It is nine years now since Austin Trout’s boxing career hit a peak with a victory over hall of famer Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Eight since he took Saul “Canelo” Alvarez the distance in front of 40,000 fans in San Antonio. And three since his most recent shot at regaining a world title.
At 35, he has reached that stage of a fighter’s career where they might fear their future is behind them, when they are raging against fading glory. The fighter nicknamed “No Doubt” might be forgiven for having a few.
If he is, he has a funny way of showing it. As he relaxes into a sofa in the office of the Real Boxing Only Gym in Al Quoz, Dubai, Trout seems perfectly at ease with where he is in life.
A beaming smile rarely leaves his face as he talks about his four children, about his mum, about his tattoos, about wishing he played more football when he was growing up, and about travelling to Dubai for the first time. And about what is coming next.
“If you’re not here to be a world champion, what would be the point?” Trout says.
“If I thought I couldn’t be a world champion again, it would be a waste of time. It is still money, but I am here to win.
“I’m not here to be a stepping stone, or a gatekeeper. I am here to be a champion.
“I’m on the way back up. I get past this guy, then Legacy will put me in a position to get closer to my goal. Then, hopefully I’ll get to beat up somebody famous next time.”
Trout will be headlining a fight night at Atlantis, The Palm on Friday, when he meets Mexican fighter Alejandro Davila. It is the first in a series of shows planned for the city by promotion company Legacy Sports Management.
It is the first time Trout has fought outside of the Americas as a professional, although his amateur career did take him as far as Korea and Azerbaijan.
It seems a long way to go to fight someone from just down the road. Trout is from Las Cruces, a small US city around 30 minutes north of the Mexican border.
Plus, this is relatively new ground for boxing. The Middle East might have played host to the likes of Anthony Joshua, Jamel Herring and Carl Frampton in recent times, but it is far from the strongholds of the sport, like Las Vegas, and the Garden.
Trout has been there, done that, got the belts, in a 39-fight career that has pitted him against some of the all-time greats.
“Cotto was a great night because I won, but Canelo was almost the perfect night,” Trout says.
“Because I didn’t win, I can’t say it was the best night of my career. The Cotto fight was.
“Nobody gave me a chance, nobody even knew who I was.
“I got into the press conference and said, ‘I just want to give all the thanks and glory to God’, and I was just yelled at by these New Yorkers, saying, ‘Who? Who is this guy? Who is you?’
“I had to introduce myself, and the Cotto fight was a great introduction.”
It would have been the greatest night of my career – but I lost. And I hate that loss. I hated that loss so much. It plagued me. But I can’t let that be a bad memory. I lived it, it was a big part of my life
That win by unanimous decision led to the fight against Alvarez, when Trout’s unbeaten record – and his WBA light middleweight world title - would ultimately go.
Defeat, in front of a packed arena, on the weekend of San Antonio’s fiesta, and when the city’s basketball team had an NBA championship game, hurt badly.
“The city was booming at the time, but my fight with Canelo superseded those other two events,” Trout says.
“Being part of an event that big was just huge. My little town in New Mexico, the whole place came out for the fight.
“Had I won, it would have been the greatest night of my career – but I lost. And I hate that loss.
“I hated that loss so much. It plagued me. But I can’t let that be a bad memory. I lived it, it was a big part of my life.
“I didn’t watch that fight for a long time. But now I appreciate that experience.”
Trout seems grateful for all the experiences that have shaped him. Of his mum warning him off basketball in favour of boxing instead.
Of playing the sport favoured by the guys down the road in Mexico – football – in his youth, like fellow world champion boxers Paulie Malinaggi and Sergio Martinez. “It helped develop my agility and footwork,” he says.
And of becoming a father aged just 16. His daughter, Kaira, turns 19 on the day he is fighting at Atlantis. He has already given her her present – concert tickets to see Tyler the Creator – and he could not be prouder of her.
“She has never put me through anything that I put my mum through,” he says.
“She is as smart as a whip. She could be the President if she wanted to be. Anything she wants, she could do. I couldn’t be happier.”
Well, maybe one thing could make him happier. Another shot at a world title.
“I was 21-0 when I got my world title, but even after that no one knew who I was,” he says.
“I was under the radar, and I had to travel down to Mexico, to Canada, and Panama, just to get my opportunities.
“Beating these guys in their back yards, it was the most fun part of my career. We travelled, we fought, all for the experience and love of the competition, and to get my rankings up.
“It feels like I am going back to what we were doing when we had to grind to get to that world title. It was definitely the most fulfilling part of my career.
“I feel like this is that part of my career again.”
Tickets for this event can be purchased here.
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Results
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Aatebat Al Khalediah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Dubai Avenue, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: My Catch, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Results
2.30pm: Park Avenue – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Rb Seqondtonone, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
3.05pm: Al Furjan – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bosphorus, Dane O’Neill, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm: Mina – Rated Condition (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Royal Mews, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Aliyah – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,900m; Winner: Ursa Minor, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
4.50pm: Riviera Beach – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Woodditton, Saif Al Balushi, Ahmad bin Harmash
5.25pm: Riviera – Handicap (TB) Dh2,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Al Madhar, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Creek Views – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Al Salt, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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