04.03.05 – By Eddy Manning: A Journey meets its crossroads on March 12th, when Interim WBC super middleweight champion Danny Green takes on Markus Beyer, the WBC Champion in a rematch that will settle there rivalry for good. Over the past 18 months, verbal slogs at one an others camp have been thrown, ducking, dodging, stealing, It has all been said. But the time for talking is almost up as Danny Green prepares for the fight, which he hopes will kick start a journey to the top of the super middleweight division. Green knows that there is bigger things lying ahead. With a pending victory over Beyer, an American TV deal is almost sure to ensue..
As Green prepares for his fight, it seems to be in almost a completely opposite fashion to that of Beyers. After 18 months of words, following Greens 5th round disqualification loss to Beyer in August of 2003. Reports from Germany have said that Beyer has enlisted the help of a sports psychologist, to help beat the demons of the first fight, in which Beyer was knocked down twice and beaten around the ring by Green from the get go. Green on the other hand has been training hard and says he feels mentally and physically stronger going into there rematch. As this goes up, Danny is at the Big Bear training camp in America, Undergoing final preparations.
Danny Green was on the cusp of becoming a unified world champion, but had it all taken away from him by the hostile German camp and his fast, undisciplined style that night. Green, to me, was reminiscent of an army tank doing brutal damage but not stopping when he was supposed to. The Green-Beyer style was mixed automatically with there varied stances. And as was the case, heads came together on a few occasions. But the tank kept rolling that night, and in the 5th Danny was pulled over by referee Bill Clancy and, as clancys fingers signaled 2, something was about to happen. A blood soaked Green looked at Clancy in anger, then..most likely a silent though of disgust in himself. Green was ahead on judges cards at the time of stoppage and he was still fighting risky, risks that cost him the fight. But, Green still presents a good case that he won the fight.
Green, it seems has only learnt from the mistakes and plans he could not execute that night, and the signs look promising for him on the eve of the big clash. Green, who many say will have the mental edge on the 12th, has been forced to beat alot of demons from that fateful night as well. Not only had he been disqualified from the most important fight of his short professional career, but he had also lost, the first loss of his career. Green had to go back to the drawing board in Australia without the WBC title. No matter how many people reassured him that he won the match, it didn’t give him the belt, the title, the glory. Now, Green, who has said he feels better about all aspects of himself including mentally, Is out to finish what he started.
Beyer, the German champion will be across the other side of the ring on March 12 knowing perfectly well that Danny Green’s intentions are nothing but brutal. And as the bell rings for the first round all of us, including undoubtedly Green and Beyer, will take a second and remember the first fight. Two hard knockdowns, a vicious cut and a controversial finish will flash before our eyes, but as the fighters reach center ring and the first punch is thrown, it will be all business- redemption or revenge? A rematch with everything you need.