With the 2025 collegiate boxing season having come to an end just a month ago, Nevada boxers have already returned to the daily grind, preparing for whoever may be next.
For me, though, my opponents will no longer be NCBA boxers. After ending my collegiate career this past month in second place in the national standings for the second time, my initial response was heartbreak and disgust. I had fallen just short of my national championship dreams not once but twice.
After brief time off, I began looking at my experience with the UNR boxing program from a different perspective.
I realized how grateful I am to have represented the University of Nevada as a collegiate boxer in an amateur league that is truly unlike any other.
Nowhere else in boxing do you experience the kind of team aspect found in the NCBA or the level of respect and camaraderie between schools.
Through this club program, I traveled the nation doing the sport I love completely free of charge. I made some of the best memories of my life during this time. And even though I never achieved the goal I set for myself freshman year, I realized that was not the most important part.
It was the journey toward that goal that mattered. The pursuit of the belt gave me great friends, including teammates and even former opponents. In a sport as tough as boxing, I learned a lot about myself. I walk away from it with a deeper sense of confidence that I can do anything I set my mind to.
That is why I will continue my journey in boxing. When I first stepped into the ring nearly eight years ago, I was training under one of the best pro coaches I have ever known in my hometown of San Diego, California. Two other boys and I started around the same time under his watch. Both are now undefeated professionals. I chose the collegiate route, which took me away from that coach and brought me to Reno, a decision I now realize I am truly grateful for.
But through all 20 of my fights, I never had my hometown coach in my corner.
My coaches in the UNR program and at local gyms were experienced and dedicated but not trained in the same style I had learned growing up.
That is why I am so excited for my future in open amateur boxing back home in San Diego.
For the first time, I will have my original coach James Thomas in my corner. With his support, I believe the sky's the limit. Throughout my time in collegiate boxing, I called Coach Thomas for advice on training, mindset, and how to fight different styles and opponents. And while I had very caring coaches here in Nevada, I did feel a sense of being alone in these fights as the man who introduced me to boxing was not there. I am excited to see where this journey continues to take me and who I will become because of it.
Now, with my eligibility as a collegiate boxer finished and the UNR program handed off to a younger generation, what is next for Nevada Boxing?
Nate Nichols will be leading the charge. After an impressive season that included a regional title and All-American honors at nationals during his freshman year, he has pledged to guide the team by example.
The future looks bright. Other UNR boxers continue to grow. One of them, Billy Fisher, has already had about six fights in individual shows with the program, despite being a TMCC student. He has proven his ability to win and improve each time he competes.
With his long-range out-boxing style, more experience will only sharpen his game. Next year, Fisher will be a full-time UNR student, which means he can represent the school throughout the full season and at tournaments alongside Nate.
He is not the only non-UNR student who has been training in the gym. Murphy Rhea, a student at Reed High School, has been attending daily practices for some time. He is one of the most hardworking and dedicated boxers I have seen and will fit right in once he is officially on the collegiate roster this upcoming year. His style is similar to Nate’s in that he applies forward pressure with high-volume punching.
There are also a handful of less experienced but determined students in the gym putting in the work and training for the chance to represent Nevada in the ring.
UNR’s club boxing program is free and open to all University of Nevada students. It offers daily training and experienced coaching. If you are able to compete, collegiate boxing can take you across the country and give you some of the best experiences of your life. I guarantee it. One thing I hope to leave behind at the University of Nevada is this: the boxers who represent our school deserve the student body’s support and respect. We train just as hard as athletes in sports like football and basketball. And with the NCBA steadily improving in skill, you will see that for yourself this November when the team opens its season with a home show at the El Dorado Casino in downtown Reno.
Boxing made me a better student, a better communicator, and a better version of myself. I learned how to perform under pressure. I learned how to listen, take criticism, and push beyond my limits. I wish more people understood how powerful this sport can be, not just for fitness but for mental toughness and character.
If you are a UNR student looking for something that will humble you, test you, and change you for the better, I hope you consider trying out for Nevada Boxing. You do not need experience. You do not need to be tough. You just need to show up.
Nevada Boxing does not need to stay hidden anymore. It deserves your support and maybe even your presence in the ring.