SYDNEY, 18 May 2006 — Anthony Mundine upset fellow Australian Danny Green in a unanimous points decision here yesterday to win the right to challenge world champion Mikkel Kessler for the WBA super-middleweight title.
Mundine “the Man” dominated from the beginning of the bout at Sydney’s Aussie Stadium, defying punters who had picked “the Green Machine” as the favorite in the World Boxing Association elimination fight.
Dubbed “Man versus Machine,” it was one of the most widely anticipated matches in Australian boxing history as the two vocal enemies — Mundine from Sydney and Green from Perth on Australia’s west coast — met for the first time in the ring.
From the start of the fight, Green, a 33-year-old former Olympian, pounded Mundine with his trademark power body punches, only to be answered back with lightning combinations from his 30-year-old adversary.
As the fight continued, Mundine wore his older opponent down, looking more and more in control and in better condition.
In the 12th and final round, Mundine rocked Green with a combination of punches to the head and taunted the Perth fighter to “come on.” Green pushed back, as he had all night, but at the final bell nodded to his opponent in apparent acknowledgement that he had been outfought.
Mundine was only the fourth man to take Green the full 12 rounds in his 24-fight career.
The victory took Mundine’s record to 26 wins, 20 by knockout, to three losses, while Green now stands at 21 wins, 19 by knockout, and three losses.
The fight seemed to confirm the view of some that Green’s ferocious approach to boxing had taken its toll on his own body, a toll which had seen him make little progress since his first world title fight loss to Marcus Beyer in 2003.
And it was a sweet victory for Mundine, an Aborigine who calls himself the people’s fighter and has long had a love-hate relationship with the Australian public.
Judge Pinit Prayadsab from Thailand gave the fight to Mundine 118-111, Korean Michael Lee scored it 116-113 and Australian Derek Milham had it 118-112. While Mundine now has a shot to challenge the Dane Kessler to regain the WBA title, Green’s career was in question.
