HUGH Russell was supervising a local bout in a west Belfast entertainment complex when he got the call from the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) asking him to fly to Saudi Arabia for the most expensive fight the world has ever seen.
"The general secretary Robert Smith contacted me and asked if I would like to be part of the team to go out and stage the Joshua fight," the former boxer turned photographer said.
The 'Joshua fight' was the $100 million rematch between US fighter Andy Ruiz Jr and Britain's Anthony Joshua for the world heavyweight title.
"I was looking after a show in The Devenish in west Belfast, what we would call a small hall show - to be there when you get word you're going to be offered the biggest fight in the world and one of the richest fights the world has ever seen.
"All the belts were on offer bar one, including the biggest title in the world and a TV audience of billions. There was a lot of prestige."
The `Clash on the Dunes' took place on December 7 at the ancient ruined city of Diriyah on the outskirts of the Saudi capital Riyadh, in a 15,000-seat arena constructed in less than two months.
Amid accusations by Amnesty International of the kingdom attempting to 'sportswash' concerns over its human rights record, the stadium will be razed to the ground within six months after showcasing its wealth and splendour.
It was the first time Saudi Arabia has staged such a spectacle and, anxious to get it right, it asked the BBBC to help organise and oversee the biggest prize fight of the year.
Mr Russell (60), an Olympic and Commonwealth medallist, British Bantamweight and Flyweight champion and Lonsdale belt-holder, has been a tireless worker for his sport since he retired in 1985, representing Northern Ireland on the BBBC.
He wears his legendary status lightly - in addition to his day job as a photographer for The Irish News he can be found in `small halls' overseeing fights as well as Belfast weigh-ins for boxing superstars such as Carl Frampton.
"I think it was the boys in the sport giving me something back for all the years I've put into it," he says of the surprise telephone call.
"I said yes, then wondered `What have I got myself in to?' Everybody that I talked to was saying `You should do it, that's what you deserve'."
Around a month later he was on an Emirates plane flying out to Saudi Arabia with other officials from the various UK regions represented by the BBBC, referees and doctors, some of whom he had met during high profile Belfast fights.
"They put us up in a beautiful hotel, we were looked after very, very well.
"We got in and the first thing we had to do was stage the weigh-ins."
There were eight fights taking place that night and all had to be completed to the BBBC standard. Unlike bouts in other arenas, where such occasions can resemble bear pits of aggression and stand-offs, the fighters were relaxed and the atmosphere calm.
"At Belfast fights, with the likes of Frampton, it would be very loud and exciting, very noisy. This was very calm and everything was very civil. I don't think the crowd really knew what to expect - it was a first for them," Mr Russell said.
"For the fighters it make no difference. Once you put your leg over the rope and get in the ring it doesn't matter whether you're in The Devenish in west Belfast or Saudi Arabia."
An objection from the American's camp to any BBBC official being involved in the main fight due to potential conflict of interest meant Hugh was concentrating instead on the undercard and Russian fighter Alexander Povetkin - the height differential making for an amusing photo opportunity.
That left him free to watch the main event - won on points by Joshua - from a ringside seat under what proved to be a very wet Arabian sky.
"It never rains there, but it rained. We brought it with us (from Ireland)."
From a boxing point of view it wasn't the prettiest fight, but like all heavyweight match-ups "the whole thing could change in a second" and it was certainly a landmark event.
"It will be the fight in years to come people will say, `Where were you when they held the very first fight in Saudi Arabia?'"
For Hugh Russell, the answer will be ringside watching history being made on the night the rain fell in the desert.
