How one woman’s passion for boxing became the world’s first fully integrated fitness franchise built exclusively for women.
The first time Dena Paolino wrapped her hands before a boxing workout, something shifted. It was not just the ritual of it, the careful layering of cotton over knuckles, or the satisfying crack of leather against the heavy bag. It was what happened after. She walked out of the gym standing taller, breathing differently, carrying a quiet confidence that no other workout had ever given her. That feeling became an obsession. And then it became a business.
A Gap No One Else Would Fill
Paolino was a practicing attorney with an entrepreneurial instinct and a growing conviction: if boxing could transform her from the inside out, it could do the same for women everywhere. But when she looked around, the options were discouraging. Traditional boxing gyms were male-dominated spaces where women reported being hit on, dismissed, or simply ignored. The intimidation factor alone kept most women from ever lacing up a glove.
After exhaustive research confirmed there were no women-only boxing gyms in the region, Paolino made her decision. In 2009, she opened Striking Beauties Boxing and Fitness at 18 Church Street in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, becoming the first boxing gym in all of New England designed exclusively for women. The walls were pink. The environment was professional. The training was completely authentic.
Built On Strength, Designed For Every Woman
From the beginning, Striking Beauties was never meant to be a novelty. Paolino worked with several world champion professional female boxers to design a rigorous, technique-driven program that could be tailored to women of all fitness levels. Beginners learned footwork and jabs. Seasoned athletes sparred. Everyone was welcome, regardless of age, body type, or athletic background.
“There are all kinds of women here,” Paolino told the Sun Chronicle in 2009. “You do not have to be a particular nationality and you do not have to be a particular weight. You do not have to be a brute and you do not have to be a fit Barbie doll type.”
The response was immediate. Demand grew quickly enough that a second location opened in Providence in November 2010. The model was working, and word was spreading.
More Than A Gym: A Community With Gloves On
What separates Striking Beauties from every other fitness concept is not the equipment or the programming, though both are exceptional. It is the culture Paolino has built around them. Members do not simply show up, train, and leave. They belong to something. The gym hosts Savage Races, Spartan Races, and community 5Ks together. Members go bowling, ice skating, and line dancing as a group. Inside the gym, movie nights, game nights, and wellness workshops fill the calendar alongside boxing classes and strength training sessions.
“Whether I was there last Tuesday, or have not been in months, I am always greeted by name when walking in,” member Sarah Ewald wrote in her review. “You will not find a better gym anywhere else.”
That sentiment echoes across hundreds of testimonials. Kayla Graham credits Striking Beauties with transforming her self-confidence. Kristin Weberg called it “a GEM” after being reluctantly dragged there by a teenager and falling in love within a single class. Deborah Bettencourt describes it simply as “a safe space for women of all ages and ability levels to discover their strength.”
The Ripple Effect No One Expected
Perhaps the most powerful outcome of Striking Beauties has been the one Paolino never planned for. When she opened the gym, her daughters were fifteen and three years old. Her son was seven. As the years passed, her children and the children of members grew up watching women wrap their hands, bite down on mouth guards, and step into the ring without hesitation.
“Never have my children thought ‘Girls cannot do that,'” Paolino reflects. The gym did not just change the women who trained there. It quietly rewired the expectations of an entire generation of young people who watched those women show up, week after week, and refuse to be anything less than formidable.
As Striking Beauties continued to grow, Paolino recognized the need for expert leadership in boxing training. Enter Quanita “Queen” Underwood, a former amateur boxing champion and the Director of Boxing Program & Training for Striking Beauties. Underwood has developed the Striking Beauties® Method class sequences, designed to provide both beginners and seasoned athletes with an unmatched boxing experience.
A 9-time USA Boxing National Champion and 2010 World Championships Bronze Medalist, Underwood made history as the first lightweight to represent the United States in women’s boxing debut at the 2012 London Olympics. Her wealth of experience and commitment to empowering women through boxing have made her an invaluable asset to Striking Beauties. Her method classes reflect her passion for the sport and her dedication to elevating women in fitness and boxing.
Strong. Fierce. Unstoppable. And Franchising.
Today, Striking Beauties stands as the first and only franchised female boxing gym in the world. Its model has expanded beyond the original gym concept to include a fully integrated wellness brand: professional boxing and kickboxing instruction, strength and HIIT training, nutrition guidance, empowerment workshops, and a curated line of lifestyle gear, all created by women, for women.
The franchise opportunity is designed for business owners who want more than a gym. It is a turn-key system backed by a female-founded brand with over fifteen years of proven community impact, a loyal and growing membership base, and a mission that resonates far beyond the ring. As women’s boxing continues its rise in mainstream fitness culture, Striking Beauties is positioned at the front of that movement, not following a trend but having built the trail itself.
Discover What Boxing Can Do For You
If you have ever wanted to feel stronger, more confident, and part of something that genuinely has your back, Striking Beauties is ready for you. Whether you are stepping into a gym for the first time or looking to bring this powerful concept to your own community as a franchise owner, the doors at 18 Church Street in Attleboro, Massachusetts are open. Visit Striking Beauties to explore memberships, class schedules, and franchise opportunities, and find out firsthand why hundreds of women have said this gym changed their lives.
