WORKING -- Sean McCully

Sue Doyle

HE IS

Not feeling boxed in by his day job.

ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES

Sean McCully has a mission: to make kick boxing a mainstream sport.

The 28-year-old McCully has operated LA Boxing in Costa Mesa since 1992

with his mother, Charyl, and brother, Justin.

The gym offers a slew of kick boxing, training and other boxing

classes seven days a week. With approximately 30 punching bags hanging

from the ceiling, there’s plenty of room for everyone -- including inside

the boxing ring.

But McCully wants to bring kick boxing to another level.

“You don’t see kick boxing two times a week on pay-per-view, like

boxing is,” McCully said.

THE FIGHT CLUB

McCully’s passion for boxing started when he was 8. He was the new kid

in school after his family moved from Connecticut to California, and was

an easy target for bullies. He started taking martial arts classes and

quickly turned the situation around in the school yard.

“I started getting good at martial arts and then moved from being

picked on to the picker, which landed me in some trouble,” McCully said.

But McCully’s involvement in sports later steered the wild child in

the right direction. He started competing and took out his frustrations

inside the ring.

TOTAL KNOCKOUT PUNCH

These days, the Newport Beach resident fights professionally around

the globe, but primarily in Japan, where competitors are well-paid.

Fighters can receive anywhere from $6,500 to $10,000 in Japan compared to

$3,500 to $5,000 in the U.S.

But that price does not come cheap, especially in the sport of

ultimate fighting.

Almost anything goes inside the caged battles of ultimate fighting,

with the exception of eye-gouging and biting, McCully said.

EYE ON SHOW BIZ

McCully hopes to one day choreograph boxing scenes for films and

become involved in stunts.

He already has performed in the movies “Out for Justice” and “Ready to

Rumble.”

In the meantime, he’s content with training others inside the ring. He

psyches up his clients mentally and physically for what they will face

during fights.

“It’s hard to understand that someone trained for six weeks to fight

you,” McCully said. “Everyone’s eyes are on you. Now that’s pressure.”