Grudge match.
THE much-hyped boxing rematch between Anthony Mundine and Danny Green will be held in Adelaide on Friday, February 3.
It was confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday morning the fight will go ahead at a catchweight of 83kg and will be televised on Main Event.
Mundine, 41, won a 12-round decision over Green at Sydney’s Aussie Stadium in 2006 before a crowd of 28,000 that generated multimillion-dollar paydays for both.
FIGHT time Mundine and Green about to face off at boxing media conf. #adelaideoval see it all @7NewsAdelaide pic.twitter.com/XTrad5Qa0F
— Mike Smithson (@mikesmithson7) October 24, 2016
Mundine hasn’t fought since he suffered a TKO loss to American Charles Hatley in November last year. That fight was at the super welterweight (69.9kg) limit.
Green, 43, last fought in August this year when he defeated Kane Watts on points to win the vacant Australian cruiserweight title.
The 83kg catchweight for the Mundine-Green re-match is 7kg lighter than the cruiserweight limit Green most recently fought at — but 7kg above than the super-middleweight division (76kg limit) in which the two squared off back in 2006.
Mundine stole the show at Tuesday’s press conference, refusing to back away from his declaration that he will stage a protest during the Australian national anthem when it is played at Adelaide Oval.
“You know my stance on certain things. I don’t need to reiterate it,” he said.
Anthony ‘Choc’ Mundine.Source:AAP
The former rugby league star predicted he would finish Green inside 12 rounds.
“This time I’m not going to leave it until the end,” he said.
“He’s going to get stopped.
“I just want to put this s*** to rest — that I’m the better man. Skills pay the bills. I’m going to be as sharp as I was in 2006.
“It’s been a great rivalry for a long time. Obviously, me and Danny don’t see eye to eye. He’s always come up with excuses. After the first fight, just excuses. There was weight drain. There was this. There was that. Now I’m coming up 13kg. I won’t even make 83kg. He can be 90kg or 100kg (but) when we get in the ring, speed beats power. Skills pay the bills.
“I’ve been fighting with a bad hip — a very bad hip — for the last seven, eight years.
“That’s fixed now. I feel my feet are back, my movement’s back and you’re all going to see that on February 3.”
When asked why he is prepared to give Green a weight advantage, Mundine said: “Because it’s easy work, it’s easy money”.
“You know what weight we’re fighting at? We’re fighting at Danny weight.
“But, you know what, it don’t matter. I’m going to school him again.
“I’m going to hit him with so many lefts, he’s going to be begging for a right. When I hit him so hard and so often, he’s going to think he’s surrounded.”
Green did not appear shaken by Mundine’s bravado.
“You hit me with everything you had with two hips,” Green said of their 2006 fight.
“I didn’t stop marching forward. Now you get me at Danny weight. You don’t want me at Danny weight. You s*** yourself for 10 years at my weight. Now you’ve been forced into a corner and you’re s****ing your pants.”
Mundine watched at ringside as Green defeated Watts in Melbourne in August, immediately escalating their negotiations for a re-match.
After defeating Watts, Green set his sights on Mundine and said at the time he was extremely confident of winning any future re-match.
A lot can change in 11 years.Source:News Corp Australia
“We’ll sit down and get it going,” Green said of the ongoing negotiations at the time.
“First we’ll get a state, then we’ll get a venue and start talking details.
“Mundine won’t hurt me. It’ll be more of a boxing contest. It’s a whole different ball game. My sparring partners will be different, I’ll be a lot sharper, too, because he’s sharper.
“That’ll bring my sharpness out, because when I’m sparring sharper guys, I’m sharper too.
“When I’m sparring slower, cumbersome guys like Kane Watts, you can’t really get into a rhythm, it’s hard to let fast shots go.”
South Australian Sports Minister Leon Bignell told 5AA Radio the fight would draw a huge interstate audience.
“The first rule of fight club is we don’t talk about fight club, but no one told the (Adelaide Advertiser) because they’ve leaked it,” Bignell said.
“They’ve put it on the front page and I can confirm that Anthony Mundine and Danny Green will be in Adelaide today. We’ll hold a press conference where we’ll confirm that they’ll take part in a grudge match.
Going the distance.Source:AP
“The only time they fought was in 2006. They hate each other, these two blokes. It’s genuine. It’s not confected it all. We’re going to have the biggest fight in Australia’s history — 37,000 people at the Adelaide Oval on a balmy summer night. It will be a terrific spectacle that will be televised around the world and attract about 10,000 fans into Adelaide.”
He said the government was anticipating up to 10,000 boxing fans would travel to Adelaide for the fight.
Neither Mundine or Green calls South Australia home.
“We’re talking about $4.5 million into the economy through the fight, we’re talking about a massive national and international TV audience for one of the great fights between two of the best fighters of our generation,” he said.
“These guys are supreme athletes. Last night I went on YouTube and watched their fight from 2006. They just hit each other all night. I’ve never been to a boxing match in my life ... but this thing has got some intrigue about it.”
Pre-sale tickets will be available from Wednesday, October 26, with general public tickets on sale on Thursday, October 27.
Betting agencies appear uncertain about the likely result because of the breaks between fights for both boxers.
Anthony Mundine ($1.90) and Danny Green ($1.90) will square off at Adelaide Oval early next year!
— William Hill Aus (@WillHillAus) October 24, 2016
Market: https://t.co/lkjIxtKWwZ pic.twitter.com/f4KzZmAnnH
The rematch is FINALLY on!
— UBET (@UBET) October 24, 2016
Danny Green $1.80
Anthony Mundine $2.05
MARKET: https://t.co/3nsNr4StZE pic.twitter.com/hVvvi1bSzP
