Last Wednesday popular Western Australian boxer Danny ‘The Green Machine’ Green announced his first scheduled bout since 2012. The 42-year-old Green (33W, 28KO, 5L) will be returning to Melbourne’s Hisense Arena to face 38-year-old Slovakian Tamas Kovacs (26W, 15KO, 1L).
Green was last seen in the ring in November of 2012 besting New Zealand’s Shane Cameron on points in the same arena. While getting up there in age Green has spent his time away from the ring opening up his own gym in Perth and one look at his social media accounts shows he has been keeping in well enough shape for a return.
The ‘Green Machine’ has stated that the reason for returning to the ring was to ultimately score a rematch with fellow Australian and polarising boxer Anthony ‘The Man’ Mundine.
The first fight back in 2006 ended with a decision going Mundine’s way in a bout that at the time was the most watched pay-per-view TV event in Australia and earned both men more than $2.5 million.
Green’s choice of opponent for the comeback was chosen for his similar style to that of Mundine, but outside of the fight announcement you would be hard pressed to find someone in Australia who has heard the name of Slovakian pugilist.
Kovacs will be fighting outside of Europe for only the second time with his first being his most notable fight, a third round TKO loss to Beibut Shumenov in the US in 2013. Kovacs is a relative latecomer to professional boxing having made his debut in 2008 at the age of 30, at the same time as Green was in his first retirement after defeating Stipe Drews for the WBA Light Heavyweight title in Perth in 2007.
Mundine on the other hand is without any clear plans for the time being. A tough bout with American Austin Trout was scheduled for May, but was postponed after Mundine suffered an ear injury. He was ultimately replaced as Trout’s opponent.
Green and Mundine have been trading barbs in recent weeks, but it is Green who is more in favour of having a second crack at Mundine, who still harbours dreams of landing marquee match-ups in the US.
However, should Green be successful in a couple of fights and Mundine’s American experiment doesn’t work out the money on offer could bring the heated rivals together again.
As for Green vs Kovacs, if Danny Green can enter the ring on August 19 in shape and without too much ring rust he should get the job done. Green owns a slight reach advantage and is vastly more experienced in terms of quantity of fights and quality of opponents and Kovacs has only fought more than eight rounds in three of his professional bouts.
Look for Green to start a little tentatively but compose himself to secure a stoppage in the later rounds or a wide decision victory.
Casey
Guest
Yes it was a bad cut, but it was caused by a nothing innocuous punch. Klitscko was well ahead on all three cards he had Lewis's measure and would have been a hot favourite in a rematch. He didn't fight Tyson until 2002, 16 years after he unified the heavyweight division, Tyson was mentally and physically shot. As for knocking out Rahmann, he was a average journeyman who knocked Lewis out cold the previous fight. Their were 12 heavyweight champs (ibf,wba,wbc) from the time Lewis was given a belt until his retirement, he fought just one 37yo Holyfield who won just 2 of his next 8 fights. Go to boxrec see for yourself everything I've said is true. Lewis dodged them all, milked the WBC.
big J
Guest
Um also did you see him ko Rockman in four and then Tyson in eight?????
RBBAnonymous
Guest
Sorry did you say he ran like a girl and a fraud. What a laugh. Did you see the mangled face that Lewis left behind for the Dr. LOL. Half his face was hanging off. He destroyed Dr K. It was Dr K who quit not Lewis. We didnt need to see that fight again, we know who won and won easily. Lewis cleaned em all up. Not sure what you have been smoking. He avoided no one. In fact they all avoided him. Get your facts straight.
big J
Guest
Ok fair point, but what does this any of this have to do with Danny Green's Fight?
Casey
Guest
Lewis retired a coward with his tail between his legs, his last fight was against Klitcsko who smashed him for 6 rounds, Lewis was staggering around like a drunk, one good punch off another KO loss when the doctor stopped the fight for a cut to Klitscko's eye. After saying in the pre-match press conference that he was like fine wine, he was at the peak of his powers, he would fight for another 2 years. He was offered 30million for a rematch and retired in fear. Lewis avoided all the best fighters, he didn't fight a world champ until he was 34yo and that was a declining Holyfield. They had a draw then Lewis won the rematch he took Holyfield's IBF and WBA belts and then promply vacated both to avoid the mandatories Chris Byrd and John Ruiz, 2 six foot nuggets who like to get inside and engage, Lewis hated that it didn't suit his jab and run style. He held the WBC belt twice, the 1st time they gave it to him because he priced himself out of the market, therefore couldn't come to terms with Riddick Bowe, that was when Bowe famously dropped the belt in a trash can. The second time he was Tysons mandatory and accepted 4million step aside payment so Tyson could fight a unification bout and fight Lewis next. He was next in line to fight Tyson but took the WBC to court to have Tyson stripped for not fighting him, after taking the step aside payment. The WBC belt became vacant and they dragged Oliver McCall out of rehab to fight Lewis. That was that famous fight when McCall refused to fight walked around the ring crying with his arms by his side. The fight was stopped Lewis declared the winner and McCall went into psychiatric care for 3 months. He must be the biggest dodger in heavyweight history. True boxing fans know Lewis is a fraud, Lewis himself knows he's a fraud.
big J
Guest
And they should do it with a little diginity, how many times have boxers gone that one too many fights and got the crap kicked out of them and left the boxing would on a low, Ali, Tyson, Holmes all did it and i sure there is many more that have. Lewis went out a champ so many Danny should do the same, leave it now before it is too late.
RBBAnonymous
Guest
Its so funny listening to Danny Green saying this is a fight all of Australia want to see. NO ITS NOT. Just retire already Danny and let it go. The last fight between him and Mundine wasnt that great and he got soundly beaten. Choc is going to get hammered soon as well, especially if he chases Alvarez or Cotto. Mayweather will never fight Choc, he would be crazy to do so. Its a young mans game and these are two old men that should just retire.
PeteThePitbull
Guest
The last time Green came back from retirement against that no name south African which I was at that fight in Perth it was the same thing he said he was coming back for the reason to fight mundine.I can't help but wonder what a fight at 86 kilos has to do with a guy that's fighting at 69 kgs mabey if green got down to LHW (79) mabey it could cause a catchweight bout between them in future if mundine was willing to come up say 5 or 6 kilo ,I guess what I'm saying is if Green is doing this for the sole purpose of getting mundine he's fighting too heavy so if he knocks this guy out early which I think he will,do u think that will make the man interested? Then again green will make big coin outta this he's big in WA with a big following so even if he doesn't get the fight he wins anyway .let's get this straight this is all about money the comeback and rematch $$$ who can blame him for trying $$$
big J
Guest
I really think that Green has left this to late, like the Fenech Nelson fight that happened back in 08, if mundine and Green 2 ever does happen it will be like watching two old men slap each other (similar to the old man fight in the disney movie UP). Now that this not having a go at either fighter or discrediting either man's ability but you have to be realisitic. Both men are on the wrong side of forty and Green has not fought in almost three years and of course there is the small little detail of what weight would they fight at? Mundine still has to defend his sliver title or/to get a shot at Mayweather's title ( I think by now we realize he will never fight mayweather) so fighting somewhere for the vacated title is the only way to go. Also i believe that Mundine is done with Green. These two guys career/lives are always going in different directions and probably will never meet up again, although the hype will always make the headlines allow me to remind of all of Mayweather v Pacquaio. ............