Muhammad Ali, Hasim Rahman, Prince Naseem Hamed and Amir Khan are all Muslim boxers who can call themselves world champion. And yet, there has never been an Arab man able to make the same claim. This is a point of contention for Ahmed Seddiqi, the Emirati boxing promotor and pioneer.
“There will be an Arab world champion in the sport of boxing within five years,” he says confidently. “That is what I am working towards, and have been for the past 10 years.” His solution: ‘Rising Stars Arabia’. Taking place on September 9 at Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Arena, the boxing event will be the first-of-its-kind —a full-card showcase of elite professional boxing talents from around the Gulf and MENA region, televised globally
on ESPN Knockout.
Sanctioned by the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission and sponsored by the Department of Culture and Tourism—Abu Dhabi, the Rising Stars Arabia event will be the first in a series that will feature established Gulf and MENA fighters across the card, including the UAE’s own unbeaten Sultan Al Nuaimi (9-0, 6KOs) fighting Jemsi Kibazange (18-6-2, 5KOs) from Tanzania; and Moroccan talent Moussa Gholam (20-1-0, 12KOs), currently ranked 14th in WBC, against former world title challenger Matias Carlos Adrian Rueda (37-2-0, 32KOs).
“Arab fighters are not given attention in boxing at all, and yet, there is a growing desire to see boxing grow in the region,” Seddiqi explains with the experience of someone who has helped nurture and manage a staggering 90 percent of professional boxers from the region. “Saudi Arabia has recently hosted some World Heavyweight Title fights, but despite the global attention, there were little-to-no regional athletes fighting on those cards. Frankly, I don’t think it’s fair, and it is up to people like me to make sure Arab boxers get more exposure and more opportunities to showcase what they can do.”
“There will be an Arab world champion in the sport of boxing within five years”
Ahmed Seddiqi
For Seddiqi, boxing is passion—not just his passion, but an entire sport that is fuelled by it. He recalls the moment that he was first hooked, watching Diego Corrales fight Jose Luis Castillo in Las Vegas in 2005 —one of the greatest bouts in modern times, with Corrales winning via a sensational knock-out in the tenth round.
It was such a formative moment for Seddiqi that it would be the inspiration for the Dubai-based boxing gym he would go on to form, ‘Round 10’.
“Boxing is not like tennis or basketball, it requires a total lifestyle commitment to succeed,” says Seddiqi. “It is a poor man’s sport, and you see a lot of people coming from very difficult backgrounds, literally fighting to make a better life for themselves and their families. In our part of the world, there are a lot of distractions, but if someone is fully committed to success in the sport, it is my duty to make sure they have a path to go all the way to the top.”
Rising Stars Arabia. Sept 9, 2023. Mubadala Arena, Abu Dhabi. abu-dhabi.platinumlist.net.