Trainers

Douglas Ward

Trainer/Manager-Kansas City Division

From that time in the gym and in the process of learning the rules of the fight game, Doug developed more one-on-one relationships with fighters and began to negotiate on their behalf. Armed with pure intentions and a greater understanding of the business side of the sport, he began to assemble a promising team of aspiring amateur and professional boxers.

Now, with over twenty years of experience and the insights he has gained during that time, Doug's "fighter first" philosophy has created the Underground Boxing Company. A full service training and management system, the UBC is what boxing is all about.

James Pena

Trainer-Las Vegas Division

Born into a boxing family, James had laced up the gloves and started his amateur boxing career by the time he was eight years old. His Uncle was world class middleweight, Marcos Geraldo, who was a regular fixture in the top ten throughout the 80's and was instrumental in instilling a passion for boxing that would fuel James' fire during his ten year career as an amateur. After amassing a 66-4 record, James "held down the fort" at the world renowned, Nevada Partners Gym. As assistant gym manager for over six years, James gained a wealth of experience from numerous world champions and legendary trainers that passed through the gym doors there. He currently spends much of his time working with corporate clients and the UBC's brightest prospects.

Erik Riley

Trainer-Kansas Division

Erik Riley has emerged from the boxing scene by building a thriving amateur program located on the grounds of Haskell University in Lawrence, Kansas. Although he originated from the Fort Apache Reservation, located in the Central Eastern part of Arizona, Erik moved to Kansas where he first attended Haskell as a student, then as a boxer and now...as a coach. Erik started boxing as an amateur in 2001 and continued for almost six years, up until 2007, when the needs of a solid, on-campus coaching staff began to outweigh the allure of the fulfilling his own aspirations as a fighter.

Based on a desire to teach sound boxing fundamentals, Erik has quickly developed from student to coach. He has a great aptitude for absorbing the finer points of the sport and possesses an innate ability to apply what he learns to the real life boxing experiences he faces each time he walks up the steps to the ring. His capacity to, not only learn, but to implement is what led to Erik being voted Coach of the Year in 2007 by the Kansas City Golden Gloves organization and what is blessing him with a growing stable of talented and respected fighters.