The concept of White Collar Boxing could be brand-new for the city – just watch Hollywood block-
busters “Million Dollar Baby” and “Cinderella Man” if you still don’t get it. Now the world’s fastest growing corporate contact sport comes to town. It will debut in Macau with the entertainment capital’s charity fight-night “Mayhem in Macao” at The Venetian Macao on Friday, 18 July.
Designer, account manager and physical education coordinator are going head to head in the boxing ring in a charity fundraiser for the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Program in Macau.
It could be charity fights at black-tie events, or perhaps celebrity clashes what William Boneham, Mark Daniels and Dominic Masters are getting themselves into – in and off the ring.
The Pitch
William Boneham
“When we were younger, my brother was actually more interested in boxing than me, but there was no way I could have my younger brother beating me up, so I went training with him.”
William Boneham, is the Senior Design Manager of a multi-million dollar casino resort that is currently being developed in Macau. He decided to sign up for Mayhem in Macao simply to get fit, as he has realized that it is harder to get motivated to go to the gym as he gets older. With the training required for this boxing event, William feels that he “now has a focus and a reason to go to the gym.”
Entering the boxing world also gave him the opportunity to meet some big names in the industry, including Herald “Bomber” Graham.
Having fought in amateur events before, William has realized he really enjoys the training and the sparring that comes with it. Training in the Hong Kong heat, however, has proven to be a whole new challenge.
His stage name, “The Pitch”, comes from a softer place; watching “The Rise of the Guardians” with his children caused him to adopt the nickname “Pitch”, the villain who brings people nightmares. His specific aim? To get below 90kg for fight night, a weight he hasn’t been able to drop down to for 20 years.
The Dentist
Mark Daniels
Mark Daniels is the Key Account Manager Macau of an Australian slot machine manufacturer based in Macau, where his role consists of selling, and managing relationships between the company and casinos.
His inspiring story as to why he has decided to participate in this year’s Mayhem in Macao involves his eldest brother, who passed away from recently cancer. Mark wants to use this chance to honour his brother’s bravery and passion for life. “No matter how hard training is and how much it hurts, I always have the option to stop.” Motivating him to not give up was the realization that his brother didn’t have an option about whether to fight his disease or not.
As a participant who has never stepped foot into a boxing ring before, Mark looks up to the legendary Muhammad Ali and his undying passion and dedication to what he believes in. With all the motivation, Mark hopes to conquer his fears by fighting through the pain and getting fit. His drive and reasons behind his decision to participate has given him cause to love every minute of the training, and everything he has given up for training has been nothing but a blessing.
Red Dragon
Dominic Masters
A Physical Education Coordinator at Macau Anglican College, Dominic Masters moved to China, Hong Kong, then to Macau almost two years ago.
As a sports lover, Dominic decided to sign up for Mayhem in Macao to give boxing a try. Being a fan of Mike Tyson and Prince Naseem also motivated him to participate. Being naturally fit and athletic, Dominic hopes to learn new skills and experience a very different type of sport, as he grew up focusing on swimming and rugby.
For Dominic, the hardest part of training for the boxing event has been tackling the heat.
Originally from Wales, Dominic’s stage name is, understandably, “Red Dragon”.
Tickets for Mayhem in Macao are on sale now via www.cotaiticketing.com, and are priced at MOP1,500 per head and MOP15,000 for a table of 10 for Silver category, and MOP3,000 per head and MOP30,000 for a table of 10 for Gold category, including free-flowing wine, beer and cocktails.
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