionizing the fitness boxing category make them the ideal new owners for Title Boxing Club and the optimal partner to our passionate franchisees. The two brands integrate seamlessly due to their commitment to the same core demographic and bringing the mental and physical benefits of boxing to all ages, genders and experience levels.”
Wadler spent over 20 years in finance and co-founded Moelis & Company, a publicly traded, global independent investment bank and asset management firm. Passionate about fitness, he saw an opportunity to grow the market in fitness boxing.
Alexander had a successful career as a sales and marketing executive for companies including Sun Microsystems, Sony, Mattel and Demand Media. She is passionate about boxing as a vehicle to change people’s lives, having put on gloves for the first time at 16 shortly after her father’s sudden death.