BN Investigates: Inside the danger zone of Ultra White Collar Boxing

Boxing, even in its licensed forms, has a somewhat ‘bad boy’ reputation, characterised by controversy and imbued with danger.

It demands tremendous commitment and resolve – you cannot simply ‘play’ boxing as you would, say, have a kickaround in the park with a group of equally limited hobbyists.

Yet there exists a sub-genre of the sport – known as white collar boxing – which takes ordinary people, often with little to no experience in combat, and trains them to fight. It is treated as a chance for such individuals to experience the thrill of a fight, to raise money for charity and to perform in front of an audience after embracing the discipline and camaraderie of a training camp.

Contestants typically fight over short distances, with headguards and large gloves, which, on the surface, makes it appear safer than professional and even amateur boxing. The statistics, however, suggest otherwise. Over an eight-year period, from 2017 to 2025, four people have lost their lives in British white collar boxing events and training camps. This is more than the three men – Scott Westgarth, Sherif Lawal and John Cooney – whose deaths can be directly linked to British professional boxing participation during the same eight years. In UK amateur boxing, meanwhile, there was just one death between 2017 and 2025.

All four white-collar boxing fatalities have been linked to one promotion – Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB). The first was Alastair Peck, who was found dead at home two days after a UWCB fight in Harrogate in March 2017. Coroner Robert Turnbull ruled Alastair had died from a head injury inflicted in his boxing match, adding that a pre-existing head injury, which the coroner believed was incurred during sparring, had made him “vulnerable”.

A UWCB spokesperson told the Manchester Evening News that “prior to his fight, Alastair did not disclose he had suffered any head injury and confirmed he was not aware of any reason why he could not fight. Participants are not allowed to fight if they have had a head injury and are required to advise if they have had such an injury”.

In April 2022, Dominic Chapman died two days after taking what consultant neurological surgeon Prof Peter Whitfield described at the inquest as a “catastrophic” punch to the head during his UWCB bout in Worcester. Jubal Reji Kurian then died four days after his UWCB match in Nottingham in March 2023, having suffered a bleed on the brain. And, most recently, Owen Henderson died after collapsing during a UWCB training session in Peterborough this past October. He underwent emergency brain surgery following his collapse, but died a week later.

Inquests into the first three tragedies concluded they were accidental, while an inquest into Owen’s death has been opened and adjourned while the coroner gathers evidence. It was with these tragedies in mind that I established contact with the fathers of two of the deceased – Dominic Chapman and Owen Henderson – and took it upon myself to sign up for a UWCB fight.

Late last year, I saw UWCB were recruiting for an event at Bournemouth International Centre on March 21. I was invited to an introductory meeting at a UWCB-affiliated gym on January 17, with training to begin nine days later for those who wished to proceed. By this time, I’d already spoken with the fathers of Dominic Chapman and Owen Henderson, and begun researching UWCB.

Despite four tragedies being linked to their brand, UWCB still boasted on their website of a “gold standard” in safety. Only by getting involved myself could I assess this self-awarded and indistinct claim.

The introductory meeting was positive enough, mapping out UWCB’s general aim to take Joe or Jill Bloggs and transform them into a fighter; one who is expected to sell at least 10 tickets and raise a minimum of £50 for charity.

It used to be that UWCB were in an exclusive partnership with Cancer Research UK, for whom participants had raised £30 million between 2013 and 2023. Cancer Research and UWCB mutually agreed to end this partnership in July 2023, four months after the death of Jubal Reji Kurian. Participants could then fundraise for any UK-based charity. Owen Henderson, for instance, was fundraising for people with Angelman syndrome, a genetic condition affecting his brother, Harry.

Just over five weeks before my UWCB introductory meeting, I had spoken with Kevin Henderson, Owen’s father. With the inquest adjourned, he could not speak on the record about what had preceded Owen’s death. It is known, however, that Owen collapsed during a UWCB training session. He was then taken in an ambulance to Peterborough City Hospital, where medical experts determined he had suffered a bleed on the brain, before being transferred for treatment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he was pronounced dead on November 4.

The incident had occurred in the fourth week of UWCB’s standard eight-week training programme. The UWCB Training Workbook, which is available to view online, states that participants do not “effectively start sparring” until week five. It is suggested, however, that earlier sessions could involve some contact through drills such as “practice jab & 1-2 punching to gloves” in week three.

By week six, the workbook still limits participants to “body sparring”, which is described as “light & technical”, while “open sparring” does not begin until week seven. How Owen endured a brain bleed in week four is for the coroner to determine, but when asked to provide a comment on UWCB’s sparring protocol, a spokesperson said: “Open sparring is not introduced until Week 5. Prior to this, some technical drills involving gloves and headguards take place. This does not constitute open sparring.”

Of the Henderson incident, the spokesperson said: “Everyone at Ultra White Collar Boxing is deeply upset to hear about the tragic death of Owen, who was in training at a gym for a forthcoming event. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time and we send our heartfelt condolences. Owen was involved in light, technical jab sparring prior to the incident. It is inappropriate for us to comment further on the circumstances of what happened while any formal investigations are ongoing.”

While I couldn’t possibly comment on what happened in Owen’s case, or in other UWCB training camps, my own experience in preparing for the Bournemouth event would, in my opinion, contradict both the workbook and the spokesman’s comment.

Before training began, there was the introductory meeting on January 17, hosted by a UWCB ring announcer named Carl, who assured us all that the training would be safe and our eventual match would be fair. He told us that we’d all be closely monitored by our coaches throughout the eight-week process, and then matched fairly for weight and ability.

While this all sounded encouraging, assurances of safety should not – and cannot – be made about boxing at any level. We were then introduced to coach Lee Wright and, having read the Training Workbook, I was surprised to learn that sparring would commence from week two. Coach Lee, however, argued it was important to gain in-ring experience prior to entering a full-contact boxing match.

While he makes a valid point, it’s nonetheless difficult to fathom a complete beginner, yet to learn even a basic form of defence, stepping through the ropes and partaking in sparring.

“I think it’s dangerous,” says Dr Neil Scott, a ringside doctor and former British Boxing Board of Control Chief Medical Officer, commenting on the general idea of beginners sparring, rather than the particulars of the UWCB programme.

“In the professional code, the vast majority of boxers have boxed for a significant period of time. They have a particular skill set, they’re extremely fit, and they’ve developed that ability to read punches and brace for impact. That’s incredibly important, and plays a big role in the overall protection of a boxer. If you have someone who’s literally been doing this for two weeks, I’m not sure how they can develop those skills.”

Judging whether or not an individual has the requisite skills to start sparring is perhaps subjective. But surely, before any sparring takes place, participants must undergo a stringent medical examination?

As it happened, all I had to do was self-declare my state of good health via an online questionnaire, which asked for yes/no responses to questions about having particular health conditions such as high or low blood pressure, bone or joint problems, asthma or head injuries, and so on.

Conversely, an amateur boxer in the UK must complete a physical examination by an official governing body before sparring for the first time. In the professional ranks, meanwhile, all fighters must undergo annual brain scans, plus pre- and post-fight medical checks.

“If you’re going into a combat sport, where one of the primary targets is the head and neck, even a baseline brain scan would be of a huge advantage,” says Dr Scott. “For a certain percentage of the [white collar] cohort, there’ll be an increased risk of an unfavourable outcome. They may have a cyst somewhere; they may have a blood vessel abnormality.

“You could seek a private MRI scan for around £350. If I had to choose any single investigation, that would be my one of choice. You can then get a physical medical examination from a doctor and have your eyes tested, for free, at a high-street opticians. But you’re unlikely to detect something that’s going to preclude you from white collar boxing on just a general physical examination and an eye test.”

While not quite bringing myself to part with £350 for an MRI scan, I nonetheless entered my first UWCB training session on January 26.

Full disclosure: I was not a beginner. I’d trained at an amateur gym for a couple of years, but only on an on-and-off basis and with no intention of competing. And I immediately noticed a glaring difference in the level of intensity between there and here, yet many of my UWCB peers were huffing and puffing within 10 minutes of minimal activity.

One was even reduced to throwing up in the toilet following a light series of exercises. I then wondered how any of these people would be prepared for even three rounds of action in just eight weeks’ time. Not only that, but the UWCB Training Workbook states that participants are only required to attend a minimum of 50% of their regular sessions – eight in total – in order to partake in the event.

In theory, then, an individual could enter the ring having completed just 480 minutes of training. At the beginning of week two, we’d barely been shown how to throw a jab before coach Lee reiterated the importance of sparring. In addition to the regular scheduled two weekly classes, Lee offered two sparring sessions on weekends. We all had the option to attend, but they came with a previously undisclosed £10 fee.

I, for one, was surprised to discover this after being led to believe all eight weeks of training, as advertised on Facebook, would be free. It is worth remembering, too, that, according to the UWCB Training Workbook, participants should not “effectively” start sparring until week five.

When asked to comment on the apparent contradiction between the workbook’s schedule and what I had experienced, the UWCB spokesperson said: “We have discussed the specifics of this with [coach Lee] to ensure our guidelines were followed. He has confirmed you did not start open sparring until Week 5. The sessions in earlier weeks were all technical.”

While it appears these £10 sessions were held outside of UWCB’s official format, we were all nonetheless encouraged to start sparring from week two. In my first full-contact session, I was paired with a beginner who, by my reckoning, had not reached a stage to even start thinking about sparring. Recognising this, and given my prior – albeit limited – experience, I adopted a steady approach, but I was soon urged by coach Lee to go through the gears, particularly when my partner seemed in a spot of bother.

Continuing with these paid-for sparring sessions, I witnessed some of the participants going hard at times, and several picked up bloodied noses. The regular classes, meanwhile, placed greater emphasis on bag work, general fitness and drills.

While the sparring sessions involved heavy rounds, these regular classes seemed rather laid back, and one of my fellow participants, David Czaja, felt he could have benefited from more specific guidance.

“I didn’t properly develop my boxing skills during the training period,” the 19-year-old said in a written review of his experience, requested by Boxing News. “Sessions often felt quite general, and very repetitive, and after a few sessions we were just doing the same things each week. [The coaches] didn’t teach us how to properly throw a punch, therefore I injured my wrist two weeks into training. I didn’t always feel fully prepared going into sparring, or the fight itself.”

To be better prepared, David might have taken up Lee’s offer of one-on-one sessions at £40 per hour. But like with the £10 sparring sessions, participants who could not afford such additional training may have been at a competitive disadvantage.

Personally, I was never involved in any sparring outside of the £10 sessions, which I attended once a week, and while the UWCB Training Workbook states “boxers should always spar similar weights”, I ended up sparring participants of all shapes and sizes.

We were then given a chance, in week six, to sample the feel of a fight in the form of an “interclub” match – essentially open sparring with a small audience, conducted as if it was a match with rules, rounds and a referee. It also cost £10 to enter.

My match, in fairness, was perfectly competitive; I even sustained a small cut on my nose, and Lee did pause the action to ask if I wished to continue. After my match, though, there was a raw novice, who I had never previously seen, who stepped into the ring as a late-notice substitute for an opponent who was clearly superior in both ability and size. He was pinged from pillar to post and dropped twice.

I had spoken with Lee prior to the interclub and he said these matches were to be used as a guide, assisting him with any last-minute decisions or pivots regarding the official bouts. But how he arrived at any decisions or pivots about those who did not participate in the interclub, or in the extra sparring sessions, is not clear.

At the start of the eighth and final week, it was time to learn who we’d be facing on fight night. It turned out I would again be meeting my interclub opponent – a fair match, I felt. A few days later, we all assembled at the Bournemouth International Centre for our pre-fight medicals, just a few hours before the first bell.

Again, we just had to complete a medical form and sign a waiver, then have our blood pressure and heart rates taken before a torch was shone at our pupils. Unsurprisingly, both my opponent and I were cleared to compete. I had a fight! Or so I thought.

As the fight neared, I was told my opponent had left the venue and not come back. After the event rep had made several attempts to reach him by phone, he finally answered and admitted to having a panic attack.

Lee then told me the opponent of another participant had failed his medical. He suggested I fight the other boxer who was now without a match. One slight problem: he outweighed me by 8kg. According to the UWCB Training Workbook, any bout exceeding a 7kg weight difference “must be referred to HQ for approval”. Apparently this approval is only sought if both boxers agree, but it never got to that stage because I decided against fighting someone three official weight divisions bigger than me.

The UWCB spokesperson explained the weight-difference policy: “We operate with up to 7kg weight difference as a guideline. Weight is just one factor in determining a fair fight and there are instances where it is reasonable to have larger weight differences. If a coach believes a contest with a greater difference than 7kg is fair, this must be approved by head office.

“Approval from head office is only sought if a participant signals they are happy to go ahead. Your original opponent pulled out of the contest. As such, it was suggested you fight [a replacement]. You were 67kg and rated a 3 out of 5 ability. [The replacement opponent] was 75kg and rated a 2 out of 5 ability. When weight, fitness and ability were taken into account, this was a fair matchup. You declined to participate.”

I wasn’t the only one who felt there were issues with the sparring and matchups in our shared Bournemouth experience. My clubmate David Czaja, in his written review, said: “I feel there could’ve been more consideration when matching participants, whether it was for sparring or the actual fight. There were a few sparring sessions where some people (including myself) were put up against more experienced, bigger, heavier and taller fighters.

“Overall, I’m glad I took part in UWCB, as it was a unique experience that pushed me both physically and mentally. But, at the same time, there are clear areas for improvement, particularly around coaching quality, safety in sparring and matchmaking.”

As David highlights, it’s not just beginners participating in these programmes; there’s a range of abilities and levels of experience, which explains why UWCB coaches are asked to apply a scoring metric for each matchup. According to the Training Workbook, matchups are based on skill assessment, fitness assessment and sparring appraisal, with each participant given a score from 1-5.

A score of 5, however, is classed as “close to amateur standard”, which begs the question: why are UWCB allowing such individuals to compete in an event aimed at beginners?

This is something John Chapman – whose son Dominic, as mentioned, sustained a fatal head injury at an UWCB event in Worcester in 2022 – has struggled to comprehend. Karl Hurst, a barrister representing the Chapman family, told the inquest that Dominic’s opponent had “regular kickboxing experience and Dominic had no significant training experience before embarking on the Ultra event”.

Jon Leonard, director of Ultra Events – the umbrella group of UWCB – said they “do ask for details of [prior combat sports experience]” when people apply to compete for UWCB, and that such information from Dominic’s opponent “should have been submitted”.

As per a BBC report, Mr Leonard also said that Dominic was involved in a “fair match”, and the 26-year-old had signed paperwork to indicate he was “happy” with his opponent. Indeed, in my experience, we all signed a waiver to proceed with our bout, but at no point was I directly asked by a coach whether I had any background in combat sports or martial arts.

Asked to comment on UWCB matchmaking, the spokesperson said: “Fair bouts are key to our events and we have a strict process in place to ensure everyone is evenly matched. Trainers select pairings based on weight, fitness and ability. Trainers run skills and fitness tests, and sparring appraisals, as well as regular weight check-ins. We use a standardised scoring method to assess participants’ ability.”

Dominic’s dad John, however, is not convinced all UWCB matches are as fair as they could be. “If you’ve got a group of 24 or 26 people, and you’ve got to make 12 or 13 matches, you’d find it quite difficult to match people exactly by the criteria they [UWCB] have outlined,” John told Boxing News. “But we’ve got no axe to grind with [Dominic’s opponent]. He was put in a position where, for whatever reason, he was boxing a complete beginner. I’d made a wrong assumption that we were dealing with people who were pretty much all beginners, wanting to have a bit of a night out, raise money for charity and not take it so seriously. But clearly, by what I saw, it was taken very seriously.”

Following the Chapman inquest in 2024, UWCB said in a statement reported by the BBC that the medical care at that particular event in Worcester “was appropriate”. Asked by Boxing News for a comment on the tragedy, the spokesperson said: “Everyone at Ultra Events was devastated by Dominic Chapman’s death. The welfare of our participants is our absolute priority. During the inquest, none of the independent experts found anything wrong with any element of the medical treatment administered. The inquest fully considered the circumstances of the tragedy on the night and it would be inappropriate to reopen the matter.”

The medical standards at ringside in Bournemouth in March did appear adequate to me, and David Czaja confirmed post-fight medicals were carried out satisfactorily. The spokesperson confirmed that: “All UWCB events have highly qualified referees, judges and paramedics on site. A minimum of three medical staff are in attendance – at least one trauma-trained paramedic and two medical technicians – as well as a fully equipped ambulance. Ringside medics are on hand to examine participants in case of an injury or knockout. They are all Advanced Care and Primary Care Paramedic licensed. We also have qualified first aiders ringside.”

Even so, it is not so much the on-site standards that are of concern, but rather the wider concept of allowing complete beginners to fight. As it stands, white collar boxing is, while unregulated, perfectly legal, meaning there’s nothing to prevent it from happening. But the scrutiny of UWCB in the wake of the four deaths might mean change is afoot.

“Unless you’ve lost a child, you’ve got no idea what that means,” said John Chapman. “Change, undoubtedly, is needed – and it should have happened by now.”

At the inquest following Dominic’s passing, coroner David Reid said: “In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you [Jon Leonard], as the director and sole proprietor of Ultra Events Ltd, have the power to take such action”.

In response to the coroner, the Department for Culture Media and Sport highlighted the unregulated nature of white collar boxing, while outlining how changes in legislation could improve the situation. In a letter sent to David Reid in November 2024, DCMS states: “The Government, Sport England (our arm’s-length body for community sport) and the governing bodies for boxing all strongly urge white collar boxing event organisers to work with the sport’s governing bodies to ensure that robust competition standards are in place to protect the safety of those who take part.

“However, as with any private sports organisation, there is no obligation for white collar boxing event organisers to affiliate with a governing body. White collar boxing events take place in venues licensed by local authorities, who undertake due diligence of events as part of the licensing process. However, the Licensing Act 2003 states that boxing bouts held at venues with audiences under 1,000 in normal hours do not need to be licensed by the relevant local authority.

“My officials are now preparing a targeted consultation of key stakeholders about possible amendments to the statutory guidance, which will be conducted within the next six months”.

This targeted consultation took place towards the end of 2025, around a year after DCMS sent their letter, and it involved relevant stakeholders such as the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), who govern professional boxing in the UK, and England Boxing, who oversee the amateur code.

There is an ongoing process to ensure greater safety for white-collar participants, with an ultimate goal to integrate them into the amateur system. This has been confirmed by BBBofC General Secretary Robert Smith, who, along with Amateur Boxing Associations (ABAs) such as England Boxing, has been working towards a solution for the best part of two years.

“We’re looking to make it so that any white collar boxing competitor has to be affiliated with at least an amateur club,” Smith tells Boxing News. “We’ve heard a lot of horror stories about white collar events, and we felt we should do something about it. When something goes wrong, it’s labelled as ‘boxing’ – the sport gets the blame. I have nothing to do with [white collar boxing], so we [the BBBofC and ABAs] felt a joint effort was needed, but it is frustrating how long it’s taken DCMS and Parliament to move forward.”

The only boxing authorities that Parliament recognises in the UK are the BBBofC and the ABAs, which includes England Boxing, Welsh Boxing and Boxing Scotland. As for white collar boxing, it is possible that, with changes to certain pieces of legislation, promoters such as UWCB could no longer operate in the UK.

“A lot of [white collar boxers] wouldn’t be cleared for the pros or amateurs, because of their lack of ability,” Smith continues. “If there are [laws] in place, which make it so that a venue can only stage a [non-professional] boxing event if the people who run the show are affiliated with an amateur organisation, I would expect white collar boxing to fizzle out.”

The Institute of Licensing were also involved in the targeted consultation in November, outlining in a public statement that “current licensing rules ensure events are held in appropriately licensed venues, but do not extend to safeguarding participants”.

If white collar boxing events must continue, it seems crucial that the Licensing Act 2003 is amended, specifically with a view to enforce minimum standards of medical care. The most desirable change, however, would be that which Smith has raised: for white collar boxers to train and compete as amateurs, with venues demanding all non-professional boxing takes place under an ABA.

That way, there would be a clear duty of care from the relevant governing body because, in licensed boxing, accountability extends not only to individual organisations and promoters but also governing bodies, which are beholden to legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act etc.1974.

In terms of the legal framework, this does not apply to white collar promoters. At the same time, though, UWCB states under section 3.2 of the medical form – which all participants sign – that “nothing in this agreement shall limit or exclude either Ultra Events or any associated parties’ (i.e. trainers, opponents, etc) liability for death or personal injury resulting from its negligence”.

As a result, the mother of Owen Henderson, Tracey Harvey, accused Ultra Events of negligence in a letter of claim sent on March 2, only for the umbrella group to deny liability.

But the inquest will resume once the coroner has garnered sufficient evidence relating to UWCB, as well as Owen’s death. DCMS, meanwhile, are aiming to publish a response to their targeted consultation, which should determine whether white collar boxers must be affiliated with an amateur club.

Whatever the outcome, though, nothing will ease the pain of those closest to Owen and Dominic, as well as Alastair Peck and Jubal Reji Kurian.

“I’ve lost my sunshine – the best thing in the world – and so has his mother,” said Kevin Henderson. “It’s the organisation [UWCB] that needs looking at. They just seem to have glossed over it like: Owen’s dead, but it means absolutely nothing. But, to me, his death has got to mean something now. We’ve got to stop it happening to other people.”