World Boxing Super Series promoter Kalle Sauerland has defended the tournament's decision to stage the super-middleweight clash between George Groves and Callum Smith in Saudi Arabia.
The fight, which is the final of the eight-man elimination tournament, was moved back from June to allow WBA champion Groves to recover from shoulder surgery.
But when Sept. 28 was announced as the date of the bout, the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was revealed as the surprise location.
A London venue had been tipped to host the two British fighters but Sauerland, who is chief boxing officer for WBSS creators Comosa AG, said the location of the fight reflects the global nature of the tournament, which will return for the start of season two in September.
"This is a tournament that will travel," Sauerland told ESPN. "We've been to Moscow, we've been to Riga twice this season, we've been to the U.K. three times, we've been to San Antonio, New Jersey, Berlin, Nuremberg, Turin, we've been all over. It's been good fun and we will continue to travel, because this is a global tournament, it's not a U.K. tournament.
"You look at regions around the world where there's been boxing and pretty much everywhere on the planet has been done -- apart from the Middle East. I know every major promoter on the planet has been down to the Middle East over many years to try and put boxing on, and I think that to be traveling down there for this massive event is a sensational achievement from our team.
"We believe this is a global tournament. If it was Tottenham vs. Liverpool in the Champions League final it would have still been in Kiev this season, it wouldn't have been in Birmingham or in Liverpool or in North London, it would still take place in Kiev."
Both Groves and Smith had to hide their disappointment at Friday's press conference. The fighters are under contract with the WBSS and have no say in where fights will be but although they would have preferred a bout in their home country, Sauerland believes they now have the chance to make history.
"George and Callum will have massive fights in the UK," Sauerland said. "George had one this year already, and they'll have plenty more in their careers. But when they are grandfathers and they tell their kids that they had the first ever fight in that region I think they'll be thanking us afterwards."
Sauerland also pointed to the 'Thrilla in Manila' when Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought in the Philippines and the 'Rumble in the Jungle' when Ali fought George Foreman in Zaire as fights that became legendary despite being held in unusual locations.
"When you look back at those fights, people were going 'they're mad'," added Smith's trainer Joe Gallagher. "But they've stood the test of time. Hopefully George Groves and Callum Smith's fight will stand the test of time as well."