by James Slater – The trainer of Australia’s Danny Green – who successfully defended his IBO cruiserweight belt with an easy 3rd-round TKO over Puerto Rico’s Manny Siaca in his native country yesterday – feels his charge has no worthy challenges at the 200-pound weight class and that may move up to heavyweight as a result. Certainly, Angelo Hyder has informed World News Australia how he has advised his fighter to move up in weight.
37-year-old Green, now 29-3(26) and unbeaten in his last eight, was happy with his win over Siaca, yet, as he explained afterwards, he would have preferred a tougher challenge. Instead, he saw the former WBA 168-pound champion go down after taking a series of right hands to the head in the 3rd-round, after which he was counted out by the ref just as he beat the count by a fraction.
“I felt the way it was going I was going to deliver what I wanted to give the people, and that was a clean knockout,” Green said. “The referee definitely jumped in too early. Manny could have jumped up a second earlier , he was waiting for the count, for the ten to get maximum recovery time. Then he jumped up, the ref jumped in, and he called it off.
“I’m happy with the victory but there’s also a tinge of disappointment at how it ended..”
As a result of a combination of this lack of feeling satisfied, his trainer’s belief that there are no tests out there for him at cruiserweight and “The Green Machine’s” inability to lure Bernard Hopkins into facing him, it’s possible the tough guy could make the move up to heavyweight.
Hyder explained how he has advised his warrior to go up in weight.
“I’ve suggested he fight at heavyweight,” Hyder said. “From my eyes, there’s no cruiserweight in the world that can go with him, he’s going to knock them all out. I think he could beat David Haye. And [Evander Holyfield] approached us before this fight.”
Green himself, though he may well heed the advise of his trainer, wants to stick around at the 200-pound mark for now, and he really wants to get it on with former light-heavyweight king Antonio Tarver.
“I think Antonio Tarver would be an exciting fight,” Green said. “He’s a big, strong puncher, he’s got a massive history and he’s showed interest now. I’d go [to America] for free. Just give me the Australian TV [money]. As I said to Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins, don’t give me a cent, I’ll go there for free, and they both declined.”
The man who took Jones Junior out inside a round last December seems to have quite a few options, even though he has realised Hopkins will never fight him. Tarver, who hasn’t fought since his 2008/2009 back-to-back points losses to Chad Dawson, would possibly make a worthy opponent, but it’s clear the way Green is punching right now how dangerous he really is.
Will it be Tarver, Holyfield, or someone else? And whoever it is, who would bet against Green winning?