Anthony Mundine

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Anthony "The Man" Mundine (born 21 May 1975) is a boxer and former Australian rugby league player. Mundine was trained by his father, Tony Mundine, who was a middleweight contender during the 1970s.

Anthony Mundine
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Anthony Mundine

Mundine has had a stormy relationship with the media.[1] His conversion to Islam in 1999, self-promotion and outspoken opinions have created a love-hate relationship with the Australian public.[2] He was named the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Person of the Year in 2000.

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[edit] Rugby league

Mundine played junior rugby league for Hurstville United before signing with the St. George Dragons in 1993. He played in the 1993 Grand Final, which the Dragons lost to his future team, the Brisbane Broncos. In 1996 he played in another losing Grand Final, this time against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. At the end of that season he announced that he was signing with the Brisbane Broncos in the Super League competition.

In 1997 he played 18 games for the Broncos, scoring 3 tries.[3] He also played in his first winning Grand Final team, beating the Cronulla Sharks. In 1998 he returned to the Dragons, and remained there until his retirement from rugby league at the end of the 2000 season.

Mundine was selected to play for New South Wales in 1999 in each of the three matches in the State of Origin series. He was disappointed that further representative honours did not follow, and believed that his representative career did not reflect his abilities and achievements at club level. He raised the issue of racism as a possible explanation for this. He played in his last Grand Final in 1999, losing to the Melbourne Storm.

At the end of the 2000 season, he rejected a record rugby league offer of $600,000 in order to pursue a career in boxing. In early 2005, he announced he was to make a return to rugby league, but has yet to do so.[4]

[edit] Playing statistics

Team Years Matches Tries/Goals/Field Goals
St. George Dragons 1993-1996, 1998 86 33t-3g-2fg [5]
Brisbane Broncos 1997 18 3t [6]
St. George-Illawarra Dragons 1999, 2000 33 19t
New South Wales 1999 3

[edit] Boxing career

Mundine fought his first professional boxing match in 2000, at the age of 25. After no amateur career and only 10 professional bouts Mundine fought for his first world title against long reigning IBF supermiddleweight champion Sven Ottke in January 2001. The fight ended suddenly after 10 competitive rounds when Ottke landed a blow to Mundine's temple that left the latter unconscious on the canvass. Despite the disappointment and loss of confidence Mundine must have experienced following this dramatic loss, he returned to the ring promising to fight again for a world title. He went on to claim the vacant WBA Super Middleweight title with a unanimous points decision over Antwun Echols on the September 3, 2003, in front of his home crowd at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. He successfully defended his title once, before losing it in a hesitant performance and split points decision against Manny Siaca.

Mundine failed in his attempt to re-gain the WBA super middleweight title after losing by decision to Mikkel Kessler on August 6, 2005 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Despite the loss, many people believe that his bout against Kessler was the best he had fought, demonstrating a willingness to fight toe-to-toe with world class fighters.

[edit] Mundine's Rivalry with Danny Green

Mundine's biggest Australian rival is the Perth-based Danny Green. In 2001, Mundine called Danny Green a bum, and stated that Danny would be a "no hoper" against him. This was at the time when Green was still being coached by Jeff Fenech. Ever since 2001 Danny has wanted to fight Mundine. The two boxers finally, after much anticipation, fought on May 17, 2006, at Aussie Stadium, Sydney. The bout was one of the most anticipated in Australian boxing history, and was thought to even eclipse the attendance record of 37,000 when Jeff Fenech fought Azumah Nelson in their rematch in 1992. Green became the slight favourite about 2 hours before the bout. Mundine won convicingly by outboxing his opponent over the 12 rounds. The bout was scored as follows: Judge Michael Lee 116-113, Judge Pinij Prayadsub 118-111, Judge Derek Milham 118-112. There is suggestion an 'automatic rematch' clause applies to the fight.[[7]]

[edit] After Green

In September of 2006 Mundine announced he will be moving down in weight to compete at Middleweight, naming American William Joppy as a possible first opponent. This makes a rematch with Danny Green highly unlikely, as Green announced plans to move up in weight to compete at Light Heavyweight.

Mundine ultimately decided to face Argentine boxer Ruben Acosta on Nov. 15 at the Entertainment Centre in Newcastle.

Cronulla Rugby League star Lance Thompson will fight New Zealand heavyweight Vai Toevai on the undercard.

Mundine went on to win the fight with Acosta, beating him by TKO in the 4th. While the Argentine battled hard, and connected with several blows on Mundine, he was never in the contest. Mundine's patience soon wore thin, the former WBA world champion incensed by chest-pounding taunts from the South American. While Acosta twice had Mundine against the ropes in the first round, his series of blows did little to unsettle the crowd favourite and few connected. As the fight wore on Mundine's sharp left jab started to find its mark. Acosta continually loaded up on counter punches, his right hook finding the mark but hardly rattling Mundine.

Mundine said of the fight: The ones on the head I felt because I'm not going to lie, and I don't like to get hit, and I usually don't get hit, but he definitely got me with a couple of shots. But everyone knows I'm in superb condition and everyone knows I can take a shot.

Mundine also said this about his boxing future: The WBA belt is up for grabs and it could be one of those fights that Australians want to see, with Sam Soliman in a good position. He is ranked No.3 and Jeff Lacy is No.2 so it's up to the WBA who they want me to fight. "I want to regain the belt and be a reigning champion for a long time".

With Mikkel Kessler having been elevated to super-champion status following last month's third round KO of Danny Green's German nemesis, Markus Beyer, to also claim the WBC title, Mundine expects to fight for the vacant WBA title in February or March.

Mundine again nominated Kessler, who won a points decision over him in Sydney last year, as his first priority if he wins back the belt he lost to Manny Siaca in 2004 but the Dane's camp appears determined to avoid a re-match - increasing the possibility of another Mundine-Green fight.

Mundine has already stated he doesnt want to fight Soliman again saying: if it is Soliman it's not going to be a very nice affair but we have got to do what the WBA say and if they want Soliman they'll get Soliman.

I want to fight the best out there and it doesn't matter who it is, if (Soliman) is number two in the world like they say he is then bring him on, I'm number one.

I don't particularly want to fight him because he is awkward, unorthodox sort of orangutan when he fights but if that's what people want that's what I'll give. I have never ducked or dodged no-one in my life and I'm not going to start now. If Lacy comes whatever, I don't really care. I'm willing to fight Mikkel Kessler, I'm willing to fight Joe Calzaghe and willing to fight Winky Wright and Jermain Taylor. Spiderman, batman, superman, whoever they want me to fight, I'll fight them too if they want me too. It's just a matter of getting the right fights and exposure for the boxing world to see me. I'm looking to do big things and become one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world."

Mundine's next opponent should be known within three weeks.

It was announced on December 1 that Mundine would fight for the vacant WBA super-middleweight title against Sam Soliman in either late February or early March. The fight will take place in either Melbourne or Sydney. Anthony's manager Khoder Nasser said that it would most likely happen in Sydney though, because when the Mundine-Green fight was being put together, Melbourne told them "not to come".

The reason Mundine didn't fight Jeff Lacy, who separates Anthony and Sam Soliman, being the 2nd-ranked fighter, is because the fight would be too close to Jeff's next fight on December 2. Lacy is fighting Vitali Tsypko on the undercard to the Winky Wright Vs Ike Quartey.

The WBA has stated the fight must take place within 120 days of December 1.

It was announced on Dec 12th that the Mundine-Soliman rematch, dubbed `The Man, The King - The Fight for the Crown' will take place at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on March 7th.

A press conference will be held at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on Dec 13 to announce the fight.

At the press conference Mundine announced that the Soliman fight could be, "the easiest of my career".

Soliman still maintains that he was robbed in their 2001 bout, but says that his stratergy for the rematch will be to do more of the same.

"One of my strategies is to stay the same as we did last time Soliman said. The only difference is this time there'll be 300 punches thrown around, not two or three here and there, and I'll outbox the guy like I did last time.This time I'll outbox him and run over him and just try to match speeds with him.It will feel like a phone box in there because he'll have nowhere to run."

Mundine said of their last fight, "I was an amateur really, I mean it was my seventh fight, eighth fight or whatever. Any boxing expert will tell you that watched the fight clearly that I won the fight pretty simply. He had five or six years before I fought him the first time, now I've had another four, five years to grow. He's in big trouble and he's going to know it. I could be the first guy to stop him."

Mundine commented on Solimans tactics saying, "That's why you'll see I'm so great, because I'm fighting all these different styles.Big guys, powerful guys, guys like Soliman - smaller, quicker, faster, throws more punches - but you'll see I'm so great because I'm going to adapt to every style and win. He's going to realise after the third or fourth round ... that I'll be ready to throw 1000, 2000 punches if I have to. I'll do what I have to do to hurt him and to win. It's not going to matter if he throws 5000 punches because 4992 of them are going to miss. My defence is impeccable."

Mundine said of his boxing future,"I'm just looking to do big things, fight the best out there. Obviously it's got to be economically right, whether it's Kessler, whether it's Calzaghe, whether it's Taylor, whether it's Winky Wright. If I beat Soliman convincingly it'll send shockwaves through the world. They think that Kessler's the best to come out at the end of the last 50, 60, maybe 100 years. I matched it with him and he knows he was in a fight and the next time I get him I'm going to beat him too.

Preceded by:
Sven Ottke
(vacated)		 WBA Super Middleweight Champion
03 Sep 2003–05 May 2004		 Succeeded by:
Manny Siaca

[edit] Comments regarding the September 11 attacks

In 2001, Mundine commented on the September 11, 2001 attacks. He criticised the American Government, claiming that its foreign policies had helped to foster an environment in which terrorism could flourish. In one interview when asked about what he thought about Australian troops joining Americans in Afghanistan he stated:

"I really feel that it's not our problem. They call it an act of terrorism but if you understand the religion and our way of life it's not about terrorism, it's about fighting for God's laws and America's brought it upon themselves (for) what they've done in history and so on."

Mundine's stance attracted some vocal critics at the time.

[edit] Mundine's plan to enter politics

In August 2006, Anthony Mundine announced he was considering standing for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Marrickville, to help secure the Aboriginal housing on The Block in Redfern. Marrickville is currently held by Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt.

The announcement received wide and generally favourable media coverage. However, it was subsequently reported that he was unlikely to stand as he wished to concentrate on his boxing career.

Mundine said when his boxing career is over he would like to go into politics but for now there are "too many belts to win"

[edit] Trivia

  • Appeared as himself in the music video, Like a Dog by the Australian rock group Powderfinger.
  • Featured on beatboxer Joel Turner's single "Knock U Out" which peaked in the top 20 of the Australian ARIAnet singles chart in 2005.
  • His nickname "The Man" has been parodied in some quarters by referring to him as "The Mouth" in reference to his outspoken comments.
  • He was a housemate in Celebrity Big Brother Australia.
  • Has played in 4 Rugby League grand finals in his 8 years of playing the game. He was in the league from 1993 - 2000 and appeared in the 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1999 finals.
  • His nickname "choc" or "choco" comes from his childhood sweet-tooth and liking of chocolate
  • Was introduced to Roy Jones Snr by his son Roy Jones Jr. Roy Jones Jr told his father that Mundine was "just a raw talent with huge potential".

[edit] Sources

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