Knott Street Boxing Club brought the national spotlight to Portland with the most successful amateur boxing program in the country. The club trained ten national Amateur Athletic Union champion boxers between 1956 and 1972. The club started in 1950 in the Knott Street Community Center in the old Eliot School building, it has relocated to the Matt Dishman Community Center.
In 1961, Knott Street won the U.S. Team Boxing Championship. Two Knott Street boxers participated in the 1964 U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials and three participated in the 1968 U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials. Bantamweight Lou Johnson would represent the US in Tokyo in 1964. In 1968, Knott Street was the only amateur boxing team in U.S. history to have three national champions on the same team at the same time.
The club has produced many recognizable names including Adofo Akil, Michael Colbert, Steve Forbes, Jodie Harris, Joe Hopkins, Johnny Howard, Oregon Sports Hall of Famer Ray Lampkin Jr., Chuck Lincoln, A. Halim Rahsaan, Wade Smith and Thad Spencer.
When you add coaches, trainers and administrators, Knott Street Boxing Club truly made a special contribution to the State of Oregon. The club continues to offer classes and training to fighters and athletes of any ability.
The book "Fighting for Albina" by Aaron C. Jones contains rich storytelling about the club and it's impact on the community.