MANSFIELD — The gym inside the warehouse of Tim’s Mid-Ohio Home Improvements on Marion Avenue is a no-frills affair.

The sparring ring sits in one corner, its bright blue floor and blue and red corner pads standing in stark contrast to the structure’s dull gray cement block walls. Three black heavy bags hang from the rafters of the loft with two more waiting to be hung. 

It’s gritty and tough and just the sort of hardscrabble place that gave rise to the city’s greatest fighter — former International Boxing Federation light heavyweight champion Charles Williams.

Now 62, Prince Charles is the gym’s de facto head trainer — although it looks like he could still go a few rounds if pressed. He works his way around the room, giving tips on technique to the regulars who hope one day to go where Williams has been.

“I would love to train a champion. I would love to give these kids a chance like somebody gave me a chance,” said Williams, who held the IBF light heavyweight world crown from 1987 to 1993.

“If I didn’t get a break, there’s no telling where I might have ended up. I’m just trying to give young people an opportunity to make it in life.”

Williams moved to Mansfield from Mississippi as a youngster, and followed his older brother to the gym. That’s where he found his profession. Today he is based in Columbus, but routinely comes to Mansfield to tutor his pupils.

Meanwhile, offering a lifeline to the city’s youth wasn’t necessarily owner Tim Carper’s plan. A former amateur boxer and fitness enthusiast, Carper was just trying to help out a friend in need.

“About six years ago, Jack Elswick walked through the door of the office and said, ‘I need help losing weight.’ So I started training him,” Carper said.

“Jack asked if he could bring in some younger kids to train and the next thing you know we had nine or 10 kids working out. We outgrew the space, so I built the warehouse about six years ago.”

The gym filled a void in Mansfield, longtime manager Rex Reese said.

“There wasn’t a boxing gym in Mansfield and there always had been one,” Reese said. “Tim Carper owns the building. I’ve never seen anyone step up the way he did and I’ve been around boxing me whole life.

“That is cool for Mansfield.”

Former professional boxer Craig Weber agreed. The Perrysville native, who was 21-2-2 in his career, is another of the gym’s trainers.

“What Tim Carper does for boxing in Mansfield is amazing,” Weber said in-between sparring sessions. “None of this is possible without him.”

In addition to the growing roster of amateur fighters, the gym has attracted some active pros.

Mansfield bare knuckle fighter Julian Lane, who appeared on season 16 of The Ultimate Fighter, is a regular, as is budding pro boxer Chavon Stillwell. Chaise Nelson stops by when he is in town.

“It’s places like this, the grassroots gyms, that are the future of boxing,” said Elswick, who manages the gym. “We’ve had as many as 35 people in here training. This is the home base for a lot of fighters.”

As for Prince Charles, he hopes his story inspires Mansfield’s next generation of fighters.

“I came from here and I was a world champion. There are kids who see that and tell themselves, ‘I can do that, too. I can be a champ,’ ” Williams said.

“It’s easier for them to believe they can become a champ when they see a former champ around.”