Daniel Geale is going to be the man who ends Anthony Mundine’s highly controversial professional boxing career. And it’s about time.
When they meet in their rematch, Geale will win by knockout and take his place in the upper echelons of Australian boxing where Mundine should belong, but won’t.
This truly is the tale of two remarkable athletes and the contrasting fortunes that their personalities have brought them.
In the red corner, we have Geale, a humble lifetime student of the sweet science from Launceston who had built an impressive Amateur career, including Olympic participation and Commonwealth gold, before turning professional in 2004.
Geale then went on to quietly build a most impressive record, currently standing at 28-1 (which arguably should be 29-0), and has unified the IBF and WBA Middleweight world titles.
Geale is indisputably the #1 Pound-for-Pound fighter in Australia at the moment, and has an impressive resume of victories over tough fighters, including 3 former World Champions in his last 5 fights (Felix Sturm, Sebastian Sylvester and Roman Karmazin).
In the blue corner, Anthony Mundine is probably the most controversial and divisive Australian sporting personality in the last 20 years, maybe even of all time. A man whose bark has always been bigger than his bite. But more importantly, the man I consider to be the most disappointing of his generation.
Nobody can question the talent of Mundine. Mundine had all the physical tools to be a Hall of Fame boxer, and should have been on the Pound-for-Pound lists at some stage of his career. He had almost everything, speed in both his hands and feet, great ringcraft, and good power. Although Mundine does have a questionable chin his defence is so good that it wasn’t as big a fault as many would have you believe.
Unfortunately Mundine’s career decisions have left a lot to be desired, and his almost routine desire to take shortcuts to greatness has led to allegations of cowardice. Consider his last two big decisions to vacate titles to avoid tough fighters. Firstly vacating the IBO title he had just won to avoid a rematch with Geale, and, more pathetically, vacating his IBF Light-Middleweight to avoid the unbeaten American Austin Trout, preferring a fight with 41 year old Bronco McKart instead.
American fight fans are no idiots, and aren’t impressed with beating up a has-been. Defeating a highly-rated, and unbeaten fighter, would have been the best possible way to breathe life into his American adventure. Had Mundine beaten Trout, he would have been in line to face Miguel Cotto, one of the biggest names in Boxing, and had he pulled that off, maybe would have got his wish to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Alas, he once again took the easy option.
Mundine’s past mistakes have culminated in him taking this fight against Geale out of desperation. Mundine knows in his heart that he does not have a great legacy, and sees Geale’s two titles as a short route to being a unified World Champion. It is classic Mundine thinking.
Here is the problem though. Mundine is not the fighter he was 3 years ago. He has put his body through a lot of punishment to make weight for his Light-Middleweight fights, and has definitely lost a step or two in the ring, not to mention power. Mundine has also not fought the toughest of fighters during this time, and even lost to a rookie no-name in Garth Wood.
Since losing that fight to Mundine, Geale has stayed at Middleweight, and gone from strength to strength. He took tough fights, won two World Titles, and is at the very peak of his considerable powers.
He is younger, faster and stronger than Mundine, and has enormous motivation to beat a man who not only was lucky to inflict Geale’s only defeat, but has questioned his Aboriginal heritage.
Make no mistake, Geale is going to be focused and very, very hungry. He will pressure Mundine unlike any fighter Mundine has ever faced.
If Mundine loses, there will be nowhere else to go. His career will end with a loss against a tough, world class fighter, who he finally couldn’t duck.
I cannot think of a more appropriate end.
David
Guest
check out my fan made trailer. GET PUMPED!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3yN1nb3Bw8
David
Guest
anyone who says that mundine doesnt have a real shot at winning this fight is just simply naive and basically lets their emotions cloud their judgement.
Jason Sheppard
Guest
He once again has got everyone on there high horse saying this and that how he is a coward how he fights has beens and the likes , if you no anything about boxing as a sport mundine is one of the best talk to people that no the sport and listen don't be fooled by bloggers that jump on the train has the the ring sense to do it again and once more he will leave a lot of people angry because he is talent like it or not he is to smart he has brought the money in to the sport and will take it out! Who was the last person that was talked about in Australian Boxing?Jeff Fenech!!!
David
Guest
The thing is you probably will watch it, and the thing is you also don't know who will win. And i've never heard anybody ever doubt geales "courage". is there an article you're reference or a particular person? Random...
Gangsta
Guest
Just went to Anthony Mundine's facebook profile and he has around 28000 likes..... and everybody on that Page has something nice to say about him...... so if u r a hater , does not mean everybody is..... I bet u can't even run for 5 mins straight on a treadmill... so u will never appreciate a true Athlete and Mundine is the best Athlete Australia has ever produced.....
andrew
Guest
Not wasting my money watching this. Can see the highlights on the news for free, highlights of a proud Aussie of aboriginal heritage knocking out the 'man', after embarrasing him and exposing the pathetic little man he is for the previous 82 seconds of the fourth round! Onya Danny G, and you doubters of his courage, watch him then fight Golovkin. Go Billy Dib if you want to spend your money on pay-per-view!!!!!
arian
Guest
he wont
nachos supreme
Guest
I'm not a surgeon or anything but from what I've seen most ligaments are white.
David
Guest
If someone is willing to say that mundine has done nothing for the sport in this country PURELY because they don't like him... than thats just ignorance and dishonesty. (or stupidity) I think people just need to put ego's aside and actually be aware of what mundine has done, and is still doing. Promoting the sport in this country like noone else has ever done here.
Jz
Roar Rookie
Well i would go as far as saying Geale is over rated but mundine is under rated
Jz
Roar Rookie
LOL
Jz
Roar Rookie
when is an Aboriginal not an Aboriginal ? that's a ligament Question, so is it when his 99% white and only 1% indigenousness, just saying
Jz
Roar Rookie
so you either love or hate Mundine. but Australian boxing has never been better and it is all because of Mundine taking his fights all over the country and talking the talk his fights are all ways on peoples minds, and for what he has done for Ozzy boxing i salute you.
Oracle
Guest
You will find that the overwhelming majority of people disapprove of Mundine, and it is of his own doing. Sure, he's a very good sportsman, but he is sadly lacking when it comes to spouting off his pontifications and what were absolutely disgraceful racist comments last week.
realdeal
Guest
Excellent article. The only time mundine stepped up was vs Kessler and he was soundly beaten by a legitamate fighter. He has not fought anyone since. The only more appropriate end would be death in the ring and the mundine estate be divided and paid back to aussie fans ripped of for the last 10 years watching this mouse of a man fight taxi drivers and embaress the nation. Bet the house on geale via cakewalk. sadly geale will then be KO'd by golovkin if he he defends his belt. ggg is the future.
David
Guest
Oh ok. people as smart as you who go on boxing forums and start talking abut capitalization. LOL...noob
AdamS
Roar Guru
I was only counting those who can spell and appreciate the niceties of capitalisation. Capitalisation is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse... :)
David
Guest
i dont. which makes you immediatly wrong :D
AdamS
Roar Guru
I don't know why everybody keeps referring to the Man as divisive and controversial. The is no dispute or controversy about it, everybody hates him.
Skanous
Guest
I hope so, it's always good to see our guys go up the ranks. As long as aussies fighting each other doesn't get in the way of enhancing their careers im all for it.