It was close to Disneyland in Florida where, in arguably the fight - and upset - of the year, Japan's relentless Masayuki Ito lifted the World Boxing Organization super-featherweight title against Puerto Rico's hot favourite Christopher Diaz.

Big fights have certainly washed up in some weird and wonderful places. Back in 1889 heavyweights James J Corbett and Joe Choynski even fought a bare knuckle contest on a hot summer afternoon aboard a grain barge, moored in the waters off California's Benicia Harbour close to San Francisco. 

According to New York's Times Herald it was one of the most famous bouts of its time - a 27-round bloody slugfest "to the finish", so brutal that it was immortalised on the big screen and even today, boxing historians refer to it simply as "The Barge Fight".

That day's gladiators, heavyweight champion Corbett and his small but scrappy Jewish opponent Choynski, fought each other for nearly two hours at a time when prize fights were illegal, yet growing in popularity.

After 15 rounds of furious battling, during which Corbett absorbed terrific punishment, he suddenly found that by arcing his left hand to the head and allowing his index knuckle to absorb the shock of the blow, he could deal out a paralysing punch.

This same punch, now known as a hook, was invented out of sheer necessity by Corbett that day, and has since become a fundamental part of every fighter's tactics.

"Gentleman Jim" once again took the fight to Choynski, who began showing signs of wear in the late rounds.

In the 27th, Corbett caught his opponent off-guard with a few rights, then delivered a final crushing left hook that knocked out Choynski.

Though he won the fight, Corbett had to be carried off the barge himself, and reportedly admitted later that if his opponent had got back up, he would have had to throw in the towel because his hands were too damaged to continue.

A forlorn Muhammad Ali ended his career in unusual circumstances. In 1981 he lost to Jamaican Trevor Berbick, who was found clubbed to death in a church courtyard several years later, in a baseball field in The Bahamas capital Nassau.

The fight was delayed because local promoters forgot to bring the keys to the stadium. They also forgot to provide a bell and one had to be taken from around the neck of a cow in an adjoining pasture.

The Bertram Mills circus ring at London's Olympia was also the setting for several big fights where the roar of the lions in their cages outside could often be heard above the noise of the crowd.

Perhaps the most bizarre night of boxing I experienced came in 1962 at Stanley Park in Blackpool. Local heavyweight star Brian London and his American opponent Howard King had to be piggy-backed into the ring carrying umbrellas during a fierce rainstorm which flooded the open air arena.

So wet was the ring canvas that they boxed barefoot with referee Wally Thom wearing a mackintosh. After much slipping and sliding London won in the sixth.

However, surely the oddest spot of all now has to be the Red Sea city of Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, where on September 28 two Brits, George Groves and Callum Smith, will slug it out for a world title.

Londoner Groves and Liverpudlian Smith meet in the super-middleweight final of the World Boxing Super Series with Saint George's World Boxing Association title and the Muhammad Ali trophy also on the line.

This Liverpool v London battle would sell out any UK arena, yet London-based German promoter Kalle Sauerland has done a mega-money deal to stage it in Saudi Arabia, which has never had pro boxing before and where the principal sport is camel racing.

It is a baffling move. For my sins, I have been to Jeddah, and believe me, Las Vegas it isn't.

It is certainly no boxing Mecca - though Mecca itself is just down the road.

The only other time I can recall boxing taking place in the Arab world was 22 years ago when Chris Eubank knocked out Argentine Luis Barrera, in five rounds in Cairo, Egypt.

As Colin Hart reported in The Sun, it was a platform for Eubank to be at his eccentric best. His antics, including riding a camel wearing jodhpurs, his trademark monocle and carrying a gold topped cane, at least put a smile on the face of the Sphinx.

But the citizens of Cairo were completely indifferent. The only way they managed to get a crowd into the hall that night was to order a couple of thousand army and sea cadets to sit at ringside and make some noise.

Groves and Smith will meet in Jeddah's King Abdullah Sports Stadium and there certainly won't be any round card girls. Unless they wear a burqa.

Indeed, it is only this year that women have been permitted to watch sport in feudal Saudi.

Under pressure from FIFA, the Saudi rulers relaxed their men-only policy and permitted women to watch football.

But should Groves take his missus along she will have to sit in a specially segregated women-only area protected by barriers from the men and cover everything except her face, like all the other females present, in a full length abaya.

It will be something of a culture shock, too, for Smith's ever-thirsty Scouse army of supporters should they wish to make the 3,000 mile journey. For one thing they won't be able to get a beer - alcohol is strictly taboo. And if they do manage to smuggle in a can or two and are caught they face a public flogging.

Gives a whole new meaning to going on the lash.