I watched Cathy Freeman win the gold in Sydney and I watched Justin Harrison steal the lineout throw against the Lions in 2001.
I also witnessed David Campese’s last try for the Waratahs and Randwick and just watched 11 fights with a record 11 finishes at the UFC in Sydney while sitting cage side.
These are stories that I will gleefully pass onto my grandkids of my brush with greatness.
But watching Anthony Mundine get knocked down five times in Newcastle by Joshua Clottey was not one of those times.
I have never been a fan of Anthony Mundine’s mouth. Just a fan of his talent.
It was watching his sublime performances with St George, and his jaw dropping domination of super champion Sven Ottke in Germany that I could only wonder at how far he could surf his talent to match the wave of his talk.
Mundine famously lost against Ottke by knock-out in the 11th round, but the fact he was winning against such a dominant champion in his own backyard in only his 10th fight makes it an incredible feat. He didn’t even have an amateur career.
Mundine’s lack of an amateur career and crossover sports appeal put him in a unique position of having unprecedented interest in his fights even as a rookie. In the long and storied history of boxing he is the only boxer to have all of his fights on pay-per-view.
Many tuned in to see him fail. Even in his failures his athletic pedigree was undeniable. Most notably against Mikkel Kessler and recently Joshua Clottey, ‘The Man’ showed that he possessed the heart of a champion.
Against local champions Daniel Geale, Sam Soliman, Danny Green and Shannon Taylor he showed the fight IQ and speed of a champion. Unfortunately his record has been diluted in the past by fighters that were considered beneath him.
It was questioned whether he was game to face quality opposition any more. In taking this next fight after his loss to Clottey he has shown he is as game as a bull ant. There is nowhere to hide in boxing. It is a dangerous place for those without courage.
Sergey Rabchenko is no tomato can. The 28-year-old Belarusian powerhouse is undefeated in 25 fights and has finished 18 of them. He is trained by former world number one fighter and Kostya Tszyu’s nemesis, Ricky Hatton. He has the ability to beat Mundine and hurt him very badly in the process. But to Anthony Mundine that is the price of immortality.
On the line is the WBC Silver light middleweight title that earns a mandatory challenge to the best boxer in the world – Floyd Mayweather.
On Wednesday night the most controversial sportsman in Australia’s proud sporting history may very well place himself in a position that could have him in the same conversations as Rod Laver, Campese and Shane Warne.
Were he to get a crack at Saul Alverez or Floyd Mayweather – win or lose – it would be an unprecedented accomplishment in sports.
Never short on sound bites proclaiming that he is indeed the greatest athlete ever, there has at times been a tongue-in-cheek to his extroverted chest beating. Although often this rhetoric is peppered with outrage-inducing social commentary on September 11, homosexuals and the Aboriginality of other indigenous sportsmen, his claims on his athletic prowess and sporting achievements when weighed certainly fall in his favour.
His most recent was insisting that Jarryd Haynes’ leap across to the NFL is easier than what he has attempted and accomplished in boxing. No doubt it is. Boxing is not a sport that comes from rugby roots like the NFL. It still hosts the two highest paid sports stars on the planet. Both in Mundine’s weight class.
Although it may be the last fight of his career, it may very well be the leap into the history books that we watch on Wednesday night. I have a funny feeling that one day I will be telling my grandkids that, “I once saw Anthony Mundine fight”.
Jay C
Roar Guru
If he beats Money, I will consider it.
branna
Guest
Johnno, if he fought Mosely when he was passed his prime, then its fair to say that Mundine was passed his prime too and hence it was a very legit fight to take at that stage of Moseleys career. Further, Green was not underweight. Look at what weights he had fought at upto that point. He later went on to fight at heavier weights
branna
Guest
yea he was by far the highest paid player in the NRL by his club St George. He was unlucky not to be selected on the Kangaroos tour to England i think in 1999 that was. He didn't get an origin place as the legendary Laurie Daley was still playing. Even though by then Mundine was putting in better club performances
Tiger
Guest
Mundine's boxing career epitomises the farce that boxing has become as a sport.. Boxers proclaiming they are champions when they are not.. The ridiculous title of Super whatever champion..they are no champions at all they are actually the number one contender of that division.. Articles like this continue to promote the Mundine myth.. He built his carrer on fighting over matched fighters way past there best or dodging fighters in their prime.. I mean lets go back to the heyday of boxing..say the 60s and 70s everyone new who the heavyweight champion of the world was because there was only one of them..you had to fight the guy in front of you in rankings to get to the guy above them.. Now there are many divisions and different organisations within them.. I mean what other sport has a number of world champions that play the exact same sport at the same level?? Promoters and boxers like Mundine have destroyed this sport..his victory last night is bound to put another nail in it's coffin when this time Mayweather fighs an overmatched fighter from Australia..Mundine.. I shake my head, it's going to be another sad day for boxing..
Andrew George
Roar Guru
Campese ... 2nd player ever and first Australian to play 100 tests 64 test tries and Player of the 91 RWC .... do you need more than that?
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
Michael Cleary was a standout international in League and Union, and also won a bronze medal in sprinting at the Commonwealth Games. League and Union were probably futher apart in those days, but his main asset was his speed in both codes, as in athletics. Bradman, of course, was further ahead in his number 1 sport than Mundine. In other sports, such as golf, tennis, squash and billiards, he was competitive with the best (beating Wimbledon players in social tennis matches) -- probably not as successful as Mundine in his second sport, but he didn't devote the time to it either. Mundine's success in boxing and League is excellent.
Chris
Guest
The pass wasn't brilliant, but Martin should have caught it. The guy talks himself up as a rugby legend, he played 9 tests and is the worst commentator at Foxtel (and there is some pretty stiff competition).
OJP
Guest
Hi Andrew, a legitimate question for you re Justin Harrison; yes the line out steal was sweet and he demonstrated that he could play the game at a high level so no question about that. I wonder however, if you will make mention to your grandchildren of the fact that Harrison also subsequently racially abused a black South African winger during a Super Rugby match (Wiley Human from memory) and didnt fess up until Nathan Grey refused to take the rap for it (again from memory) and basically forced Harrison to come forward and fess up lest he (Grey) 'name names'. I dont believe that one mistake should define a man, but similarly, I cannot ignore racial abuse in any environment, let alone the sporting field. Thus, if it were me discussing it with my son or his children *(should he have any) I would include that less stellar episode so that a full picture could be conveyed. Similarly, with Campo's genius, there could be the occassional misstep (pass in in goal to Foxtel flunky Greg Martin comes to mind) and this needs to be part of his story too. Your thoughts ?
matth
Guest
Ditto Karmichael Hunt, better at AFL but did not stay long enough in RU to show us his skills. that may change now with his move to the Reds
matth
Guest
Highest paid NRL Player? Really? He sat on the bench for NSW once.
Alan
Roar Guru
As if Mayweather promotions would try to get Mundine in the ring. I doubt the people of Showtime would want such a fight from happening anyway. Canelo may give him a shot but Cotto appears on the horizon for the Mexican next year. Cotto much bigger drawcard.
KiwiDave
Roar Guru
Try Israel Folau. Rugby League, AFL and Rugby Union. He starred in two of them, the other he was a sideshow to attract crowds
Chop
Roar Guru
Anthony is that you?
Plainsman
Guest
My favourite code hopper is Scot Pendlebury. Won an AIS Basketball scholarship but turned to AFL. The upshot was the Patty Mills got the scholarship. Rest is history.
Johnno
Guest
Is Anthony Mundine Australia's greatest ever sportsman. Sometimes the man likes to think so, or basically has in the past. He claims he could of made it in RL,RU,boxing, Basketball, and Decathlon. He could of made it in RU for sure at least at Super Rugby level. I'm convinced Mundine is a better rugby player than Scott Bowen and Tim Wallace and Paul Kahl ex-Wallaby 5/8's not the best ever ones lol. And i'm certain he's better at RU than Tim Donnelly or Daniel Halangahu ex-Tah players. And I reckon he's better than Mike Harris to, if I was picking an I/C. Basketball he got offered a Sydney Kings contract, but chose RL. I'm certain he could of got a bench spot in the NBL in the 90's lol. Even if it was 5 minutes a night for the Hobart Tassie Devils, basically the 10th-12th man on the roster, making 50K a year playing for the Tassie Devils shooting hoops. Beats driving cabs lol. Decathlon the man had talent in athletics too. Other code-hoppers dual sports man in OZ other than RL/RU footy players: Dean Brogan- NBL basketball-AFL Scott Draper Tennis-Golf Paul Narracott Athletics-Bobsleighs Darren Clark Athletics-RL Jeff Fenech Boxing-RL Nova Peris Field Hockey-Athletics Can't think of many more. The man has easily done the best, only Dean Brogan//Nova Peris on par with him.
Andrew George
Roar Guru
I agree. Mudine normally hits a second gear in the 4th/5th. If he can stay frost until then and let his hands go I think as upset will happen. If Rabechenko catches him in the first few rounds I think it could be a tough night for The Man. When he brawls he looks unconvincing. He has to dictate the pace and the space. Also an effective weight cut will come into play like it did against Mosley. Mosley admitted that he was not ready for someone of Mundines size - and Rabechenko might hit hard ... but nowhere near as hard as Green, Kessler or Echols ... he he stays the matador to the bull like he did against those much bigger fighters, use footwork and reach to frustrates the kid I think he may outsmart him for a win.
Plainsman
Guest
Hi Andrew Thanks for your article - good to see boxing get a run on The Roar. I have been a fan of Mundine's speed but not his mouth. Hopefully he will give a good account of himself against Rabchenko. In The Australian today there is a good article about the upcoming event. For Mindine to succeed IMHO Rabchenko will need to give him an opening maybe in the fourth of fifth round. I do not think Mundine will have the ring craft to force Rabchenko onto the back foot. Happy to be wrong and keen for an Australian boxer to succeed but I am also a realist.
Andrew George
Roar Guru
Well said Jonno None of those fighters played State of Origin. All those fighters had long amateur careers. I think you underestimate a man going from being the highest paid NRL player and leaving on top to taking over the fight game and revitalising the sport in this country. If all he fought are hacks then all the Australian Champions that he took care of are hacks: Green, Geale, Soliman, Taylor ... Stop disparaging for the sake of it - look at the scoreboard
Johnno
Guest
Mundine fighting hacks Mcboz? Otke,Kessler,Antwan Echols,Manny Siacca,Sam Soliman,Danny Green,Daniel Geale,Josh Clottey . Are they hacks Mcboz? He did fight hacks early on his career but also he has fought many classy fighters. He fought Shane Mosley,Shannon Taylor,Lester Ellis all when they were past there prime. And he fought Danny Green when Green was underweight. But the point is he has faced many fighters when they in there prime and switched on.
McBoz
Guest
I'm sorry, but you're wrong. Muindine will be remembered for fighting hacks and for his stupid mouth. We have had produced some world class fighters; Lionel Rose, Kostya Tszyu, Billy Dibb, to name a few, and he doesnt come close to being compared to any of them.