14.08.05 – by Gavin Stone: Anthony Mundine will take the first step in a plan that is set out to make him a 2 time world champion when he fights Tanzanias Rashid Matumla at Canberra’s AIS Arena on September 7.. Anthony Mundine lost his world title fight back in June against Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler, and this upcoming fight is part of a 4 fight plan that has been devised by Roy Jones Sr and Tony Mundine Sr that will put Mundine in a position to once again fight for a world title. Mundine, who is now 23-3 knows that every fight from now on is as important as the next, and another loss could see the end of his boxing career.
Not much is know of the Snakeboy, Rashid Matumla, and that could make it a dangerous fight for Mundine. In Matumla’s last fight he lost a 12 round decision to South African Mpush Makembi for the vacant WBA Pan African Super Middleweight Title. The September 7 bout between Mundine and Matumla will be an eliminator for a shot Makembi and the title he holds. Rashid Matumla has an impressive 30-7 record and is a former 2 time world champion, all be it the lowly rated WBU and IBU titles at Light-Middleweight and Middleweight respectably. Although Rashid Matumla is listed as a 37yo, inside sources close to Matumla suggest that he is actually around the early 30s mark, this mistake is made via way of the fact that Matumla has no verification of age due to being brought up in the Tanzanian African jungle, this is the case with many African fighters.
Although he has fallen into the trap in the past, Mundine is not taking Matumla lightly.
“Obviously it’s very important, I can’t lose any more fights,” Mundine said. “I lost to the world champion in a close decision, if I lose this fight, I’ll be so far back, it will be almost impossible for me to have another chance at Kessler. I’m not focused on anything but winning.”
With every opponent that Mundine names there will always be talk as to where fellow Australian Danny Green is on Mundine’s list of things to do. Although Green is fighting 38yo WBC No1 contender Scott Pemberton on October 23 in Perth, Mundine is confident that the fight will happen soon.
“Obviously I’m focused on the possibility of a title, but I’d drop all that for a chance to fight him,” Mundine said.
“The hold up now is just the business decisions, it’s two parties coming to a common ground and I’m pretty confident that we can over the next three months.
“That’s the fight everyone wants to see and I want to give people what they want.
“I want to prove, not just to the fans, and the people out there, but to everyone that I’m the best out there.”
If Mundine can get through the upcoming 4 fights and gain another shot at Kessler’s world title he is confident of going that 1 step further in a rematch than he did in their epic battle at the Sydney Entertainment Centre back in June.
“I thought we both boxed a terrific fight,” he said.
“I should have asserted my authority at certain times, but that’s easy to say now, having watched it and you kick yourself.
“It was a very close fight and afterwards when we spoke he didn’t know if he’d won or lost.
“We both gave it our all, two super middleweights coming together and I hope we can do it again.
“He’s at the top of his game, he’s been boxing since he was four and he can’t improve much more but my improvement will be in leaps and bounds.
“I look forward to fighting him again, he’s the reigning super middleweight world champion.”
But firstly Mundine must get past Rashid Matumla on September 7 at the AIS Arena in Canberra.
Gavin Stone, www.TheBlackSuperman.com