TODAY’S opening of Henry Wharton’s gym has been shelved after a setback.

Two registration sessions at which members were signed up were due to preface tonight’s opening of the 10,000 sq ft gym in Acomb, York.

But one-time boxing king of the ring Wharton said that the opening will now have to wait for several weeks after it was discovered that further sound-proofing work needs to be done at the gym, which is housed on the first floor of the former Regent cinema in York Road.

The former undefeated European, Commonwealth and British super-middleweight champion, who has transformed the former picture-house into York’s biggest boxing gym over the last ten months, said he was disappointed by the unexpected development.

Said Wharton: “We have got to put some more sound-proofing in so as the gym can be used by the amount of people we want to use it.

“It will mean that we will not be able to open for two or three weeks.”

Admitting it was a setback, he added: “We were all looking forward to the gym opening tonight, especially as the registration nights went so well.

“But we have explained the situation to all those who came to the registration sessions and we have apologised to them.

“It’s best we get everything right before we open up properly.”