Abu Dhabi: Dubai deserves to hold a major boxing bout, such as a long-awaited match-up between Floyd Mayweather Junior and Manny Pacquiao, according to heavyweight legend George Foreman.
The 65-year-old told Gulf News a fight of this magnitude would be the “crowning moment” for the emirate, which has become world renowned after hosting major sporting events such as the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and golf’s Dubai Desert Classic.
Foreman was speaking ahead of the 40th anniversary last week of his historic ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ encounter with Muhammad Ali, which was the first time a significant sporting extravaganza had been held in Africa.
The two-time world heavyweight champion told Gulf News in an exclusive telephone interview: “Can you imagine George Foreman-Ali in Dubai and all of the publicity and stirring up of the hype? Oh! What a tremendous prospect.”
Of the tantalising prospect of the unbeaten Mayweather taking on Filipino legend, the WBO welterweight champion Pacquiao in Dubai, Foreman added: “If I have a favourite fighter, it’s Pacquiao, as he keeps throwing punches. That would be a great fight — Mayweather-Pacquiao in Dubai.
“I would love to see it happen. It would be the crowning moment for Dubai. Yet Floyd Mayweather is a pure boxer and I don’t like it. If you beat him for three rounds, he doesn’t seem to mind so as long as he wins the next seven rounds. I don’t like that. I never have and I never will.”
Foreman said Dubai could emulate Las Vegas, which has become the fight capital of the world following its staging of a multitude of high-profile bouts since the 1960s.
“I fought Ron Lyle in a parking lot in Caesars Palace in the 1970s,” he said. “It changed Las Vegas and changed boxing. That’s where the big things [in boxing] have happened since.
“Las Vegas became Las Vegas because of a world title match, not because of the super casinos.”
Foreman was last in the UAE 10 years ago to promote his hugely successful George Foreman grill, of which more than 100 million units have been sold.
He is eager to return and help promote boxing in the region.
“That would be the thrill of my life,” he said. “When I was there, I looked around and saw everything new, new, new. I love Dubai. One of the wonders of the world is where you can watch people ski inside [Ski Dubai].
“The Burj Khalifa? I’d love to go up that building.”
Does he have a message for UAE boxing fans?
He replied: “The message is that boxing, as far as I am concerned, is the granddaddy of all sports. When it’s done proper with the right people involved, there’s no thrill like a boxing match.”
