By Srithar Visuasam: Danny Green (28-3, 25 KOs) faces off tomorrow night Wednesday 14 April 2010 at the Challenge Stadium, Perth, Australia against former WBA super middleweight champion Manny Siaca (22-6, 19 KOs) in a defense of his IBO Cruiserweight title. Today’s weigh in saw Green tip the scales at 83.8 kgs (184.4 lbs) with Siaca weighing in at 82.1 kgs (180.6 lbs), both well under the 90.9 kg / 200 lb Cruiserweight limit.
Green, 37, enters tomorrow night’s bout as overwhelming favourite, where in his most recent fight last December, recorded the best performance of his career in a 122 second stoppage victory over ring legend Roy Jones Jr. in Sydney, Australia.. This was Green’s first successful defense of his IBO Cruiserweight title which he claimed in August 2009 with a fifth round TKO over Argentine Julio Cesar Dominguez.
This will be Green’s fourth fight within the past twelve months since returning back to the ring after a 12 month retirement from the sport. His last fight before the initial retirement saw him claim the WBA light heavyweight title in December 2007 via a 12 round unanimous decision over Croatian Stipe Drews. The announcement of his retirement was made shortly before his first mandatory defense, Hugo Garay of Argentina, which was subsequently cancelled.
Siaca, 34, will be venturing to Australia for the second time in his career. The first was undoubtedly the most successful moment of his career in dethroning hometown world champion Anthony Mundine via split points decision in April 2004 to claim the WBA super middleweight title. Since this victory, his career has largely stalled, beginning with a heavy defeat to Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler in his first scheduled defense in November 2004.
After the Kessler loss, Siaca has fought five times over the past five years for four wins. His only meaningful opponent being Italian Silvio Branco for the interim WBA light heavyweight title in July 2006, with Siaca losing via wide points decision. Siaca’s last fight was in March 2009 where he defeated American George Klinesmith via first round knockout… at middleweight.
The logic of seeing Manny Siaca fight for the IBO Cruiserweight title after most recently fighting at middleweight indeed appears questionable. To the defense of the contest, Siaca has previously fought at 180 pounds, holds a narrow advantage in height and possesses a strong KO percentage.
Green has made it clear that resoundingly defeating Siaca will serve to put Anthony Mundine on notice, as talks of a rematch have been a continual thread, with a rematch destined to happen at some point in the near future and is the major motivation for Green returning from retirement.
Green and Mundine have continually taken verbal shots at one another, however the likelihood of them fighting in the immediate future appears unrealistic given Mundine has entrenched himself in the middleweight division and has even signaled a possible move down to junior middleweight ranks. It is thought a catch weight bout is the most likely scenario should a rematch eventuate.
Since returning to boxing, Green has fought all his fights at Cruiserweight, though he and his opponents have never exceeded weighing in at over 185 pounds in any of his bouts. Green has demonstrated solid power and timing at this weight and should account for a largely inactive Siaca with relative ease. This writer’s prediction is for a round seven stoppage victory for Danny Green.
Assuming Green is successful tomorrow night at the Challenge Stadium, it is hoped the victory can see him look to unify titles within the division. Cruiserweight is a relatively wide open division at the moment with no clear ruler at the top of the tree.
Leading Australian betting agency TAB Sportsbet has Danny Green at $1.14 per AUD invested with Manny Siaca a rank outsider at $5.25. The fight will be broadcast from 7:30PM Australian Eastern Standard Time on Main Event PPV this Wednesday night, 14 April 2010.