MightyGloves.com

From the Neutral Corner Interview with Doug Ward

posted by Kathleen Holland on July 2, 2008, in Punch Lines By Judi Abate

By Judi Abate
Boxing Diva

Recently, the majority of my time for mightygloves has been spent interviewing various boxers, which is something I'm very passionate about and tremendously enjoy doing. Just refer to me as the Barbara Walters of Boxing. I love interviewing boxers and never seem to get enough of finding out what is inside the working of a boxer's mind and how real a person they are as opposed to what is seen in the ring.

However, sometimes the winds of change are good for a writers' material as well as her psyche. On that note, I decided to interview a trainer/coach, my boxing mentor and friend this time around, to inquire about how the other side deals with the responsibility of building a boxer from the ground up.
There have been numerous outstanding trainers over the decades of boxing. D'Amato, Futch, Dundee, and Duva to name just a few. Big name present day trainers are just as hardworking and dedicated as their past counterparts: Stewart, Roach, McGirt, Mayweather, Calzaghe and the list goes on. However, there are those trainers in many far and away gyms who do not have top billing or their names in bright lights that are instrumental to developing both the amateur and beginning professional boxer as well as a professional champion fighter.
Doug Ward is an example of this type of "special" trainer. Happy to nurture a boxer by ensuring he gets the basic skills he needs to succeed, connecting them with people who are trustworthy and honest and at the same time staying quietly behind the scenes and letting his charge's performance in the ring validate all the hard work he has dedicated to them. Doug is one in a million. A unique trainer and a very good man who shows what this writer believes is the the true face of what every trainer should strive to be these days. Let's talk to Doug:

BD Doug, tell me a little about yourself?
DW I fought a little bit as an amateur in the late 80's, but started actual competition a little late in life, so began looking at other ways to express and live my passion for boxing. In the late 90's I got a job with a major boxing equipment manufacturer. During the seven years I worked there, I began to frequent the local gyms again and soon took up training a handful of professional fighters. As I got more involved in their careers, I grew increasingly unhappy with the way that most fighters were mis-managed, so I took up the business and management side of their careers as well. I had been working with a girl named Melinda Cooper and her trainer James Pena and about that time, she had decided to turn pro. She became the first fighter I took on co-management duties of. She was actually the first female fighter to be approved for a professional boxing license before the age of 18 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I was also training and managing a couple of other professional fighters at the time. Aside from Melinda, I now manage Light Heavyweight, Marcus Oliveira, who is currently 13-0, as well as professional fighters, Antonio Hernandez and Ryan Ellul. I also train my son, Spencer Ward who has fought since he was 12 and recently won the Kansas City Golden Gloves in the 132lb weight class. Along with a group of talented and hard-working fighters, I have aligned myself with outstanding trainers and trustworthy promoters...which has been the key to the success of the Underground Boxing Company. Erik Riley, James Pena, Danger-Fire Promotions and each of our fighters, all operate under the UBC banner and that's something that we've built together. More important than any one fighter's successes or one trainers contributions is that the UBC, the team as a whole, consistently has the fighter's best interest at heart, in every aspect of doing business. It's been a team effort from start to finish and I'm more proud of that than anything.

BD What is the easiest to teach in training?
DW The basics, because they don't really change that much. There's nothing as important as laying a good foundation.

BD What is the hardest to teach in training?
DW Helping the fighter connect the dots between the body/mind. It's intuitive and some boxers just never make that connection. Boxing has to become natural and second nature at some point. You can't think about every move you make. Boxing happens too fast.

BD What is something you CAN"T teach a boxer?
DW Heart, you can't give a fighter that and you can't teach it. It can be fostered and developed, but it has to be ingrained in their character to begin with.

BD As a trainer what do you look for in a boxer?
DW Desire, athletisism and a work ethic. If they are coachable, it's worth their time and yours.

BD What do you personally look for in a fighter?
DW What kind of person they really are. What they are outside of the ring bleeds into how they conduct themselves inside the ropes...good and bad.

BD What makes you a good trainer?
DW I'm constantly learning. I'm open to change, because boxing is always evolving. I try to keep an open mind. A quote I like to remember in my daily life is: "When you're done learning, your done."

BD How would you describe your training style?
DW Analytical and laid back, but firm. There's no question about who's in charge and what our job is when we get in the gym. When we train, it's all about work. In the gym you're replicating what you will do in the ring, so it's not a place to socialize and coast through. We work with a clear intent to make progress every minute we spend in there.

BD What do you enjoy about training?
DW The give and take. I encourage the fighter for what he or she is doing well and love fixing what they don't. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together is the rewarding part for me.

BD What do you dislike about training?
DW Disloyality. Many fighters are inherently disloyal and forget where they came from. It's disappointing, but is also an aspect of the sport that I know nearly every trainer can identify with.

BD Who in your opinion are some good trainers today?
DW The best trainers around are those that nobody has heard of. The ones who are not in the spotlight. However, most trainers are unique in their ways and it's hard to compare.

BD What makes you shake your head, when you see other trainers doing it?
DW Probably at the top of my list would be trainers who have boxers spar before they are ready. They employ the the "sink or swim" approach. I hate that. It also drives me crazy to see a trainer in the corner telling his boxer 101 things during that 60 second short rest period. It ends up doing more harm than good. The corner should be a refuge for the boxer.

BD Who would be your dream boxer to train or have trained?
DW Sugar Ray Leonard

BD Have you ever had to throw in the towel?
DW Not on one of my own boxers, but when I was helping out another fighter. It was still very difficult and painful.

BD Is a draw a disappointment to a trainer?
DW Not if the boxer learns from it. A loss can actually be helpful if the fighter reviews what happens and makes adjustments in his next bout.

BD What qualities do more trainers need to have these days?
DW A respect for the history, because there is so much knowledge there. Also...compassion, so that they look out for the fighter's best interests. Being open-minded is also important because athletics is progessing at such a pace that, although the basics of the sport never change, our approach to it needs to in order to remain competitive.

BD Why did you become a trainer?
DW I fought a bit earlier in my life and wanted to stay in the sport in some way, but not as a fighter. I started too late to pursue that. But I enjoyed the history and mechanics of boxing so much that the training side of it was a natural fit.

BD How many boxers do you train?
DW A half a dozen (a consistent core group, then another half dozen that come and go)

BD How many fighters do you manage?
DW Four. (See above bio) Melinda Cooper, Marcus Oliveira, Ryan Ellul and Antonio Hernandez.

BD Who is your training mentor?
DW Not any one person. I take bits and pieces from alot of different trainers, some known and some not. I like to learn form other's successes and their mistakes. It's easier than making them yourself.

BD What doesn't the public realize about the job of a trainer?
DW The time that it takes. The dedication and investment that goes into training a boxer.

BD Decribe the feeling when your boxer wins a bout?
DW It is euphoric, but more for the fighter himself. It is also gratifying and rewarding as a trainer to know that you were a part of it. But I love the feeling of helping change someone's life for the better.

BD The feeling of a loss?
DW I guess I spend alot of time second guessing myself. What should I have done more of? What should I have said that I didn't? I take our losses very personally.

BD The feeling of a draw?
DW It's like kissing your sister. It's frustrating.

BD You co-manage Melinda Cooper, so let me ask you about women's boxing,What is your opinion about it?
DW Women's boxing is exciting. In general, they have a higher pain tolerance and their work ethic is higher with very few complaints.

BD How can women's boxing get more attention?
DW Attention is not the real problem, creditablity is. Female boxers should want fans to respect their boxing skills and not sexualize their own sport.

BD You also train your own son, how is that going?
DW It's both great and difficult. It's a hard task to stay objective since we share an emotional connection of being father and son as well as trainer and fighter. We are in this 100 percent of the time, a 100% together, so it's hard to ever get away from that. I want success for him so badly, but have always said that if he walked away from it tomororw, it's his thing and not mine and it really is.

BD Let's get a little more personal with my special brand of diva questions. Favorite color?
DW Brown

BD Favorite food?
DW Mexican

BD Favorite snack?
DW Popcorn

BD If you could be an animal it would be?
DW Monkey

BD If you could have a superhero power it would be?
DW Unwaivering confidence. Any real superhero power I would probably abuse.

BD One thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
DW My day job involves working with 99 percent woman. I live the best of both worlds.

BD 3 words to describe yourself?
DW Objective, Funny, Loyal

BD What is 1 thing that is always in your fridge?
DW Vanilla ice cream. Technically that's my freezer, but they're connected.

BD How do you relax?
DW I don't need much down time. I check my email and usually email you at night.
BD So, I help you relax?
DW Yes

BD Since the subject of your answering my emails has come up. I'd like everyone to know that you are my boxing mentor and we have been corresponding daily on the subject of boxing for two years now. I have asked you so many questions over the years that I could probablly write a book. LOL
However, I have a few more lingering questions to ask you about all of this: What have you thought about all my questions?
DW I've really enjoyed our email conversations. And your questions have helped me review what I have learned and experienced over the years.

BD Ever get tired of answering them?
DW No. It's a good way for me to stay self-aware. Some of your questions really make me think and that is always a good thing.

BD Are you surprised that I now write for a boxing website?
DW Yes. But I also know boxing gets in your blood. You get into it the sport and you never get out. I'm glad you've immersed yourself in it because you bring a new perspective. You see things from the outside looking in.
BD Thanks for the nice word, my friend.

BD What color describes your personality?
DW Green. It is kind of symbolic of conscientiousness, growth and awareness.

BD What is the best part of your body?
DW My abs. I do over 500 sit-ups a day. I have to keep up with the fighters.

BD If you were stranded on a desert island and could have 1 boxer to keep you company who would it be?
DW Sugar Ray Robinson. He would have an endless amount of knowledge and great fight experience with him.

BD What is your pet peeve?
DW People who talk about themselves constantly. Always bringing the subject back to
themselves. That drives me crazy!!!

BD What are you afraid of?
DW Not reaching my potential.

BD If you were a fruit you would be?
DW Banana. Thick skinned with a slightly softer interior.

BD Before we wrap it up I have just a few more boxing related questions (isn't that a surprise.)
How can we keep boxing strong?
DW Boxing goes up and down in it's stability. I think we really need more people involved in it who are not in it for selfish gain. People involved need to show more regard for the fighters. They are the ones competing, meeting center ring and putting their lives on the line. Business and egos aside, they're the ones who should receive the lion's share.

BD Parting words?
DW Thanks for doing your part in shedding some positive light on boxing. I think you've brought a unique perspective to it through your stories and interviews and have had some fun with it along the way. Boxing is a serious buisness, but I think those inside the sport take themselves too seriously at times and tend to be very critical of a sport we all claim to be advocates for. Your approach is new and refreshing and thank you for letting me be a part of that. Blatant plug: check us out online at ubcboxing.com

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