Rocky Fielding column: Final stretch before fight night is all about sharpening up

British boxer Rocky Fielding is returning to the ring after a two-year absence, and is part of a star-studded card slated for Dubai on November 26.

The D4G promotion is scheduled to take place at MotoSpace and will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and worldwide on IFL TV. The highly-anticipated card also features former two-weight world champion Badou Jack and Pakistan talent Muhammad Waseem.

Former British super middleweight champion Fielding faces Emmanuel Danso on his comeback. As part of the buildup, Fielding will provide a weekly update about his training regime in Dubai.

Tell us a bit about the final week of a training camp as you approach the fight

The final week of camp is about sharpening up, working on the fast pads and going over my tactics for the fight. I will also work on certain shots which I think will help me during the match but, to be honest, all of the hard work has been done by this stage so I won’t be doing too much. It’s just a case of getting the weight down, keeping sharp and making sure the shots are correct.

On a personal level, do you change in the days leading up to a fight?

My mood changes as I get closer to a fight. You have to make weight and you’re fully focused on the bout so sometimes you can get a bit moody. When I’m around my kids my mood changes because I’m happy to spend time with them, but if I’m on my own, going to the gym or coming out of the gym, I’m trying to make sure everything is spot on ahead of the fight so it can get a bit intense, but it’s all good on the whole.

You obviously have the press conference and weigh-in ahead of the fight – is that something you enjoy?

I like the weigh-in the most. The press conference is OK. This one will be fine because it’s my first in two years, I have a new promotion team and I’m out here in Dubai so it shouldn’t be too bad. I look forward to the weigh-in and getting that done because then you can sit back, get some food inside you and make your final preparations for the fight.

And what about making weight – do you have a specific process you follow?

I have a nutritionist. He’s not out here with me but we’re on the phone regularly, speaking and texting about certain bits and pieces. I’ve been around long enough to know my body, and to know what I have to do in order to get my weight down. I haven’t got too much to go right now, which is good, because after being out for two years my weight was high. It’s come down gradually and even though I still need to lose the last few pounds, it’s enjoyable and then you can eat what you want after the weigh-in.

How are you feeling and what are you thinking about as you walk out to the ring?

As long as you put the hard work in during camp, training generally goes well and obviously when you’re walking into the ring, you’re fully focused. You want to get the win, look good and impress the crowd watching. Then it’s all about moving on to the next one. But for me, it’s important to stay focused and enjoy the fight. This one is at a really impressive venue so I’m sure I’ll be in high spirits on the night and I’m looking forward to putting on a show for everybody out here in Dubai.

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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.”

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