Daniel "Danny" Green (born 9 March 1973) is an Australian professional boxer and the former IBO cruiserweight champion.
Born in Perth, Western Australia, he had success at the State Amateur level led to him being selected for an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship to prepare for 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
Green qualified for the Olympic team, stopping Brazilian Laudelino Barros in the fourth and final round of his first bout. However, Green was technically knocked out in the later rounds of his bout against Russian Alexander Lebziak due to Lebziak holding a points advantage that was seen to be too great for Green to overcome - a regulatory circumstance typically viewed in Olympic boxing as an indication that one fighter is outclassed by the other - boxing fights within Olympic contests (unlike professional boxing) are often stopped if and when a fighter is deemed to be so significantly behind on points that the likelihood of him recovering the disadvantage and being successful is seen to be marginal. In these circumstances that are defined by a set threshold margin between the points each boxer attains throughout the bout, due to health and safety concerns the fight is stopped if one boxer has a points lead that is equal to or greater than the set threshold. After the bout was stopped for these purposes and because Alexander Lebziak attained such a points lead, Green claimed his hand was broken and spoke of the fight in terms that attributed the loss to his broken hand. However, right from the start of the contest and throughout the entire bout Lebziak was noticeably dominant and Green sustained what many believed to be facial injuries from Lebziak's punches. Lebziak was an excellent Russian boxer and he then went on to claim the Olympic Gold Medal.
After the Olympics, Green decided to turn professional. He won his first bout by a second round technical knockout ovr Waqa Kolivuso on 29 June 2001 in his adopted hometown of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. A strong puncher, Green won all of his first 16 fights by KO or TKO, earning him a match with Germany's Super Middleweight World Champion Markus Beyer.
Green fought Beyer on 16 August 2003 in Germany. Green floored Beyer twice, opening a cut above the champion's right eye that had to be closed between the third and fourth round. In the fifth round, a clash of heads opened the cut again. The referee ruled it was deliberate on Green's part, and he was disqualified. All three judges had Green ahead on their scorecards. Green was granted a rematch on the condition that he fight two contenders nominated by the WBC.
Green defeated Eric Lucas by a 6th round knockout on 20 December 2003, in Montreal, Canada. He next defeated Sean Sullivan by a unanimous decision on 21 March 2004 in Perth. On 29 September 2004, Green fulfilled the WBC requirements for a rematch by stopping Omar Eduardo Gonzales in the fifth round in Sydney. Beyer was still the reigning champion, and a bout with Green was scheduled for March 2005. Once again it would be fought in Germany.
Green began his rematch cautiously, trying to outbox Beyer in the early rounds. However, Beyer was the more skilled boxer and opened a large points lead. Near the end of the fight, Green realized he needed a knockout to win. He took the last three rounds, and scored the fight's only knockdown in the final round. Beyer was a majority winner on two of the three cards, with one judge scoring it a draw.
Green and trainer, former world champion Jeff Fenech went separate ways, and Green then hired Cuban Olympic trainer Ismael Salas. Green stopped James Crawford in the 5th round of his next fight on 3 July 2005 in Perth.
Green long had a rivalry with Australian Super Middleweight boxer Anthony Mundine, a son of former champion Tony Mundine. Following Green's loss to Beyer, both boxers found themselves at a low and negotiations commenced.
Green had more popular support, but he was forced to make concessions for a Mundine showdown. A qualifying fight was assigned for each man. The bouts were on the same card in Perth on 11 December 2006, and it was considered a double main event.
Green defeated Mexican Kirino Garcia in a match that went the full ten rounds. All three judges scored it for Green at 100-90. Green changed clothes and returned to watch Mundine battle New Zealander Rico Chong Nee.
Mundine entered to boos, catcalls and abuse. He stopped Nee in the third round, then threatened Green from the ropes. Mundine left the arena in a hail of plastic cups and bottles.
Green and Mundine fought in Sydney on 17 May 2006. From the start of the fight Green was unable to connect due to Mundine's movement and speed. As Green seemingly became more frustrated Mundine's defence and fast hands took charge, Green seemed to look for a chance at a ko over trying to score points. Throughout the fight Mundine was more relaxed, which seemed to frustrate Green. the compubox punch stats at the time revealed, that By the 6th round Mundine's was edging ahead of Green, Mundines confidence was in full swing and he had taken total control of the bout. It was clear within the minute's break between rounds 6 and 7 that Green would need to land a KO blow if he were to win. Mundine started round 7 fast and landed a solid unanswered right hook on Green's jaw. From that point onward Green began to look significantly outclassed against Mundine. The 10th round came and Green had not yet significantly dominated an exchange or controlled the fight - the outcome, in front of an Australian record size attendance crowd, After all the years that Danny Green and Mundine had publicly taunted each other and after a massive pre-fight build up lasting years, The fight went the full 12 rounds, but Mundine won by a unanimous decision: 118-113, 116-113 and 118-111.[2][3]
The following day, Green announced the rivalry between Mundine and himself was over. He said he respects Mundine as a fighter, but he would seek a rematch to prove he had an off night. He has since made many attempts to lure Mundine to a re-match at his current weight (Green has gone on to fight at 'danny weight' an invented weight usually stipulated as cruiserweight in which Danny green obtains an advantage over opponents). after Greens win against Roy Jones Jr, Mundine tried to enter the after fight party and taunted Green, Mundine was thrown out, and Green again set his sights back on Mundine, He even went as far to offer a percentage of the fight's revenue to an aboriginal charity that Mundine supports. The offer was largely a farce however as he was only giving mundine a month to prepare, and gain 20 kg which was an impossible task. Mundine publicly refused to rematch green and didn't take the offer. Green's response was bitter and called Mundine "a coward" saying "he saw how I beat Roy and he is scared". Green then fought Manny Siaca after not being able to get a rematch with mundine. Siaca had been campaigning at middle weight (72 kg) and was ranked 150th in the world at the time. Green won the bout with Siaca by a 3rd round KO, making note of how easily he beat Siaca when Mundine had failed (Even though Green fought Siaca 3 weight classes above Siaca's weight). since then Danny Green has stated he is no longer interested in Mundine and that he has given up trying to tempt him into a rematch. Neither fighter seems to mention each other, with out being asked by media but despite that many Australian boxing fans keep calling for the rematch to happen.
After his loss to Mundine, Green moved up to the Light Heavyweight to fight Jason DeLisle. Danny had fought Jason twice before, losing to him on points in 2000 as an amateur and beating him in 2003 by KO in the 5th.
Green and DeLisle fought on the 20th of Sept Danny won convincingly by TKO in the 9th.
It was announced on 7 December that Danny's next opponent would be fellow Australian Paul Murdoch. The light heavyweight bout took place 21 January and Green won the bout, stopping Murdoch in the second round when a member of his corner threw in the towel.
Following the Murdoch bout it was announced that Danny's next opponent would be Manny Siaca in an IBO World Title Eliminator. However, the fight was cancelled after Siaca contracted a viral infection and in its place Green fought American Otis Griffin at Challenge Stadium on 19 July. Griffin, who began his boxing career after winning a reality TV show hosted by Oscar de la Hoya, was no match for Green who knocked him down three successive times in the third round.
His next bout was against World Boxing Association light heavyweight champion Stipe Drvis at Challenge stadium, where Green won the title by a unanimous points decision. Green became the first Australian light heavyweight champion since Jeff Harding's loss to Mike McCallum in 1994. Green had "an epiphany" and abruptly retired before facing his mandatory opponent.
On 25 March 2008 Danny Green announced his retirement, which lasted until April 2009, in 2008 during his retirement Danny Green made it to the Grand finals of "Dancing with the stars" but was beaten by TV personality Luke Jacobz. Danny Green decided to return to the ring and defeated Anthony van Niekerk in Perth to capture the IBO cruiser weight world title.
In 2006 Danny Green rescued a drowning man in monster surf at a beach at Yallingup south of Perth, Australia. Green spotted the man in his mid-twenties in difficulty about 200 metres offshore on the un-patrolled beach and paddled to his aid using his surfboard. "He was pretty out of it. The waves were really heavy and pretty treacherous," Green told SecondsOut. "He had passed in and out of consciousness a couple of times before I got to him." 33 year-old Green battled through huge waves whipped up by a four metre swell to reach the man and placed him on his surfboard before paddling back to shore. "The undertow had dragged him from the beach out to sea and he was getting pounded in the waves," explained Green. "He was caught in a massive rip. He was pretty stuffed when I got him back on the beach. The surf had ripped all of his clothes off. He was sitting on the beach not moving for about ten minutes. When he finally came round and had caught his breath he said, 'This a story to tell the boys at the next party, getting rescued by Danny Green.'" Danny Green received a Bravery award for putting his own life at risk to save another
Danny Green competed in the 2009 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, along side former Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett aboard the super maxi Investec Loyal. Green spoke to "the Telegraph" saying "Nothing will ever erase the memory of that first night," said Green, part of the crew on Loyal, which is racing to help raise money for charity."I nearly fell off and I thought, 'I'm going to die'. Give me a fight any day." But he said he was only back on land a few days before he felt the lure of the ocean again. "A couple of days after I realised it was such good fun," he said. "The camaraderie from team members, the blokes on the boat, made it too enticing to not do it again."I learned sailing, particulary the Sydney to Hobart is a tough gig. It is up and down, its rough and it's tough. "I've always had respect for sailors because I've always been afraid of it, to be stuck on an ocean. The work they do, it's hard"
Danny Green will be Again competing in the Sydney to Hobart boxing day 2011, Green will be joined by numerous other sporting celebrities for the 628 nautical mile race to Hobart, including rugby pair Phil Waugh and Phil Kearns.
On December 2, Danny put his IBO Cruiserweight belt on the line and fought 7 times world champion Roy Jones Jr. Jones had recently been KO'd in several fights, and was over the age of 40. He was largely written off and had been advised to retire for the previous 5 years due to a rapid decline in his skills. Green saw this as an opportunity to put a win on his resume against a boxer who was far beyond Green's capabilities, and offered Jones 3 million dollars to fight in Sydney, Australia. The title bout started off with Jones looking slow and uninterested, while Green pushed forward in the rabid "caveman style" that he had become famous for. After only a minute into the first round, Green trapped Jones on the ropes, and struck him with a clean right to the side of his head, putting Jones on the canvas. Jones survived the count but in a clear case of home town refereeing, the ref called off the fight when Roy had resumed defending himself. Green defeated Roy Jones, Jr. by TKO with still a 1:15 remaining in the first round. After the fight, Jones cried foul and Square Ring Inc. had requested the fight be marked a no contest, due to them claiming illegal hand wraps used by Green. Jones said "I'd rather lose fair than win cheating." A rematch clause was also signed prior to the fight. Danny Green was sued in 2010 for refusing to abide by the contract, refusing to allow Jones a rematch.[4]
On 21 July 2010 Green took on Paul Briggs putting the IBO cruiserweight title on the line. The bout had to be moved from NSW to Perth as Briggs was not cleared to fight in NSW due to well known neurological damage that he had sustained. Before the bout Green labelled Briggs "unprofessional" after the he weighed in nearly 4 kg over the agreed-upon weight (though Briggs still weighed substantially less than the 90 kg cruiserweight limit. It should be noted that although cruiser weight champion Danny Green to this point had never fought within 4 kg of his new class). The ensuing fight was seen as a "farce",[5] with Briggs collapsing after 29 seconds following an innocuous left jab by Green, his first in the fight, which appears to have at most brushed the top of Briggs' head. Briggs was subsequently booed out of the stadium by irate fans, and had to be protected by management from projected missiles being thrown at him. In a post-bout interview Green labelled Briggs "less than canine" and claimed Briggs would not be getting paid for the fight, while also apologising to fans who had paid to attend.[6] Speculation has arisen as to whether Briggs threw the fight, as online bookmaker Centrebet labelled the bout "highly, highly dubious" following a massive betting plunge shortly before the fight. Centrebet spokesman Neil Evans stated "We've never ever in the history of boxing seen so much money go on a specific decision outcome, as in a first- or second-round knockout. There was a massive go on first or second-round knockout starting from very early yesterday morning, right through the day, certainly up until early afternoon. There was one bet of $50,000, which is extraordinary on an option of a first-round knock-out, even on a hot favourite. They were both into even money, paying $2 each at around lunch-time almost, such was the amount of money just poured in the gate."[7] The fight had been due to be held in Sydney but was moved at the last minute after the New South Wales Combat Sports Authority refused to commission the bout claiming Briggs was "unfit" to fight. It is highly possible that many fight fans were privy to leaked information that Briggs was not fighting-fit, with rumours and speculation that he had been dropped several times in training leading up to the bout.[citation needed]
Danny Green in November 2010 defended his IBO Cruiserweight title against inactive journeyman B.J Flores. Green did a good job selling the fight, labeling Flores a conteneder and talking up his undefeated record. In reality Flores was an inactive fighter who had never been in with a champion level fighter and not fought in almost two years. Green further tarnished the fight by paying Flores and extra $200 000 to come in lighter than he ever had before, forcing flores to train to a weight he had never fought at. The fight proceeded to be a dull 'sparring' match, neither fighter looked keen to trade and little action throughout the fight. judge: Dave Moretti 118-110 | judge: Andre Van Grootenbruel 118-111 | judge: Steve Scott 117-112 this was the first loss of Flores career
Danny Green next challenged semi retired actor/commentator and former light heavyweight world champion 42 year old Antonio Tarver for Green's IBO Crusierweight strap. Both fighters came off clear unanimous decision victories, with Tarver beating lowly ranked Nagy Aguilera 16-4-0 and Green defeating NABO and USBA Cruiser champ BJ Flores 24-0-1. The fight took place in Green's backyard at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia on 20 July 2011.
Tarver defeated Green by TKO at the completion of the ninth round. Green's brother Brendan and trainer Angelo Hyder entered the ring to call off the fight as the bell rung, following sustained attack from Tarver late in the round, leaving Green dazed and unable to defend himself.
Tarver had already put Green down in the second round and generally dominated the fight. Green struggled to combat the southpaw's style and power. Tarver suggested he was prepared to offer a rematch. It was the first occasion Green had ever been stopped in his 35 fight career.
Green next challenged WBC titleist Wlodarczyk. The bout was controversial as months before the fight the Pole had tried to commit suicide and was placed in an induced coma. This following on from Green's last 5 embarrassing fights the public was very wary. The fight started with both fighters looking strong. Green pressed the action with Wlodarczyk content to take Green's blows on the gloves and counter punch. Green edged ahead on the cards with his pressure fighting, it was clear though that Wlodarczyk was not concerned with Green's power and was looking for the KO. By the 8th round the gulf in class started to show, with Wlodarczyk stating to take control and land the superior blows. Wlodarczyk landed a devastating shot that bloodied the face of Green in round 10. From that point on Green was fighting for survival. In the 11th round it was all Wlodarcyk, with a minute left in the round Wlodarczyk landed a left hook on Green's jaw, Green fell to the ground and was unable to stand, leaning against the ropes in a bloodied and defeated heap. The Ref called the fight and the Polish Warrior Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (Diablo) became victorious, with the official result declared an 11 round TKO. Despite the loss Green seemed happy with his performance, although disappointed Green stated after the fight, "That's the game I'm in. I took on the best cruiserweight in the world and I was one and-a-half rounds from pulling off the fairytale," he said.
"I know one thing - when I have retired and finished boxing, I will know that I've given it everything I have got. I've been blessed with one of the best jabs in the game and I had to use it against a warrior, and such a strong and determined fighter. I proved after the shocking performance against (Antonio) Tarver that I can come back and then nearly beat the best cruiserweight. I've had an amazing career. I don't know what I'm going to do. I've got a sore head and was four and-a-half minutes away from pulling off a fairytale victory. It has been a great journey."
Wlodarczyk Praised Green's performance stating "It was a great, great fight. Danny is a very tough and fast guy, too fast for me, but my punches were most prompt," Wlodarczyk said. "I had some problems in one of the rounds (fifth) but I didn't want to show my opponent or referee that I was on my knee. That's why I decided to stand and show heart, to show soul and to show the quality that I could win the fight."
Two days after the fight, Green held a press conference saying he was proud of his effort and he will be taking some time off to consider his boxing future,
| Record to Date |
| Won 31 (KOs 27) |
Lost 5 |
Drawn 0 |
Total 36 |
| Date |
Opponent |
Location |
Result |
| 30 November 2011 |
Krzysztof Włodarczyk |
Perth, Australia |
LOSS TKO - 11 |
| 20 July 2011 |
Antonio Tarver |
Sydney, Australia |
LOSS TKO - 9 |
| 17 November 2010 |
BJ Flores |
Perth, Australia |
WIN UD - 12 |
| 21 July 2010 |
Paul Briggs |
Perth, Australia |
WIN KO - 1 |
| 14 April 2010 |
Manny Siaca |
Perth, Australia |
WIN KO - 3 |
| 2 December 2009 |
Roy Jones, Jr. |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN TKO - 1 |
| 16 August 2009 |
Julio Cesar Dominguez |
Biloxi, Mississippi, USA |
WIN KO - 5 |
| 26 April 2009 |
Anthony Van Niekirk |
Perth, Australia |
WIN KO - 2 |
| 16 December 2007 |
Stipe Drews |
Perth, Australia |
WIN UD - 12 |
| 18 July 2007 |
Otis Griffin |
Perth, Australia |
WIN KO - 3 |
| 21 January 2007 |
Paul Murdoch |
Melbourne, Australia |
WIN KO - 2 |
| 21 September 2006 |
Jason Deslisle |
Perth, Australia |
WIN TKO - 9 |
| 17 May 2006 |
Anthony Mundine |
Sydney, Australia |
LOSS UD - 12 |
| 11 December 2005 |
Quirino Garcia |
Perth, Australia |
WIN UD - 10 |
| 3 July 2005 |
James Crawford |
Perth, Australia |
WIN TKO - 5 |
| 12 March 2005 |
Markus Beyer |
Zwickau, Germany |
LOSS UD - 12 |
| 29 September 2004 |
Omar Eduardo Gonzales |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN TKO - 5 |
| 21 March 2004 |
Sean Sullivan (boxer) |
Perth, Australia |
WIN UD - 10 |
| 20 December 2003 |
Eric Lucas |
Montreal, Canada |
WIN TKO - 6 |
| 16 August 2003 |
Markus Beyer |
Nurburgring, Germany |
LOSS DQ - 5 |
| 2 June 2003 |
Jason Delisle |
Penrith, Australia |
WIN KO - 5 |
| 15 March 2003 |
Jorge Andres Sclarandi |
Perth, Australia |
WIN TKO - 6 |
| 9 January 2003 |
Bradley Mayo |
Melbourne, Australia |
WIN TKO - 1 |
| 9 November 2002 |
Nico Toriri |
Perth, Australia |
WIN KO - 3 |
| 27 September 2002 |
Paula Tuilau |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN KO - 2 |
| 2 August 2002 |
Joel Bourke |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN KO - 4 |
| 18 May 2002 |
Rhon Roberts |
Las Vegas, USA |
WIN KO - 3 |
| 19 April 2002 |
Paul Smallman |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN KO - 8 |
| 9 April 2002 |
Iobe Ledua |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN KO - 2 |
| 7 December 2001 |
Daniel Tai |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN TKO - 6 |
| 16 November 2001 |
Eni Latu |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN TKO - 3 |
| 26 October 2001 |
Heath Stenton |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN TKO - 2 |
| 19 October 2001 |
Jason Rarere |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN KO - 2 |
| 28 September 2001 |
Manueli Delatabua |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN TKO - 2 |
| 3 August 2001 |
Frank Ciampa |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN TKO - 2 |
| 29 June 2001 |
Waga Kolivuso |
Sydney, Australia |
WIN KO - 2 |
In 2006 a documentary called The Fight Game was released based on Green. It covers the first four years of his professional boxing career. Also an interview/documentary with Green in 2008 after his retirement called Closed Fists, Open Heart which covers his entire boxing career up to his retirement.
- ^ Fox Sports News Article
- ^ The Australian News Article
- ^ 15 Rounds Article [1]
- ^ The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
- ^ http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27442522-5009280,00.html
- ^ http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27442522-5009280,00.html
- ^ http://www.smh.com.au/sport/boxing/hes-a-dog-and-hes-not-getting-paid-20100722-10li4.html?autostart=1
| Persondata |
| Name |
Green, Danny |
| Alternative names |
|
| Short description |
Australian boxer |
| Date of birth |
9 March 1973 |
| Place of birth |
Perth, Western Australia |
| Date of death |
|
| Place of death |
|
![Greg Paulus - What's Mine Is Yours (Slow Hands Remix) [Double Standard, 2011]](http://web.archive.org./web/20131025135958im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tYvUW4_p1ps/default.jpg "Greg Paulus - What's Mine Is Yours (Slow Hands Remix) [Double Standard, 2011]")
