Kick start

t's hard to say no to someone who calls himself The Cannon and has “former IKF Light Middleweight Kickboxing Champion of the World” on his resume.

But that's not only the reason 9Round, a kickboxing gym franchise concept, is expanding rapidly — both on the west coast of Florida and worldwide, from the Middle East to Mexico.

The company is also growing quickly, says founder Shannon “The Cannon” Hudson, because of its quick-hit, 30-minute, get-it-done workout classes that feature real boxing bells ringing. The shorter classes are a time departure from other exercise trends, such as hour-long classes at places like Orangetheory and CrossFit and 45-minute classes at SoulCycle.