As a kid growing up in East Oakland, Eugene Fortune needed an outlet.
He found it in boxing. He was a natural at fighting and could often be found at King’s Boxing Gym on 35th Avenue.
“I’ve always enjoyed the art of boxing,” said Fortune in an interview with The Beat.
That love for boxing has flourished into a successful career as a trainer and entrepreneur…
Fortune owns 9Round Milpitas, located at 91 Dempsey Blvd. It’s a spot where people can engage in a kickboxing program through interval style circuit training. There are 9 rounds or stations of pre-designed workouts that change daily. Each station runs for 3 minutes, the same length as a regular boxing round. A trainer is always included in the workout, floating around to different stations to help the boxers out.
Screens are also up at every station, to show proper form as well as illustrations of each day’s workout.
“Our trainers are there to modify and make sure their form and technique is right,” said Fortune. “And we also always do hand pads with them and footwork drills.”
The whole experience lasts 30 minutes. Between rounds 1, 2, and 3, there’s also some active movement. And since there are no scheduled class times, members can drop in anytime they want; no appointments required.
“We scale our workouts depending on the individual,” added Fortune.
9Round is part of a franchise founded by a husband and wife duo back in 2008. The first one opened in Greenville, South Carolina; there are currently multiple locations across the United States.
At the end of 2018, Fortune opened up his location in Milpitas after getting burnt out in his fitness coaching business, where he worked with around 17 clients a day. He often began work at 5am each morning, and wouldn’t come home to his wife and three kids till late at night.
“It got really tiresome,” said Fortune. “I found out about this franchise and their concept. So now I have all my time back.”
Fortune has a history in Milpitas. He has owned fitness businesses in the city for over a decade. He owned South Bay Athletic Club for a few years, and even developed a gym with Milpitas Star Aquatics & Fitness for several years. At present, along with owning 9Round Milpitas, Fortune also owns One By One Fitness, located on Milpitas Blvd.
Now Fortune is able to delegate responsibilities, as he has different trainers working for him. He also trains a select few clients at the moment, so his schedule isn’t crammed like it used to be.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, though. After the pandemic, Fortune’s businesses went into massive debt. But Fortune endured. He worked hard to pay off the debt, keep both facilities open, and bring his fitness empire back to a strong position.
In the future, Fortune hopes to get more youth involved in the sport. He also strives to be an advocate for Black businesses, to support them in any way he can.
“Part of my personal mission and ambition is to get youth involved in boxing as an outlet and show them that they have Black men that want to see them thrive and help them overcome anything they’re dealing with,” shared Fortune. “I want to create that atmosphere and also make it a point to support other Black businesses in the community.”
Currently, Fortune is the conditioning coach, under the leadership of Virgil Hunter, of Fighter Joshua Buatsi. A British professional boxer, Buatsi is currently ranked at #3, holding light-heavyweight titles in the British and Commonwealth since February 2024.
Asked who his favorite boxer is, Fortune named Buatsi without hesitation. He went on to say:
“As for all-time greats, it would have to be Tyson. I think I can relate to him – growing up in the demographic of where I grew up in East Oakland, you have to have that ‘kill-or-be-killed’ mentality. I execute that mentality in corporate America – and also in every other aspect of my life. Not just boxing.”
Learn more about 9Round Milpitas and sign up to try a free kickboxing session here.
