Eddie Hearn has described this weekend’s inaugural “Champions Series” event in Abu Dhabi as an “important moment” for boxing, with plans to build on Saturday night with a number of shows in the capital next year – and discussions having already taken place for Anthony Joshua to headline.
Abu Dhabi will on Saturday stage its first major-level boxing event, with a stacked card at Etihad Arena featuring three world title fights. The night is headlined by the WBA light-heavyweight clash between champion Dmitry Bivol and No 1 mandatory challenger Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.
The event marks the first in the multiyear agreement announced in August between Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi.
On Wednesday, Hearn told The National that discussions had begun regarding what comes after Saturday, saying: “Obviously the focus is don’t take our eye off the ball for Saturday. But we’re already in talks for the next one.
“Get this event successfully over the line and then we can move into 2023 with a better strategy moving forward. That’s what we want to establish: that annual schedule.
“I think that comprises two big events and two huge events, to keep the interest moving. What you can’t do is one on [Saturday] and come back in a year. You’re wasting the momentum. You lose everything you built on.
“So really, for us, we’d like to come back February, March or April, another one in summer, two in the back end of the year as well. And then you can keep the momentum going for the sport.
“There’s a lot of boxes to tick. We must stay relentless, and we must keep that aggression in terms of building the sport here.”
Hearn, who expects more than 10,000 fans inside the arena on Saturday, had previously told The National that the new partnership with Abu Dhabi would bring the sport’s most prominent stars to compete in the capital, such as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Anthony Joshua or Katie Taylor.
Joshua, the former world heavyweight champion, will be in attendance on Saturday, while Alvarez, the current undisputed super-middleweight champion, may also be there.
“If you’re a long-term player, if you have a long-term strategy, then there’s plenty of time to bring 'Canelo' Alvarez [to fight] here, plenty of time to bring Anthony Joshua here,” Hearn said. “These guys are aware, they understand now that Abu Dhabi are players in the international boxing market. Fans are starting to be aware; they’ll become more aware on Saturday.
“And I’m just glad the DCT have a long-term vision for boxing. Because there is so much to do here, in terms of the appetite, the infrastructure, the budget for huge, world-class events.
"If we get it right here, which I believe we will, this is going to be a very important moment for boxing on Saturday. And it’ll just be the start for us.”
On Joshua, Hearn said: “We’re already discussing the possibility of him fighting here; 'Canelo' Alvarez against Dmitry Bivol. You will continue to see the biggest names on our roster performing in Abu Dhabi.”
Joshua, a former two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, has not competed since his rematch defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in August, with the Briton’s return to the ring, expected to be next year, yet to be confirmed.
Joshua has suggested fellow Brit Dillian Whyte as a possible next opponent, while also citing Sweden’s Otto Wallin and Croat Filip Hrgovic. Meanwhile, former WBC champion Deontay Wilder is said to be under serious consideration for Joshua later next year.
Asked about that fight possibly landing in Abu Dhabi, Hearn said: “Certainly, they’re the kind of fights, as we build the sport here, we are all looking to bring to this region.
“An Anthony Joshua fight is one thing, and then Joshua against a Wilder, a Joshua against a [Tyson] Fury, are all fights that, when the moment is right to bring a fight of that magnitude here – and it won’t be long – we’ll be aggressively pursuing with the DCT.”
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
Fifa Club World Cup:
When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Company%C2%A0profile
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
Jawan
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The%20Killer
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
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