Thursday, May 18, 2006

The Greatest Fight In History, Lets Solve The Mystery

Those were the words of the ring announcer in the last hyperbole in perhaps the most hyped fight in Australian boxing history.

And wasn’t it a great fight with Anthony Mundine hopefully finally silencing his critics with a comprehensive points decision.  Kostya Tszyu (scoring the fight for the Foxtel commentary team) gave all but the first round to Mundine.  The judges didn’t differ by much and Mundine was the clear winner.

Now don’t take this that Green performed badly.  Not at all.  He was very strong and stubborn and was a bit wobbly legged at times, but he lasted the distance and copped a fair amount of punishment in the process.  He was well beaten, but not disgraced.

Now the question is, will the Australian public finally get behind Mundine and despite is eccentricities finally realise that this guy is legit.  Many people expected Green to wipe the floor with Mundine purely on the basis of media rhetoric.  Yes, I don’t disagree that he polarises opinion and I don’t embrace everything he says and he is also a clumsy wordsmith, but he is genuine, is good of heart, is a clean living person and hence a walking role model for those who believe sportspeople are to live to that ideal (take note Warne, Willie Mason and co).

Mundine is a person who is demonised by his poor statements of his early football career put has matured into a very savvy person who uses the media well.  He was the one that drove 30,000 people to attend the SFS to watch the fight and the thousands more to go to pubs and clubs and generally get in front of a Foxtel TV for $49.95 to do the same.  It was he who was the person who generated a combined A$6M in prize money between the two fighters and gladly played up to the “bad guy” or “black hat wearer” to endear that support and subsequent publicity.

He is a showman.  He played a lot of people for fools last night and came up on top.  He has played rugby league at the highest level, he has won and lost a world title, he now has a shot at another and has essentially delivered on every promise he has made since leaving the NRL.  So, for once, people stop bagging the showman image and appreciate that he is one of the best athletes that this country has produced.

6 comments:

Chunky said...

The answer is no, I won't stop bagging him. I have never doubted his athletic gifts, it purely his mouth and his attitude I have always had a problem with.

He has always allowed his ego to get int the way of making the most of his gifts IMO, and still does. His old man had to do a harry to get him to pull his head in this time ffs. This is nothing new, and IMO the fact that he even had to fight Green demonstrates that he has yet to fulfil his potential as a boxer, at least partially because of his preparations. Could you imagine what Mundine could do if he had the ethic of Kostya Tszuyu?

In league his natural athleticism allowed him to do well at Five Eigth, despite the facts his talents would have made him a lot better at fullback or in the centres (his primary strength was in his running the football, not setting up his teammates), but his ego would never allow it, as 5/8 is the glamour position.

You're looking at him through the blinkered eyes of a Dragqueens supporter Clay. He has many good attributes and has made some good achievements, buut as it stands he has never lived up tpo his potential or his mouth as either a Rugby League player or a boxer.

Beating Danny Green does not achieve the goals he has set for himself in boxing. He needs to become the champion, defend that title for a long period, and hopefully unify his division (and ppossibly move up to other divisions) in order to fulfil that.

Go Vic Darchiniyan! Australias current (and seemingly overlooked) world boxing champion.

Clay said...

Mundine spent two seasons at the Broncos at centre and did sweet FA.

In boxing, he won a world title and defended it 2-3 bouts. There is not much more that you can do. How is his ego holding him back? In fact I think it is propelling him forward.

Remember that boxing is a business and he has taken a good dose of talent and walked away with close to $6M last night.

If it wasnt for his ego, would he have gotten the win AND the excess cash?

If he was a quiet Danny Green clone, last nights fight would have been at the Newtown RSL or somewhere.

I agree that he underachieved in league and left before he had fully developed as a player and hence left his league potential unfulfilled.

But you cant knock that decision given the $'s he's earnt boxing...

My view is highlighted by your last line: Who the hell is Vic Darchiniyan? World Champ probably? Unknown and close to penniless, probably.

Anonymous said...

Who cares how many $'s he's earned at boxing or the fact that it was such a televised game rather than having taken place at some RSL?

Just because he manipulates the media well and trots around with an ego bigger than a blue whale does him no credit whatsover in my eyes - if anything, it gives me more reason to bag him. Him and the people who think thats great! Why we seem to have this compulsion to respect or make heroes of anyone who makes a million (especially given the low values such people generally stoop to) is really disappointing.

Clay said...

Well Mr Anon (pls use a nickname at least), Mundine doesnt drink, doesnt smoke, is generous to charity, helps kids get off the streets and is generally an all round nice guy away from the "media".

He was interviewed tonight on 2UE and was extremely humble and generous on Green. He said Green could have won the fight with one punch.

Then when he was asked did he realise that all these people turned up with the majority wanting to knock his block off, he said "who cares. They came out to see a show and we put on a good one".

The guy is class IMHO.

Chunky said...

None of us know him away from the media however.

We only know him from the face he chooses to present to us. As you have stated, much of this is a carefully planned facade designed to make money - though given you also claim he is genuine this is dubious.

Its not just the fact that he talks so much that gets the blood boiling. Its the fact that he comes off as a cheap Muhammad Ali impersonator or wannabe rapper while doing it - if he was at least original (or even not spewing American style crap) you'd find people would be more willing to accept him.

You try and use the fact that he's a commercial success as your basis for justification, but the "man" himselfs boasts are about his status in the world of boxing, and by saying he won the world title and defended it a couple of times, and there is not much more you can do shows complete ignorance to the world of boxing.

The alphabet belts are a sham, and the one Mundine did win was a vacant title - he has never actually taken a title off an incumbent champion, let alone dominated one of the weaker divisions in boxing as he has long claimed he will do.

When he has come up against the class of his weight division, he has been found wanting. This is partially due to the risk averse way in which Australian boxers seem to operate, where they fight mugs until they get a world title opportunity, then have trouble with the step up in class (Green is not much better in this regard). Such a strategy gives them plenty of title shots, but leaves them woefully underprepared for a real bout. Contrast this with the method of Kostya, whose past fights read like a whos who of his division. Its no surprise that he has performed well in big fights over many years. Kostya hasn't actually had that many more fights than Mundine, especially considering the relative length of their careers - his have just been a lot more important.

I hope Mundine uses this Green fight as an opportunity to launch finally grab a title and start taking the hard fights and truly put his money where his mouth is.

Yes, I am up far too early this morning.

Anonymous said...

I remember his attitude as a teenager, making squads then not turning up to even go away to the tourne with the team. or missing training sessions, complaining at state tryouts when he was dropped etc etc

OB