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Fund managers, investment bankers and traders weigh in at Hong Kong’s inaugural Hedge Fund Fight Nite.


The psychological battle began last night as ten out of 12 contenders in Hong Kong’s only white-collar boxing event weighed in at new harbourside venue Watermark. Set to the thumping beat of “Eye of the Tiger”, the contenders from the world of hedge funds, investment banks and trading desks took to the stage with their opponents and for a chance to strut their stuff.

Admittedly it was a polite, gentlemanly event, with no trash talking and only one battler coming out with both fists swinging – that would be England’s Will ‘Mad Dog’ Marsden of Mergermarket.

Most of the boxers looked a bit sheepish as they were paraded down by one of the black leather-clad ‘Never Say Never Again Girls’, who will serve as ring girls next week. They gamely climbed onto the stage, although Australia’s Adam ‘Kilgour’ Upton of JF Asset Management leapt up from the floor, to the audience’s approval. The atmosphere on stage was that of a team rather than of 10 men trying to intimidate one another opponents. (Two of the boxers were travelling.)

That said, the fighters and their trainer are confident good manners will turn into alpha-male competitiveness once the boxers enter the ring.

The Hedge Fund Fight Nite, which will raise money for charity Operation Smile, will be held Wednesday, 28 November at the Conrad Hotel. Real-estate investor Intellectual Property is the main sponsor for the event. There will be six fights, each consisting of three two-minute rounds. The organisers say they’ve already raised HK$200,000 and are aiming to raise $1 million by the end of next week’s black-tie action.

None of the Dirty Dozen have boxed previously, although most are sporty types. Will ‘the Gunner’ Sirret of Interactive Brokers, for example, says he plays rugby and sails. But part of the motivation was to get back in shape. “I started off at 100 kilograms and got down to 91kg – although I think I’ve put some back on again,” he says. (Sirret weighed in at 94kg.)

“It’s good to have a goal,” says England’s Toby ‘Wight Rhino’ Bland of hedge fund Enhanced Investment Products. “But I’ll be glad when it’s over.”

With an initial pool of 28 fighters entering training five months ago, the numbers whittled down as many realised this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, says Andrew Wong Kee, founder of Jab Mixed Martial Arts. Jab trained all the fighters for free as its contribution to the charity. Wong Kee says most of the lads arrived out of shape and the first three months were dedicated to an intense circuit training for fitness, before anyone approached a punching bag. “They’re ready now for competitive boxing,” he says. The training involved twice weekly group sessions as well as solo work on boxers’ own time.

Up together on stage, the hardened pugilists made taking blows sound routine. “I’ve had a busted nose and two black eyes,” says Los Angeleno Greg ‘Bulldog’ Jacobsen of Countrywide.

After the weigh-in, the audience of supporters and media was given a chance to ask the lads some questions. One lady in the crowd asked, “The guy on the left, can I take him back to mine?”

The match-ups are:

Fight 1

Greg ‘Bulldog’ Jacobsen
Born: USA
Firm: Countrywide
Weight: 84kg

Versus

Mark ‘Celtic Warrior’ Finnie
Born: Scotland
Firm: Mergermarket
Weight: 81kg

Fight 2

Maghnus ‘Victimizer’ Byrne
Born: England
Firm: Macquarie
Weight: 79kg

Versus

Budgie ‘Dynamite’ Wright
Born: Merrill Lynch
Weight: n/a

Fight 3

Will ‘the Gunner’ Sirret
Born: England
Firm: Interactive Brokers
Weight: 94kg

Versus

Toby ‘the Tornado’ Dodd
Firm: Cushman & Wakefield)
Weight: n/a

Fight 4

Ron ‘Anaesthetist’ Rutland
Born: South Africa
Firm: Fortis Bank
Weight: 104kg

Versus

Graham ‘Slappin’ Lappin
Born: India
Firm: Merrill Lynch
Weight: 100kg

Fight 5

Will ‘Mad Dog’ Marsden
Born: England
Firm: Mergermarket
Weight: 89kg

Versus

Tony ‘T-Bone’ Shaw
Born: Australia
Firm: HSBC
Weight: 85kg

Fight 6

Tobias ‘the Wight Rhino’ Bland
Born: England
Firm: Enhanced Investment Products
Weight: 109kg

Versus

Adam ‘Kilgour’ Upton
Born: Australia
Firm: JF Asset Management
Weight: 95.5kg

I predict Tony & Adam to meet in the final.