DUBAI // Floyd Mayweather Jr’s fight with Manny Pacquiao was never going to take place in the UAE, but it was no surprise the country showed an interest. Eighteen years ago, when Mayweather was fighting debutants in Chula Vista and Pacquiao was an 18-year-old southpaw with 16 professional bouts under his belt, the Emirates were already dreaming of hosting title fights.
On March 27, 1997, Chris Eubank fought little-known Camilo Alarcon in Dubai as part of a comeback tour. The British former world super middleweight champion was approaching his 31st birthday and arrived at the Aviation Club proclaiming that victory would help him earn a shot at the world light heavyweight title.
In Dubai, before stepping on what proved to be a loose and bumpy canvas in a ring set up on centre court, Eubank said a deal was already in the works to hold a prospective title bout along the road in the UAE capital.
“I am setting up a world title fight now for May 15th, which will be in Abu Dhabi,” said Eubank, who had been training in the Emirates for the previous three months.
“Any championship I can get hold of is good — it gives me credibility for what I am doing.”
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Alarcon, an unheralded Colombian who had not fought for more than a year, did not add credibility to Eubank’s crusade.
While the London-born Eubank claimed the light-heavyweight bout was being broadcast to 110 countries and potentially 800 million viewers, such was the disinterest in his home country, a television deal was never signed with British broadcasters.
“People are more interested in a title fight, which l can understand,” he said before his scheduled 10-round match. “But they will sit up and take notice after I beat this man.”
The fight was broadcast on Eurosport and footage from it has been uploaded to YouTube (watch the full fight below).
It does not show Eubank, ever the flamboyant showman, entering the ring in a crane before stripping down to his trademark yellow-gold shorts, but it does showcase the crowd — predominantly male, sporting wide-necked shirts and kanduras.
The sponsors' branding, including Coca-Cola, Dugas and Gulf Today, can also be seen splashed all over the canvas.
When the bell sounded to start the UAE’s first major professional boxing bout, Eubank went on the offensive.
With Alarcon refusing to commit, the Brighton-based Brit landed a couple of jabs, but midway through the third round, the Colombian counter-puncher surprised him with a swinging right. Eubank recovered and, with a little less than 30 seconds left in the fourth round, a flurry of punches left his opponent on the canvas with weak knees.
“He was a big puncher, but as I was preparing to accept punishment, he left himself open,” Eubank said over a group of English spectators serenading him with requests to give them a wave.
Throngs of Arabs in national dress meanwhile waved UAE flags, no doubt already thinking of the short journey down Sheikh Zayed Road to watch Eubank’s title fight two months later.
The Abu Dhabi match never happened, though, and Eubank instead fought Joe Calzaghe for the WBO world super middleweight belt in Sheffield, losing by unanimous decision.
Two more bouts in England ended in defeat before he finally retired and relocated to Dubai, where he has lived on and off alongside his wife and manager Claire — while the UAE still waits to host its first major title fight.
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