Anthony Mundine and Danny Green seem set to end their professional boxing careers with a rematch of their 2006 fight.
According to reports, ‘The Man’ and ‘The Green Machine’ could tussle again at the end of this year.
The two met in 2006 in front of a big crowd at the Sydney Football Stadium, Mundine securing a unanimous points decision.
It was the biggest fight in Australian boxing history, grossing around $20 million.
Eight years on and it looks like they will get it on again. About five to four years too late by my count.
Green is in semi-retirement, is 41 and hasn’t fought since November 2012, when he beat Shane Cameron at cruiserweight. That’s a long time out the ring.
Mundine, 39, has fought more regularly but not with great results. He was destroyed by Joshua Clottey in April, had win over an easy opponent in Gunnar Jackson in January and beat a geriatric Shane Mosley in November. He was also man-handled by Daniel Geale last January.
No news on my next fight yet. Training hard. Looking forward to locking something in soon.
— Daniel Geale (@RealDealGeale) May 27, 2014
Meanwhile, Mundine’s fight options are fast running out.
So we have a 41-year-old against a 39-year-old, with a close to 50-pound weight difference between them. Ok then.
I’m not against Mundine versus Green II per se, I’m just against the timing. It should have happened in 2007 or 2008, or even at 2009, when both fighters were close to their prime and we would have seen a real contest.
Now it’s just a last payday, that’s the sole reason.
Mundine’s bravado and bullshit, his bold claims about Mayweather and beating the best have fallen away. No one is being fooled anymore. Green is still sniping away, bitter that he was beaten in 2006.
In that fight Mundine’s speed and superior boxing skill was too much for the West Australian. Green claims he was too weakened for that bout, he had lost too much weight, but regardless Mundine was too fleet of foot for him.
That’s likely to have changed now.
Mundine has slowed down considerably and his soft chin is on show, as Clottey so wickedly exposed. If Mundine comes up in weight, and Green can limit what he has to drop, then the former Sydney Olympian is a big chance. A catchweight of something around super middleweight or light heavyweight may be possible.
Still, it would be a bit of a sad end for both fighters. A sweet retirement paycheque sure, but one that doesn’t really offer a lot of value for money for the punters, compared to what it could have been.
Does anyone remember Jeff Fenech’s farcical rematch against Azumah Nelson in 2008? These are the kind of veteran rematch bouts boxing needs to avoid.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
Let’s get ready to rumble! Pick a fighter and place your bets with PlayUp for great odds. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Nikita Tszyu defended his Australian super welterweight crown. But a fightback from opponent Danilo Creati threatened to spoil everything in the sixth round.
Nikita Tszyu has overcome a nasty mid-fight moment to score a unanimous points win over Danilo Creati and retain his Australian super welterweight title…
A bloodied Tim Tszyu has been cruelly denied in his quest to emulate his legendary father Kostya and become a unified world boxing champion…
Liam Wilson has suffered further heartbreak in Arizona, the Australian boxer losing his super-featherweight world-title fight against Mexican Oscar Valdez. In front of a…
Tim Tszyu has the chance to emulate his legendary father as a unified world boxing champion after the stakes were dramatically raised for his…
Australia's Alexander Volkanovski has lost his UFC featherweight title to Ilia Topuria, with the Spaniard scoring a stunning second round knockout in the main…
