Mundine up for greatest challenge

[pies4ever]

Mundine up for greatest challenge
FoxSports
May 5, 2004

ANTHONY Mundine fights a big, young, dangerous and determined challenger tonight and while this may be harmful for him, it's a bonus for Australian boxing.

Mundine is a tremendously gifted athlete who, since leaving football for boxing, has often fought opponents not in his league. But tonight against the 28-year-old, 185cm Manny Siaca, he faces a heavy hitter who has gone close to winning world titles on three occasions and has 16 KOs in his 17 wins.

Siaca showed in two title shots with hard-punching American Byron Mitchell that he has heart as well as power and promises to be the most formidable opponent Mundine has faced in his four years as a pro boxer.

Yesterday, Mundine said the ankle injury he suffered in preparation was "fine", telling reporters: "I'm not really thinking about it. I'm going to go out there and do what I've got to do to win."

Speed will likely determine the outcome tonight.

Pound for pound Mundine has to be one of the fastest fighters in the world and he showed in winning the WBA championship against the powerful but slow Antwun Echols in September that he knows how to box and counter-punch on the retreat.

Siaca is likely to give him plenty of practice and how Mundine moves on his injured ankle will have a significant bearing on who walks out of the Entertainment Centre as world champ.

"I'm not in Australia for a holiday, I'm here to knock Mundine out," Siaca said.

The fight will be shown live on Main Event from 7pm this evening.

The Daily Telegraph

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Victory first step on Mundine's journey
FoxSports
Comment by Bernie Pramberg
May 5, 2004

FOR a boxer so delicately deft on his feet, Anthony Mundine seems to take two steps back immediately after his career takes a giant stride forward.

Tonight in Sydney, Mundine makes the second defence of his World Boxing Association super-middleweight title against Manny Siaca, a hard-hitting Puerto Rican who is challenging for the title a fourth time.

Twice Siaca came within a split points decision of lifting the crown, against Bruno Girard in September 2000, and then Byron Mitchell a year later. On the third occasion, he was stopped in the 12th round by Mitchell after a rousing stoush.

Undeniably, Siaca is no slouch. But the public perception of Mundine as a world champion, rightly or wrongly, is far removed from the likes of Kostya Tszyu, Jeff Fenech and Jeff Harding. Just ask around the water cooler at work today, or at the bus stop or the pub.

"People in the street still ask me 'When is Mundine going to fight a decent opponent?"' said Derek Milham, the WBA's representative in the Oceania region.

"It's a perception that has gathered momentum and is very disappointing. I really don't think it bothers Anthony and his manager (Khoder Nasser) . . . they've got hides like elephants.

"But I think Anthony's mum and dad are a bit sensitive to it."

Milham believes tonight's title fight at the Entertainment Centre might be Mundine's last in Australia – a sentiment shared by his father and trainer Tony Mundine.

"They are definitely looking at the bigger avenues available overseas," said Milham. "There's not much left for Anthony at home.

"He doesn't need to fight Danny Green. It's the other way around – Green needs to fight Mundine because that's his prospect of a big pay day.

"But Green has managed to convince the public Mundine is running from him. The bloke in the street perceives Green as the guy in the white hat and Mundine wearing the black."

Tony Mundine, a man of few words, indicated at yesterday's weigh-in he was tired of the "knockers".

"There's been a lot of great sportspeople in Australia the public never get behind, and Anthony is one of them," said Mundine Sr.

"It's sad because Anthony is a drawcard overseas and could easily be based in Europe or America. That's where the money is."

If Mundine defeats Siaca tonight he will be under pressure to meet Denmark's Mads Larsen (45-2) within 90 days.

Larsen lost a points decision to recently retired world champion Sven Ottke in September last year.

Mundine won the WBA world title with a unanimous points decision over Antwun Echols the same month, then easily defended it with a fifth-round knockout of Japanese journeyman Yoshinori Nishizawa in January.

The Courier-Mail