The lead-up to any professional boxing match is always intense; several weeks of punishing training camps including daily sparring sessions can take its toll.
For Nadim Salloum, Lebanon's first professional boxer, the preparation for his fight on Friday, when he faces Canadian Kenny Chery, carries an added weight of expectation and excitement.
The fight, at super middleweight, will be his first since signing with prominent US boxing manager Adam Glenn, the son of the legendary New York trainer Jimmy Glenn, who worked with heavyweight great Floyd Patterson and trained numerous others.
“I want a knockout. That's the goal," Salloum told The National ahead of Friday's fight in New York. "I want a knockout with the right hand, my injured wrist. That's what we're working on."
The wrist injury Salloum refers to came in his last fight just under four months ago in Louisville, Kentucky, the birthplace of his childhood hero, Muhammad Ali.
Salloum’s aggressive style saw him win a six-round bout against Ashton Sykes by unanimous decision. The injury, he says, prevented him from delivering a knockout in front of a passionate crowd of his supporters, many of whom were Lebanese diaspora.
It was the 27-year-old's fourth straight win and his performance was enough to convince Glenn to sign Salloum to his Times Square Boxing promotion.
“Deep inside, I knew it was going to happen. I deserve a good manager, and I am a good boxer,” says Salloum. “We are going to both be winners through this.”
Salloum's confidence is unwavering. However, the tough years of trying to break into the sport in the US have given him a shrewd understanding of how boxing works.
“Boxing is a business and you have to promote yourself,” he says, “I want to fight all over the world, and we have fans - Lebanese expats everywhere - we have to tap into that.”
At a time when Lebanon is facing perhaps its darkest days, Salloum’s unconventional route into boxing is inspiring fans both at and abroad.
After winning his first national championships as a 17-year-old, Salloum's career stagnated. He decided that if he really wanted to pursue his dreams of becoming a world champion, he would have to leave Lebanon.
“Nobody knew how to do it in Lebanon,” remembers Salloum, “I was a good fighter, but was a long way short of being at a professional level. Something needed to change.”
In 2015, Salloum, age 21, flew to the US to spend a month networking and training at some of the country’s most renown gyms. He would repeat the cycle for another two years, dropping out of university and selling his car to fund his pursuit.
“When it came to boxing I was willing to sacrifice everything. I was determined to make it happen.”
In 2017, the sacrifices started to pay off. Salloum was given his first professional fight, a first for any Lebanese boxer. It was in Tijuana, Mexico against a local opponent in front of a home crowd. Salloum won by a first-round knockout, according to unofficial reports.
Since then, Salloum has continued to fight in Mexico and in the US, always returning back to Lebanon once his money ran out.
Sensing he was on the cusp of greater things, Salloum decided to move to New York to immerse himself completely into the life of being a pro-boxer. For two-and-a-half years he has been living on his friend’s couch as he has developed as a fighter, picking up wins and continued to try and get his name out there.
“Nobody works as hard as I do and nobody sacrificed as much as I did, so I don't think anybody deserves it as much as I do,” Salloum says.
He faces in the 33-year-old Chery a fighter ranked eighth in the super-middle weight class in Canada who is coming off the back of two wins this year.
“I don’t care, I focus on what I have to do,” says Salloum. “I am going to knock him out and move on to the next one.”
To watch the fight go to BXNGTV.COM for details.
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
2019 ASIAN CUP FINAL
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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Mumbai Indians 213/6 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 167/8 (20 ov)
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Series result
1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets
