Mundine vs Green 2: Ready to rumble on a fair dinkum clash

February 3rd, 2017 will mark a standout night in Australian boxing history.

For whatever reason you watch it, Anthony Mundine versus Danny Green 2 will be a time we get out the popcorn, the beers, the salad, or whatever you fancy, and enjoy this fight.

I for one will be sitting at a gathering enjoying some beers.

Ever since this fight was announced, there have been critics but the fans are salivating. The banter between fans of both these boxers will often overstep the mark leading up to the fight. But with the way these two have made their millions, I’m never surprised.

On one side, there will be Anthony Mundine’s loyal bunch of fans. Hoping and praying that Mundine has had a decent training camp and is 100 per cent injury free.

Regardless of whether he is 100 per cent or not, this will be the greatest test of Mundine’s career.

Then we have Danny Green’s fans. They’re an interesting bunch. Also very loyal to their man.

Green has built a very healthy army of fans almost entirely off their hatred of Mundine. This is disappointing because Green is a very well credentialed fighter in his own right. In his prime, Green was the most devastating super middleweight on the planet.

Who could forget the hiding he was handing Markus Beyer before he was disqualified? Or the beat down he gave Eric Lucas. Lucas’s promoters were so confident of a Lucas victory, that they put everything on the line to stage that fight. They were bankrupted months later.

Now, let’s talk about our two willing combatants.

In one corner, we have a man that is the most polarising sportsman in Australian history, Anthony ‘The Man’ Mundine.

All dislike aside, few argue against Mundine’s claim of being one of the greatest athletes Australia has ever produced, if not the greatest. With 127 NRL/Super League appearances, three matches for NSW, three grand final appearances, and in boxing a twice WBA super-middleweight and IBO middleweight champion. His credentials don’t lie.

He also has another notch in his belt that not many Australian boxing fans have forgotten; his super middleweight world title eliminator win over Green on May 17, 2006. A night that has haunted Green for ten years.

In the other corner, we have a man that is baying to knock Mundine out. Whether Green fans like it or not. Green was beaten fair and square ten years ago. He had the crowd, he had the size, and he had the experience. The one thing he didn’t have is the sublime skills of the man they call “Choc”.

Make no mistake but, as mentioned above, Green himself was once a formidable champion. Not just as a boxer, but also as a kick-boxer.

How times have changed since that fight.

Although both turned boxing purely into business, they went different ways in weight. Mundine went down two divisions, Green up two.

Green’s body has definitely held up better than Mundine’s from the rigours of being a professional athlete. Mundine has had hip surgery, almost lost an eye, had bad elbows, and at times looked ill when cutting down to light middleweight.

No one is 100 per cent sure why he went down to that division although The Man always hunted Floyd Mayweather, but didn’t get close to that fight.

But with his hip now fixed, Mundine is adamant that he can move like he did ten years ago. Only time will tell.

Green has had a few lengthy layoffs from the fight game himself. But regardless, he is in peak condition at all times. You could easily mistake his physique with that of a man 20 years his junior. His nickname, the “Green Machine” doesn’t miss the mark.

This fight will have its ups and downs for both fighters. Casual fans simply don’t understand the disadvantage that Mundine is at here. Green will have roughly a six kilogram advantage come fight time. In the professional boxing age that we live, that’s a massive plus.

Green will need to knock Mundine out to get the win. By “knock-out”, I mean literally stopping Mundine. As we’ve seen of late, Mundine is a man of incredible resistance and heart.

Mundine needs to apply his brains trust, like the first fight ten years ago.

If Mundine is 100 per cent fit, just like Green will be. It’s 50-50 for me. Regardless of the result, both of these men have earned a round-of-applause, in particular Mundine, for keeping Australian boxing alive for the last 15 years.

My prediction: Mundine by KO, in round nine.