Mundine vs Green: Sliding doors

Despite the fact that the continued debate around an Anthony Mundine-Danny Green rematch makes boxing purists in Australia cringe, the clash is still the biggest fight in the country.

It will happen eventually, and it’s what I’ve been saying ever since they squared off last time.

The rematch is a money fight. It captures the public’s interest, and it will do good business for all involved.

Whether it goes above and beyond the first encounter is hard to say, but given the experience of Mundine-Green in selling a fight, they’ll make enough noise to fill the seats.

When the fight will happen is the biggest unknown. It could happen as soon as early 2016 or it could be this time next year.

It’s a true case of sliding doors, with one fighter’s movements directly affecting the other, and crucially in the sport of boxing, timing is everything.

In terms of how the fight will go – I still think Mundine is the winner. He’s just a better fighter, as was shown in the first fight.

That’s not to be disrespectful to Danny Green, because he has a better chance of winning the rematch than he ever did in the initial encounter.

Weight is the biggest obstacle to overcome. Mundine is currently fighting as a junior middleweight and Green is several weight classes away at cruiserweight. The light-heavyweight mark, or at least a catch weight around that territory, is the likely outcome the fighters will arrive at.

Green hasn’t seemed interested in getting near that mark in his most recent comeback, and if he wants to place pressure on Mundine and seize control in their continued PR battle, hitting the light-heavyweight limit would be a good start.

Obviously Green will want to fight as heavy as possible, given the added weight favours him. He’s a bigger puncher and has the bigger frame, but it’s not the only way he’ll benefit.

The higher the weight class, the more Mundine will lose in speed – his biggest asset – as a consequence of carrying more. Sure he’ll probably bring increased punching power, going up in weight, but when was the last time ‘The Man’ knocked someone out?

Danny Green has become a better boxer since moving from the super middleweight division. He was known for his come-forward approach, and he would just go through guys – case in point, his first fight with Markus Beyer.

But moving up the weights, he didn’t have the advantage in power or size anymore. This has meant he’s had to pick his shots, go to the outside increasingly, and as a result he’s become a better, more rounded boxer.

His fight with Krystof Wlodarczyk is the best example of that, despite the way it ended.

So the pair are more closely matched now as fighters than they were in the first fight.

Anthony Mundine fights Charles Hatley on November 11, while Danny Green fights Konni Konrad on December 2.

If Mundine loses to Hatley, I think the next fight he signs is the Green rematch. But the big fight that the Mundine camp will have their eye on will be the highly anticipated clash between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez on November 22.

The Mundine camp are no doubt eyeing off the loser, with the winner likely to move on to either a mega fight with Gennady Golovkin or the ‘retired’ Floyd Mayweather.

Mundine’s camp has also said they’d be willing to jump in with Golovkin, as ridiculous as that sounds. But if Daniel Geale can score a fight with Golovkin, there’s no reason Mundine can’t deal his way into an opportunity.

Golovkin could even use such a fight to test the waters in the junior middleweight ranks, with the likelihood of both Cotto and Canelo making him come down in weight to face them. The Golovkin camp would see Mundine as a name fighter, who to them doesn’t really bring considerable risk at upsetting future plans.

Many see hand speed and slickness as Golovkin’s kryptonite, and maybe that’s where Mundine fancies his chances. But people are mad to underestimate Golovkin’s boxing ability. Eastern European fighters are skilled in the fundamental elements of boxing – a good jab and tight defence – it’s why they are great amateurs.

Golovkin has superb head movement and when he makes you miss, he truly makes you pay.

So there are some potential options for Mundine, depending on how other fights go around him, but there are also cards for Danny Green to play.

Green is picking opponents to test himself, but not hamper his marketability.

Domestically he’s not short of people calling him out. While there are some tasty fights there, Green knows a loss will hurt the appeal of the Mundine fight. So he’s not taking the risk, given the financial reward will be much less.

A potential fight with Sakio Bika would be worth watching, but that would only be a possibility if Mundine continued to drag his heels well into next year.

Interestingly though for Green, Roy Jones announced he’ll fight for the WBA Super World Cruiserweight title against Enzo Maccarinelli in Moscow on December 12.

There’s money in a Jones-Green rematch and if it’s for a ‘world title’, it’s even easier to sell. Jones just may want some redemption after his KO defeat to Green back in 2009. It could soon loom on the radar, if the cards fall a particular way.

Mundine and Green will fight before they hang up the gloves, there’s no question of that. When it happens, well there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge yet.

It could all change at any moment. If you’re one of those people who wishes the column inches devoted to the match up would just end, well strap yourself in, because it’s only going to ramp up in the coming months.

Some will say it’s time to move on, others will say it’s time to throw down.

Whatever your opinion, we’ll all be watching, whether we like it or not.