10 SEPTEMBER 11-17, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Heavy Hands, Heavier Hearts AFTER A KILLING THAT SHOOK THE COMMUNITY, THIS TEAM IS STILL FIGHTING FOR THE KIDS. BY GARRETT FRANKLIN The once-red doors to Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts, Lumumba Sayer Sr.’s longtime gym and community center, are sun-bleached and locked, the branding tattered. This modest space on Dayton Street in Aurora was once responsible for giving hundreds of outcast youth a sense of belonging. It was a power- house, and now its fans and supporters are fi ghting to keep the mission going. Since the Ultimate Fighting Chal- lenge’s debut at McNichols Arena in 1993, Denver has been an international fi ght capital. The brutal sport was pre- dicted to fall early, but it withstood the fi rst-round onslaught and became the fastest-growing sport in the world. Today, gyms located in the metro area continue to pump out world-class talent, including Dustin Jacoby and Brandon “Raw Dawg” Royval, the #3 featherweight contender from Factory X, as well as Justin Gaethje, former BMF title holder, and Cory “The Sandman” Sandhagen, #4 bantamweight contender of Elevation Fight Team. Colorado’s elevation lends itself to cardio training, drawing top talent from around the globe. If you want to be the best and fi ght the best, a pilgrimage here is required. For the better half of the last decade, I’ve dedicated my photography to capturing the combative sports in Colorado. Photographing cage- side, I’ve witnessed our state’s amateurs become world champions, and a highlight reel’s worth of fi ghters were created in this Aurora gym. Lumumba Sayers Sr. started this non- profi t gym back in 2017, training fi ghters who tore up the local scene. He funded Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts with proceeds from his moving company, and no one was turned away. Scholarships were granted those who didn’t have the opportunity or resources for a fi tness membership or boxing training from established veterans. This was a safe space that provided a health-focused alternative to the violence of the streets that preached a Guns Up Gloves Down mentality. As a man of faith and a former MMA fi ghter, Lumamba Sayers Sr. brought Chris- tian values to the boxing lessons. Leaders from around the community used the gym as a base for creating other offerings for young athletes. Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts grew into a wide-ranging, multifaceted organiza- tion that served countless people. The doors were never closed to anyone. Until now. Down for the Count Rewind the tape to August 18, 2023, when 23-year-old Lumumba Say- ers Jr. was gunned down in Five Points. Soon after, a suspect in his murder was arrested, but the charges were even- tually dropped. It was a gut punch for Sayers Sr. His son had fol- lowed in his father’s footsteps, advocat- ing for solutions to local quarrels that didn’t involve guns and bullets. The Heavy Hearts team came together to honor his legacy, and kept the gym going. But almost a year after the death of Lu- mumba Sayers Jr., on August 12, 2024, wit- nesses say they saw his father shoot a man in the back of his head, killing him instantly. Twenty-eight-year-old Malcolm Watson was celebrating his son’s birthday in a Commerce City Park. Lumumba Sayers Sr. was arrested and charged with fi rst-degree murder. He re- mains in jail on a $5 million bond; he pleaded not guilty in March. Heavy Hands tried to hold on, but it was on the ropes. The gym fi nally closed in August, unable to cover costs. But the team keeps fi ghting. A1 Boxing Academy Keeps the Fight Going Colorado’s no stranger to gun-related violence. A1 Boxing Academy is located in Aurora’s Town Cen- ter, site of the Dark Knight mass shoot- ing in 2012. Glenn Goodson, who’s still listed as a “case manager” and “fi tness coach” on heavyhand- sheavyhearts.org, founded A1 Boxing Academy here, a prime spot to reach people looking for access to fi tness and mixed-martial-arts programs. It’s also a temporary home for the remaining members of Heavy Hearts. Goodson continues to serve as a mentor for underserved youth. His kind eyes greet all visitors, and his hand gently motions to the end of the gym, where Derric Samuels is sparring. Samuels fi nishes the round with fi tness coach Oshae Wilson. Samuels was the behav- ioral interventionist when Lumumba Sayers Sr. ran Heavy Hands. NEWS continued on page 12 KEEP UP ON DENVER NEWS AT WESTWORD.COM/NEWS Heavy Hands Heavy Heart closed its doors in August. Lumumba Sayers Jr. wins via KO in his fi rst MMA fi ght. Sayers Sr. walks Sayers Jr. out to his second MMA fi ght. GARRETT FRANKLIN GARRETT FRANKLIN GARRETT FRANKLIN
