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History may or may not judge Anthony Mundine a better fighter than Danny Green.
Few doubt Mundine was the better fighter in their return about in Adelaide, and comfortably.
After the disputed decision went Green’s way, Mundine not only claimed to have won, saying he was the better fighter and the better man.
In this he is wrong.
Post-fight, Green proved what has long been suspected.
He may or may not have been the better fighter during their careers, but he is the better man.
Green was a generous winner after the shock decision, devoting much time to praising Mundine’s skill, style and courage as a boxer.
He acknowledged the man with the warm colloquialism Choc, emphasising the brotherly fraternity of fighters, as he had acknowledged Mundine had won their first fight in 2006.
In contrast, Mundine has gone on his prolonged ‘I woz robbed’ bleat, with just a cursory word for Green.
Were Mundine capable of reflection, he might have concluded that had he have got the nod, the win would have been forever tainted.
There is irony here.
Green funded a television advertisement in which he appeared, illustrating the danger of one-punch attacks.
Whether it was accidental or otherwise, Mundine gave a classic demonstration in the first round of a one-punch attack that would be seen in the pub or in the street.
Had Mundine have won, there would forever be the questions of whether the bout should have been declared a no-contest, of whether Green would have been a different fighter had he not been king-hit.
But Mundine doesn’t do self-reflection.
Should Adelaide have been his last fight, he might start.
He might regret that if he had been capable of a career to match his boasts, he should have pursued it a long time ago.
He might reflect that the time to start was after his knockout world-title loss to non-puncher Sven Ottke when ahead on points.
He might reflect that he should have fought continually overseas to build his profile and gain the chance to fight the real top-raters he said he wanted to beat.
Instead, Mundine made a lot of headlines, a lot of money and gained the man-they-love-to-hate celebrity by staying at home.
Mundine was given rare sporting gifts, no doubt, but he is little known overseas.
Father Tony gained a bigger profile in his fighting days.
Mundine was robbed against Green. But he robbed himself of much more long before Friday night.
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