Jeff Fenech says Mundine-Green rematch should be called off
JEFF Fenech not only gives Anthony Mundine no chance of beating Danny Green early next year, he fears the weight disparity for their bout in Adelaide puts his health at serious risk.
In fact, the Australian boxing legend has called for their February 3 fight to be called off.
“If Danny Green hits him with a very clean punch, Anthony could face a serious health problem,” Fenech told Sky Sports Radio on Wednesday, a day after the fight was announced.
“I believe that the fight shouldn’t be allowed to go ahead. Forget the money.”
The 41-year-old Mundine will fight Green at 83kg — up from the 76.2kg super middleweight limit at their previous meeting in 2006, won by Mundine in a unanimous points decision.
Fenech, a three-time world champion, believes the contest will be a massive mismatch and Mundine can consider himself a 100-1 underdog.
“As a spectacle, I think it’s going to be terrible,” Fenech said.
“He’s been knocked down six or eight times in his last three times against guys who weigh 65-67kg, 70kg.
“Danny Green is going to weigh 90 on the night — it shouldn’t be allowed.”
Mundine on Wednesday played down the chances of succumbing to a heavy knockout defeat.
“He’s got the power. He’s probably going to be 10 kilograms heavier than me. But speed beats power,” Mundine told SEN radio.
“If he’s hitting air, I got nothing to worry about.”
Mundine’s last outing was a TKO loss to American Charles Hatley in November last year.
He was victorious over Belarusian Sergey Rabchenko in November 2014, but was also floored numerous times by Joshua Clottey in another super welterweight loss earlier that year.
Green defeated Kane Watts on points last August to win the vacant Australian cruiserweight title.
This isn’t the first time Fenech has aired his concerns, either.
The boxing great took to the air late last year to express his grievances about a Mundine-Green rematch, saying Green could easily end the former NRL player in the first round.
“It’s a bulls*** fight,’’ Fenech said in November 2015. “And if there’s a boxing authority anywhere in Australia who lets it happen, we might as well ban the sport here forever.
“Everyone saw what happened to Anthony last fight. He got knocked down however many times by a light middleweight nobody knows.
“And Danny Green, he doesn’t punch like a light middleweight.
“People saying they want this fight to see Choc get knocked out, that’s exactly what they’ll get.
“If Danny doesn’t finish him in the first round, he isn’t trying.
“But why would anyone want Anthony to get hurt, seriously hurt? The sport here has already had a couple of tragic deaths this year, it doesn’t need any more.”
Mundine and Green exchanged obligatory pre-fight banter in a press conference in Adelaide yesterday.
“In our anthem ‘Australians all let us rejoice’ because this bloke’s about to get a proper tune-up,” Green announced.
“I’m going to hit him with so many lefts he’s going to be begging for a right,” Mundine retaliated.
“I’m going to hit him so hard and so often he’s going to think he’s surrounded.”
Originally published as Mundine rematch should be canned