The promotion and management side of the world of professional boxing and mixed martial arts can sometimes be a more dangerous place for fighters than the ring itself.

If fighters don’t have any business acumen, or are just plain new to the behind-the-scenes negotiations, valuable missteps such as scheduling a fight with a mismatched opponent or negotiating a financially skewed contract can lead to a quick downfall.

Erik Petravicius wants to make sure that doesn’t happen with any boxers or fighters he comes across.

Petravicius, who spent six years on active duty in the Army and is currently a Reservist with the 301st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, started the fight team Rude Awakening in Jan. 2010 with four other business partners.

“We wanted to build a company that takes care of its fighters,” said the 35-year-old Petravicius, who’s a Level II Combatives Instructor in the Army.

In addition to Petravicius, Rude Awakening employs three other trainers/coaches, including Jonte Willis, a professional boxer (and cousin of NFL Pro-Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis) who won the 2007 Tacoma Golden Gloves title.

“It’s one thing when you’re an amateur fighter and you’re just traveling around and fighting without any contracts,” said Marvin Scott, one of Rude Awakening’s co-owners. “When you turn pro, now you’re dealing with a whole different atmosphere.”

So far, eight local fighters have signed on with Rude Awakening. The team currently trains out of Vision Quest gym in Auburn, and its management helps arrange and schedule fights around the Northwest for its fighters.

Petravicius and his team help their fighters learn new techniques, train, travel to events and even help find part-time employment that works around their training schedule if they need it.

Twenty-six-year-old Neil Anderson of Tacoma met the Rude Awakening team through a mutual friend and immediately liked what he saw.

“I went to practice one day and never left,” said Anderson, whose professional record is 1-0-1.

Petravicius is always on the lookout for new fighters to add to his team — with one caveat.

“We have a pretty rigorous training schedule,” he said. “It’s our way of trying to get the best athletes who really want to make fighting a career. They have to eat, breathe and sleep the fight.”

The company has a fighting event scheduled for Feb. 26 at the Elks Lodge 174, 1965 Union Avenue, Tacoma. For more information about Rude Awakening, visit rudeawakeningnw.com.