Boxing gym chain Hustle Boxing collapses into administration amid reality TV star disputes

The boxing gym chain that promised Australia’s “most unintimidating” classes has been knocked out by administration after owing $2 million and enduring celebrity scandals.

Hustle Boxing founders Tim McGann and Simon Maree.

A boxing gym chain backed by wealthy entrepreneurs – that has also been at the centre of violent disputes between high-profile reality TV and sport stars – has been punched into administration.

Three companies behind Hustle Boxing, which operated gyms at Newtown and Potts Point, went into administration on Monday.

The collapse follows the failure of the company behind a Hustle Boxing gym in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, which went into liquidation last year owing more than $2m.

The chain, whose slogan was “Made for More”, promised “the most unintimidating boxing class in Australia” and was launched by business partners Tim McGann and Simon Maree, both 44.

Its sleek interiors included five-star bathrooms and murals of celebrities, while the music was custom mixed by high-profile producers.

Publican Arthur Laundy with Simon Maree and Tim McGann. Picture: David Swift

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It was financially backed by a slew of high-flying rich-listers, sports identities, financiers and pub mogul Arthur Laundy.

Other backers included financier Mark Bouris, members of the Brisbane-based Barakat property development family, Kieran Turner of the Heartland Motor Group, and yachtsman and Olympic gold medallist Tom Slingsby.

The investors remain shareholders of the parent company, which is among those in administration.

Duncan Clubb and Andrew Sallway of BDO have been appointed administrators.

A statement from BDO said they’d been appointed by the directors “as a result of several unanticipated events that severely impacted the performance of the business”.

“The current intention of the VA is to preserve the business by way of sale or recapitalisation,” the statement said.

“In this regard the business is continuing to trade as usual whilst the administrator explores these options.

“The directors are actively working with the Administrator to support these goals.”

The Hustle Boxing website had been deactivated on Tuesday, and the Potts Point gym was marked “temporarily closed” online, but its social media pages remained live.

The company did not answer questions about how it failed or what was owed, instead repeating the statement from administrators.

The Brisbane gym launched in March but shut down less than two years later, with the company behind it going into liquidation in March 2024.

It owed $2m to unsecured creditors, with the liquidators saying the company had been under capitalised and also suffered from poor strategic management, tough economic conditions and “high cash use”.

According to the liquidator’s report, lodged with ASIC, the bulk of those owed money were trade creditors who worked on the gym’s high-spec fit-out.

The report said the directors may have traded the company while insolvent, and may also have failed to act in good faith and with care and diligence.

The Brisbane gym ran at a loss for its entire existence, losing $1.12m in its first year alone.

Hustle Boxing opened a new gym in Newtown in April this year.

Hustle Boxing Potts Point. Photo: Adam Yip

Former NRl player Dan Conn and boxer Ellice Whichello used to work for the gym. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Hustle has made headlines for the wrong reasons in recent years, with former NRL Sydney Roosters and Gold Coast Titans NRL star Daniel Conn pleading guilty to intimidation and stalking, destroying property and breaching an AVO over three violent incidents at the Potts Point gym.

Conn, who previously worked there, was given a 14 month conditional release order and agreed to pay $4000 for behaviour which included scratching a window with a rock and threatening people inside.

Mr Maree had earlier taken out an AVO on Conn after a pay dispute turned nasty.

Conn breached the AVO a second time in 2021, riding a black Vespa onto the footpath outside the gym and waving at a staff member inside.

The ex-footballer was also known for his appearances on UK reality smash hits Geordie Shore and Ex On the Beach as a love interest of original cast member Vicky Pattison.

Sam Maree (centre) is a founding trainer at Hustle Boxing.

Mr Maree’s brother Sam Maree – a founding trainer at Hustle who appeared on TV dating show Stranded on Honeymoon Island – has also found himself before court in recent years.

He escaped conviction but was placed on a 12 month conditional release order last year for loitering around his ex-partner’s apartment and messaging her “what the f--k are you doing you f--king s--t” when she arrived home in the early hours of the morning.

Originally published as Boxing gym chain Hustle Boxing collapses into administration amid reality TV star disputes