Dupre Strickland

Coach Dupre Strickland has been in boxing for over 40 years — and he's just getting started. He grew up in Slidell, Louisiana and found the sport at 17 through a boxing program run by the Slidell Police Department. From that first day in the gym, he knew this was it. Boxing didn't just teach him how to fight — it taught him how to live.
‍

He went on to have an 18-3 professional career, competing on some of the biggest stages in the sport — Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theater in New York, venues across the Gulf Coast. But when the pro career ended, Coach Dupre wasn't done. He felt called to bring everything boxing gave him back to the community that raised him.
In October 2009, he founded Anointed Hands Boxing right here in Slidell. No fancy backing. Just a vision, a calling, and a deep belief that this sport changes lives. And it has.
‍

AHB has produced Louisiana Golden Gloves and National Golden Gloves competitors. Kids who walked in nervous and unsure of themselves have walked out standing tall. Adults who needed structure and community found both. At-risk youth found a place to belong.

The gym has always been about more than boxing. Coach Dupre built it on faith, discipline, and the idea that hard work transforms people — in the ring and everywhere else. AHB has supported organizations like Youth Service Bureau and continues to invest in the community through events, outreach, and programs built specifically for young people who need it most.
‍

The mission moving forward is simple: grow the gym, develop more champions, and keep using boxing as a vehicle for real, lasting change. Hard work, determination, and dedication. That's not just a motto here — it's how Coach Dupre has lived his entire life.

‍