Anthony Mundine takes on Ghana’s Joshua Clottey in a chance for both fighter to take a crack at the top echelon in world boxing. We’ll have a live blog from 7:30pm AEDT, including round-by-round updates, plus undercard coverage of Brad Pitt vs David Aloua, Ahmed Dib, and more.
It might take you back a couple of years, but Clottey was once top of the pops. He came off a narrow split-decision defeat to Miguel Cotto, and went on to fight an entirely odd fight against Manny Pacquiao, which was stylistically awful
Remember it? It was the one where Clottey held his arms up for virtually the entire fight, and Pacquiao launched an infamous double-punch in frustration. Fans booed, and Clottey wasn’t seen again, after being put on ice by Top Rank Boxing to wait out his long contract. He swears to the Ghanian media that something was up, and that he couldn’t speak about it. Fishy.
Mundine’s camp haven’t forgotten – they’ve pinched his promo photo from that fight for this one.
What’s going against Clottey:
Since that Pacquiao fight, the tough African has only fought twice, with just one fight in the past two and a half years.
The Roar understands that his camp were fishing around for a fight in January this year – so he is fit, and ready. But the jury will be out on what he can do; no one has seen him in ages.
Here’s what we do know: ‘The Grand Master’ has never been stopped by KO. He’s never even been rocked (Cotto knocked-him down but nothing came of it). He’s very defensive-minded, and he’s been top five in the world. On looks, he’s unbeatable – with a chiseled physique.
Clottey has the ability and the class to make it quite difficult for Mundine.
Mundine’s on the up, as he continues to go down in weight. He swears that it’s taken him more than ten years to lose the rugby league player physique, and get a hardened boxer’s build. Remember when he fought Danny Green? Right now, there would be a 20kg difference in weights between Green at cruiserweight and Mundine today.
In shedding his muscular league frame, he’s progressed downwards in weight division, with light-welterweight where he has settled, with the ilk of Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao in his league.
It’s a big fight for Mundine. He’s coming off a win against ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley which propelled him into a top five contender.
And we know that Clottey is promoted by Joe DeGuardia, who also looks after Demetrius Andrade (20-0, 13KO), the young undefeated American, who is a top contender for Mayweather’s welterweight crown. Should Mundine win, he’ll be looking to fight Andrade as his next opponent, and then, who knows. It’s the boxing world: a favour for a favour. A promise; a whisper. There’s word Mundine’s been promised that fight, should he win fairly.
What’s going against Mundine? ‘The Man’ has battled a chronic hip problem for many years, and age is against him. Although he says he’s like a fine red wine, father-time beats us all down as our DNA slowly corrupts itself.
His weight-cut down to the 69.9kg limit has to take out some of his power and endurance.
Mundine stands oven seven centimetres taller than Clottey and is a bigger man across the park. Clottey is a welterweight fighting up, while Mundine is fighting down from super-welterweight. Mundine should be too big and too fast, but it’s also unlikely that he has the power to stop Clottey. And that means we should see the fight go the distance.
We can see this one going to Mundine via a combination of speed, calculated angles and fast footwork to out point Clottey over twelve rounds.
The big undercard fight actually threatens to steal the show – it’s a huge cruiserweight fight between two of the top three big men currently in the country. If boxing was bigger in Australia, it’d probably be the main pull. But this is a great
Brad Pitt is one of the more gifted and exciting boxers in Australia and had a huge knockout on the Geale-Wood undercard. Pitt won a Gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and has been at the top for awhile. Most are hoping this first is his first step to going further and searching for a world title.
His opponent, David Aloua from New Zealand, is also a medallist at the Commonwealth Games, and is a tough fighter, who has only lost to Daniel Ammann in what was a fight come-early. (In contrast, Pitt demolished Ammann in two rounds)
Pitt is the favourite but this will be a tough test for him. He’ll be intent on knocking Aloua out but the big Kiwi is not a man who will fall too easily. It’ll be an upset if Aloua will win, but it’s a fight where anything can happen.
Other bouts: The undercard is in a state of flux and we haven’t received many updates. We’ll update when we can – but for now, check out the sidebar. It appears as though a couple of up and comers will be fighting some guys with mixed reputations. But the main two fights are easily worth the watch!
[roargal]
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I think the term you were looking for was "a legend in his own mind".
Ali Musah Danjumah
Guest
We thank Allah for his success and good name that he brought to Ghana. I wish him good luck
Scott Gent
Guest
Well said Sam... Take it easy
Scott Gent
Guest
Maybe now Mundine might wake up to himself. Greatest athlete of all time.. Ha ha yeah in his own memory.... Also mundine to think of fighting Mayweather JR mundine shouldn't even be in the same sentence as Mayweather JR. Was good to see he showed a bit of heart for once, but this is what happens when fight real fighters and not hand picked 'B' grade fighters or fighters way past there time you get knocked down over and over... Time to retire Mundine...
Sam Take-it-easy
Guest
So much for a showdown with Floyd Mayweather... It turns out an over the hill and almost retired Joshua Clottey was way too classy for Mundine. No real surprise, Clottey has fought the world's best fighters and has never been KO'd. Mundine has had a great career and done so much to raise the profile of Australian Boxing, but this result shows he was never in the hunt for title showdown with Mayweather, Pacquiao, Cotto etc.
Zeeshan Khalid
Guest
Good fight by Clottey. He really did well and deserved to win.
Steve Kerr
Roar Rookie
Yep, silencing the doubters. Before the fight I thought Mundine adding another hand-picked has-been to his club of pointless victories would prove nothing. Now he's actually lost, and lost badly to the guy, I am indeed speechless.
Nath
Guest
What was the score by each judge..?
Ricky
Guest
Well here's where we get to see if Mundine is actually delusional or not. He claimed he won the fight against Geale. Once he regains mental clarity after that beating, will he once again claimed he was robbed here? Surely not...
bob booboo
Guest
JUDGE WHO SCORED FIGHT 115-109 SHOULD NEVER JUDGE ANOTHER FIGHT
Trev
Guest
Tanks for you updates mate.
Ricky
Guest
Is that the official result, or your prediction?
IanW
Guest
Mundine always had heart.
Jason Tulio
Roar Guru
Amazing performance and career comeback for Clottey. Mundine silenced a lot of doubters tonight by showing a ton of grit and heart. I do think it should've been stopped after the 10th round though. Result: Clottey via unanimous decision 116-108, 115-109, 117-108
Jason Tulio
Roar Guru
Round 12: Mundine continues to survive as Clottey presses. Clottey a bit slower now as Mundine surprisingly keeps up a fast pace. Clottey fighting on the inside but is less effective now. Clottey raises his arms as the final bell rings. My score: 10-9 for Clottey
jay
Guest
Yes, sounds like Mundine has shown some heart. That's what peope want to see. He could still make money getting beat up. He's pay per view will go up.
Jason Tulio
Roar Guru
Round 11: action continues as Mundine looks visibly slower. Mundine showing heart in continuing to fight. Clottey continues to stalk and press the action. Clottey slips right before the round ends. My score: 10-9 for Clottey
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Mundine's corner is silent. They know he's behind. Both fighters tired! Clottey looks like he's hit a wall in the championship rounds.
Steve Kerr
Roar Rookie
Landing clean what? Just as well this isn't on Free To Air after all!
Ricky
Guest
How was Clottey that big an underdog for this fight? This is a guy that went the distance with Pacquiao. Surely he would be a prohibitive favourite against a guy who lost to Garth Wood... Could someone fill me in?