The hopefuls descended on Dubai’s KO and Round 10 gyms for a weekend of intense training, workouts and, yes, fighting in preparation for the show, which will pit two teams of pugilists against each other in the build up to a big fight night, during which the city’s king of white-collar combat will be crowned.
On the simplest level, the show will offer six weeks of pleasure, as a procession of bankers, real estate agents and lawyers pummel each other on screen.
That could make great TV in itself, but the show’s creator and producer, Phil Griffiths, assures us that there is a lot more to it than that.
“Of course, the whole series is building up to the big fight-night event, but just as interesting as the event is the journey contestants go through to get ready for the event,” he says.
“We’ve got guys completely sorting out their lifestyles – quitting smoking, eating properly, dealing with friends and family differently, dealing with stress at work and changing their whole outlook on life.
“Dubai is a great place to do a show like this, with such a huge melting pot of cultures and society, and if you can get that really good spread of people, you’ve got a really good show.
“So far, it seems to have worked out quite nicely. We’re amazed at how many people applied and turned up to the trials and gave it a real, proper go. All they have to do now is keep turning up.”
The 18 successful contestants have been chosen, though in true reality-TV fashion, we won’t find out who they are until we see the drama of the trials when the series begins on September 16.
The successful applicants will be split into two teams of six. One will train at Round 10 Gym in Al Quoz, the other at KO Gym in Dubai Marina.
Adding drama to proceedings, a further six contestants will make up a “reserve team”, and each week, whichever team that loses a challenge will have to nominate one of its members to fight one of the reserves, with the winner of the bout claiming the place on the main team.
“It’s good to keep them on their toes,” Griffiths says. “And obviously that adds to the televisual element. We can’t just have six episodes of people training, and we promise there will be a few twists and turns along the way.” Griffiths also promises to add more entertainment for viewers through platforms outside the weekly show.
“We’ll be using social media and online, not just for behind-the-scenes stuff, but for recipes, nutrition tips, things like that that you won’t get in the show,” he says.
“We really want to be more than sticking a bunch of guys on telly and making them fitter and stronger. We want to have a two-way conversation with audiences and that’s why we want contestants they can associate with.
“I wouldn’t have a clue what food to eat before I go to the gym or if you’re in training for a fight. We want to become a focal point for viewers to find this kind of stuff out and show that boxing is more than just a bunch of people beating each other up – there’s so much more to it, and so much more positive stuff that can come out of it.
“I don’t want to sound like some kind of public-service initiative, but we have a genuine desire to make it positive.
“Too much reality TV is about preying on people and making them look silly. I think you can be entertaining and informative, and still have the tears and the tragedy, but in much less of a freak-show fashion.
“We don’t want lowbrow output. We want to challenge, inform and educate contestants and audiences alike.”
• White Collar DXB begins on OSN Sports on September 16
cnewbould@thenational.ae
