17.05.06 – Fan interest generated by the genuine animosity between top Australian super middleweights Danny Green and Anthony Mundine has risen to a fever pitch before their historic clash this Wednesday in front of an expected crowd of 40,000 at mammoth Aussie Stadium in Sydney. Sparked by the bitter feud, a spiteful chord has been struck across the country, drawing battle lines involving not just hardcore Ozzie fight fans but casual observers as well. Adding fuel to the fire is the right to challenge undefeated WBA Champion Mikkel Kessler that will go to the victor.
It’s a simple, clear case of good guy vs. bad guy in the eyes of many, including Danny Green and his manager, Justin Manolikos. “Anthony Mundine is a loudmouth,” remarked Manolikos bluntly. “He’s very abrupt, he’s arrogant, very outspoken whereas Danny Green is more of a guy next door. Mundine has compared himself to Michael Jordan, reckoned that he’s a better athlete than Michael Jordan, reckoned he’s as good a boxer as Roy Jones. Of course, you get your haters because of that.”
Green, 21-2 (19), has waited years to get Mundine, 25-3 (20), into the ring and feels more than ready for the challenge. “Mundine is definitely the fastest fighter I’ll have faced but he’s not the best, by no means,” said Green.. “I was flogging Markus Beyer for five rounds in 2003 before I was disqualified. I fought Eric Lucas, a world amateur champion and WBC titlist with a lot of experience. That fact that I knocked him out in six rounds in Montreal was a huge achievement for me. Mundine is very flashy and his handspeed is going to be a very difficult factor to overcome on the night but it’s something that we’re working on to counter. He’s a totally different kettle of fish but I have fought better fighters.”
Relaxed and confident despite the massive occasion, Green fully believes that his determination and drive will propel him to the top in this epic battle. “In Australia, we have a term and it’s called mongrel,” he said. “It basically means you’ve got a lot of ticker, a lot of heart, a lot of aggression, a lot of go and you never give up. That sums me up in the boxing ring. With my power, tenacity and boxing ability, whatever happens on the night, that’s what I’m prepared for and I’m looking forward to the job. I want to thank everyone very much for the support that they’ve shown and I look forward to doing everyone proud on the night. I haven’t had lot to say lately because I’m so focused on this fight and I prefer to let my fists do the talking on the night.”
The Danny Green – Anthony Mundine Official WBA Super Middleweight Title Eliminator takes place at Aussie Stadium in Sydney, Australia on Wednesday, May 17. Tickets are priced from $95 to $1,000 and can be purchased online at http://premier.ticketek.com.au/ Main Event Pay-Per-View, Fox Sports Pub & Club and Austar will televise the historic fightcard starting at 5PM.
To learn more about Danny “The Green Machine” Green, log onto www.dannygreen.com.au