Boxing is in Rick Welliver’s blood. The owner of Spokane Boxing Gym LLC, at 115 S. Jefferson downtown, grew up watching his father and uncles boxing in Spokane gyms. Raised in the Hillyard neighborhood, he learned that boxing could keep disadvantaged kids from descending into lives of crime. He became a professional boxer, and after 16 matches, he opened his own gym, where he now trains and coaches athletes, average Joes, and kids of all backgrounds, including children and teens from Daybreak Youth Services, Crosswalk, and Morning Star Boys’ Ranch. The Journal sat down with Welliver to talk about boxing, advocating for disadvantaged youth, and making the most of life.

Journal: How did you get into boxing?

Welliver: It’s something that was always around. As a kid, my dad took me to the gym. When the chaos of my life started, boxing is what I could hold onto that kept me attached to my dad. I was in Montana, he was here, but my uncle — his brother — had a boxing club. I was like, “Alright, I’ll just do what Dad did.”

Journal: How did you go pro?

Welliver: I was an amateur. They put on a pro show here in town, and I watched a couple of the guys fight. I was like, “I can beat them.” I was only going to fight one professional fight … and then I did it 16 more times.

I kind of got into my career as a gym owner on accident — my brothers and I needed a place to train. December of 2001, I took over the building that was left abandoned by the old gym owner. I was getting ready for what I thought was my last fight. So, I thought, “I’ll take over the lease.” It turned into a business and I’m still doing it almost 20 years later.

Journal: Has anything about the transition from pro athlete to business owner surprised you or been challenging?

Welliver: Boxing was a singular thing that I could get tunnel vision about. Learning how to actually run a business and keep customers coming in — I didn’t know how to do that. I had to learn the hard way on a lot of stuff. There were days when I opened that I wouldn’t see new customers ever. I’d just hang out in my gym alone. Pretty soon one person comes in, gets a workout, loves it, and tells their friends.

The four most valuable words you can learn are “I do not know.” Find somebody who knows. If you want accounting, go talk to an accountant. Surround yourself with people who know. Don’t try to do it on your own, because that’s when businesses get sunk. People think they know more than they do. Then they go about it, the next thing you know, they’ve got a lawsuit on their hands.

Journal: How have things changed with the gym since you started it?

Welliver: I’m getting more white-collar folks, more students, more professional types that are basically motivated by health and fitness, and vanity in some cases. They get to work out alongside actual boxers, young and old, and seem to like it. It’s a good blend. About 20% of people are there training to be boxers, the other people are there just for the workout.

Journal: Who are some of your mentors?

Welliver: I was lucky to have good people in front of me. My father is the No. 1 influence in my life. My first coach, my first friend, my first everything. My dad and my grandpa were the two who most impacted me.

I had a coach in high school named Dave Pomante, who’s coaching up in Newport now. A lot of the stuff that I do now, I picked up from him. He’s the coach every kid needed, especially when you grow up in Hillyard and you’re on the downside of advantage. A whole generation of boys from low-income Hillyard would tell you the same thing. He was the guy we wanted to be like. Everyone wanted his approval. He was so huge for a lot of us guys in the ‘80s and ‘90s in Hillyard. I steal lines from him as a coach every day.

Journal: You do programs for kids, especially kids who are troubled?

Welliver: I work with addicts. I work with kids who are in recovery programs. We’ve forgotten, as a society, how to make kids feel special. We’ve also forgotten, as a society, how to put kids on a pedestal and give them options. There’s a population of kids in this town who can’t afford to play hockey. They can’t afford to play soccer, can’t afford to play basketball. So boxing, for an inner-city kid, is something they can gravitate to, because it’s us and them.

For any city to be taken seriously, it has to invest in its inner-city youth. Spokane has dropped the ball in that matter. This new sports pavilion that they’re building, those kinds of kids aren’t going to be kids that are hanging around inner-city Spokane or Hillyard, or the East Central neighborhood, or the West Central neighborhood. Those kids aren’t going to have the money to go play hockey, soccer, basketball, be a part of a club, travel. Boxing is the sport that kids who are (disadvantaged) gravitate to.

Journal: What motivates you?

Welliver: We only go around on this planet so many times. When it’s all said and done, I want to be able to say I lived my life as authentically as possible. What motivates me is the fear of being on my deathbed, going, “I could have done more.” So, wake up and do more. Whatever your idea is, bring life to it, make it happen. 

Journal: What are you reading right now?

Welliver: I’m reading a book on Ireland called Trinity (by Leon Uris). It’s fiction. It’s a story about a guy in Ireland and the struggles that he faces. I’m retracing my roots as a guy who came from people who are Irish. I’m fascinated with Ireland. I’ve really gone down that rabbit hole of trying to learn more about it.

Journal: What’s next for you?

Welliver: I want to keep promoting amateur youth boxing as a sport that saves lives. Chewelah has got some interest in starting a boxing club. Ritzville has some interest in starting a boxing club. I started a boxing club in the Silver Valley. I want to help Missoula; they’re starting a club, and I’m going to put an event on. I want to keep putting on events that show people this work and give them a sense of these kids who, for one moment, get to feel special. They get to feel like they’re a part of something. They get to feel good about themselves. They get to compete in a sport that’s not going to break the bank for them to be a part of.