On his first trip to Dubai, former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson recalls getting off a plane wearing a traditional Muslim cap and robes, carrying a Quran and expecting to find a society strictly governed by conservative mores.
He was in for a surprise.
This is “a party place, a place you have a good time at. This is like New York City, man!” Tyson exclaimed during an interview on Thursday. “That’s what people think. They think of Dubai as some real strict Islamic place. ... This place is so open. It’s just unbelievable.”
Speaking from a penthouse overlooking Dubai’s man-made Palm Jumeirah archipelago, Tyson said he believes a city like Dubai can show people the best of the Middle East, its people and Islam. He said in an interview that his new project franchising Mike Tyson Fitness & Boxing Academy locations worldwide fits in perfectly with the city’s desire to always be out front.
“People come over here and love this place. It’s just what it is,” he said. “I’ve been all over the world ... and everything they’ve got there, they’ve got here.”
Tyson converted to Islam while serving prison time in the 1990s over rape charges. He said he has performed the hajj pilgrimage required of all Muslims, as well as other trips to holy sites in Saudi Arabia.
Tyson, once known as the baddest man on the planet, was known for his explosive punching and quick knockouts. He said the heavyweight world had sagged in recent years, though Saturday night’s crowning of British boxer Anthony Joshua as the new champion in his win over Wladimir Klitschko should reinvigorate the interest.
Told 90,000 people attended the fight, Tyson said “that’s what rock groups do.”
“He looks like the guy,” Tyson. “The look matters. Especially if you fight it matters.”
Asked what he’d tell Joshua, Tyson offered simple advice: “Take it very serious.”
Tyson said. “It may look like entertainment, but Klitschko is hurt real bad. Right now he’s in pain. That’s what’s going to happen if you don’t train and get in shape.”
In Dubai, he and his business partners hope to open franchises of his new gym. Tyson said he will be involved with the gyms and their direction. His partners offered few details about when and where they will open, other to say one should be in Las Vegas in 2018.
Dubai is more known for being a city of superlatives, ranging from being home to the world’s tallest building to the world’s busiest international airport. But sports also play a role in the city.
Horse racing remains the passion of His Highness Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who hosts the $10 million (Dh36 million) Dubai World Cup each year. Camel races see teams jockey their steeds with robots controlled by remotes from SUVs racing alongside them.
Outside of traditional Arab pursuits, long-haul carrier Emirates hosts the rugby sevens, golf tournaments draw top players and Abu Dhabi hosts a Formula One race. Pakistani cricket clubs, largely unable to compete in their own country over fears of militant attack, play in the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, galas and glamour regularly draw soccer stars and other athletes to Dubai.
Athletic endorsements deals also are common, as famed English soccer club Arsenal plays at Emirates Stadium. In Dubai, the most prominent athlete attached to a project is golfer Tiger Woods, who designed a course being built now that will be run by the Trump Organisation.
