No offense to Carson, California, and Reno, Nevada but prime-time fights need prime time hosts. Andy Ruiz will be trading dessert for the desert in his Saturday night rematch with Anthony Joshua. The highly-anticipated rematch has been dubbed the “Clash on the Dunes,” since the fight is being held at Saudi Arabia’s ritzy Diriyah Arena.
It isn’t the first time the promoters have taken a super fight off-the-beaten-path. Did you pay attention in geography class? We hope so. Here are our top five destination super fights in boxing history:
‘Thrilla in Manila’ (Quezon City, Philippines)
The “Thrilla in Manilla” is one of the most famous fights ever but it technically took place outside of the Filipino capital. Guess “Thrilla in Quezon City” doesn’t have the same ring to it. The legendary 1975 rubber match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier saw the two all-time greats tear each other apart with “The Greatest” finally stopping “Smokin’ Joe” in the 14th round. The “Thrilla in Manilla” settled boxing’s most famous feud, while also distracting Filipinos from the on-going political unrest under President Ferdinand Marcos.
Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas (Tokyo, Japan)
These days, Japan is Naoya Inoue’s stomping grounds, but back in 1990, the “Land of the Rising Sun” paid top dollar to import big fights. It cost $7 million to host Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas at the legendary Tokyo Dome. In what seemed like a tune-up fight for Tyson, the destination fight didn’t even get a cool name (Mike Tyson is back!) but was well worth it. The investment immortalized the Japanese venue as the host of the greatest upset in sports history after Douglas stunned the “Baddest Man on the Planet.”
‘The Battle in Brisbane’ (Brisbane, Australia)
Hoping to revitalize the Australian boxing scene, Queensland officials secured a Manny Pacquiao fight in 2017. Pac-Man took his talents to the Outback for a bout against local legend Jeff Horn, a former schoolteacher. The “Hornet” pulled off a monumental upset but his victory is widely considered a bushranger-worthy robbery outside of the “land down under.”
‘The Brawl in Montreal’ (Montreal, Canada)
While the Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran trilogy is defined by the “No Mas” fight, their first encounter was a fifteen round classic in Canada. On November 25, 1980, hockey took a backseat to boxing. The two legends collided in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium trading punch after punch in front of 46,317 screaming Canadians. Duran squeaked out of the war with the judge’s decision, marking Leonard’s first professional loss.
‘Rumble in the Jungle’ (Kinshasa, Zaire)
The “Rumble the Jungle” not only established Muhammad Ali as the GOAT but also brought global eyes upon Africa. Over a billion people watched the landmark fight in Kinshasa, Zaire (modern-day Congo) between Ali and George Foreman. The eight-round epic saw Ali, a 4:1 underdog, overcome the unstoppable “Big George” while simultaneously showcasing Zaire as a lush tourism hub with a rich and storied culture that is often overlooked.
