The first time Abdou Karroum travelled overseas, he was 19. His bag was empty except for a pair of boxing gloves, some clothes, and a fistful of dreams. The Corsica-born athlete emerged victorious in a qualifying bout, giving him the chance to join the Monaco national boxing team.
For him, it was a dream come true then. “Corsica is a small island with less than 400,000 people. We did the same things every day. Life had become a routine. My father was a car mechanic, and so was my brother, but I aspired to be something more.”
Born to immigrant parents from Morocco, a young Abdou struggled to fit in. His peers viewed him as an outsider and he regularly got into fights defending himself from bullies. That pent-up energy led him to a martial arts gym. Initially, he trained in Muay Thai, then switched to boxing. He hasn’t looked back since.
“I haven’t been able to experience anything as intense as the experience you get when you step into the ring. I’ve never felt more alive.”
Abdou Karroum on his love for boxing
Abdou’s first punch at a heavy bag was 15 years ago, but the fire within him still roars and spits flames. After five years with the Monaco national boxing team, an opportunity to move to Singapore to work with The Ring Boxing Community and turn professional popped up. He grabbed it without hesitation, knowing life’s cruel vagaries.
“Before I went to Monaco for the first time, I injured my lower back severely. The physiotherapist said I would never throw another punch again,” Abdou recalls. A second opinion from another physiotherapist echoed the same diagnosis. He was devastated, but he wasn’t ready to give up on his dreams. Finally, he found a doctor who looked at his scans and recommended micro-surgery to fix the hernia. Several months later, Abdou returned to the ring.
Two world titles and 11 fights later, the professional boxer is taking another leap. He’s flying to France and Las Vegas to attend several fight camps to “level up and, hopefully, get a fight or two”.
The de facto boxing capital of the world, Las Vegas is home to several world-class champions, such as Floyd Mayweather and Devin Haney. Being in the heart of Sin City gives Abdou access to some of the world’s best pugilists.
It’s undoubtedly an enormous sacrifice. Abdou will have to cover most, if not all, of his expenses and be away from friends and family for a long time, but he’s no stranger to adversity. “The training is the easiest part,” he reveals. “It’s just the struggle every fighter must overcome. You work so hard to get recognition and money, but you get neither. So you keep pushing and pushing.”
Abdou, however, isn’t planning to quit. “I haven’t been able to experience anything as intense as the experience you get when you step into the ring. I’ve never felt more alive.”
It’s the same reason he loves Lewis Hamilton and his style. The seven-time Formula One champion constantly pushes boundaries on the track and the pavement with his fearless racing and chameleonic dress sense. “What I wear also depends on my mood. Sometimes, I like the old-school baggy silhouettes of hip-hop. Other days, I go for timeless elegance.”
For Abdou, Zegna is the pinnacle of timeless elegance. “I love what they’re doing. Their clothes are beautiful. The brand knows how to work with fabrics and silhouettes to create something new yet still keeping its roots.”
In many ways, Zegna’s evolution mirrors his life journey—progressing to greater things, but never forgetting your past.
Photography: Cher Him
Styling: Chia Wei Choong
Grooming: Aung Apichai, using Gucci Beauty and Kevin.Murphy
Photography Assistant: May Chong
