While his sponsor Mick Gatto is talking of filling the MCG for a showdown with boxing superstar Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Anthony Mundine says he doesn’t deserve the fight just yet.
Mundine became the mandatory challenger for Mayweather’s WBC light middleweight title with his defeat of previously unbeaten Belarusian Sergey Rabchenko in a split decision at Hisense Arena on Wednesday night.
The 39-year-old said he wanted to fight the American pound-for-pound king but, as the best in the sport, Mayweather could pick and choose his bouts.
“Personally I don’t think it’s realistic he will fulfil his obligation as mandatory,” Mundine admitted.
“He (Mayweather) probably doesn’t think I’ve earnt my right which I probably haven’t.
“So in saying that I would like to go after one of the other guys, whether it be (Saul) Alvarez or (Miguel) Cotto.”
Mexican Alvarez is a former WBC light middleweight who lost the title to Mayweather last year while Puerto Rico’s Cotto is the current WBC middleweight champion.
Should Mayweather sidestep Mundine before the 12-month deadline, the veteran Australian will take his WBC belt, making him a more attractive fight proposition.
Mundine’s camp said they had already fielded phone calls overnight from America about a fight after his impressive showing against European champion Rabchenko.
“I will become the sole champion and that will draw some big attention like Alvarez and Cotto,” Mundine said.
“That’s the names I’m after. I don’t want to go backwards.
“Off this win I want to fight the best fighters in the world.”
Mundine said he wanted to fight three or four more times and then “sail into the sunset after I make that 15 or 20 million”.
Asked if he had left his charge to the big time too late, Mundine said age wasn’t a factor because he only started boxing as a 25-year-old after switching from his successful rugby league career.
“I’m in my prime right now.
“The next two or three years I’ll be at the top of my game.
“I’m a rare species that comes along every few hundred years.”
Underworld identity Gatto said they would go hard after Mayweather and Alvarez and if they couldn’t make it happen at the MCG they would go off-shore.
“We are going to try to bring one of the biggest fights that this country’s ever seen.
“I believe that Floyd would want to come to this country, it’s virgin territory,” Gatto said.
“You’d fill the MCG with 100,000 in a heart-beat.”
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