Anthony Mundine's sweet deal with Sugar Shane is a knock on Wood's title dreams

ANTHONY Mundine's fight with Shane Mosley later this month has stripped Garth Wood of his world title dream.

ANTHONY Mundine has shelled out more than $1 million to coax Shane Mosley back Down Under - a move which has effectively stripped Garth Wood, the first Australian to beat him, of his own world title dream.

While Mundine will today front a press conference to announce Mosley is returning to Sydney, The Daily Telegraph can reveal promoters of the WBA title bout between Wood and Englishman Martin Murray, scheduled for Sydney on December 11, have been forced to cancel. The decision was made yesterday after broadcaster Main Event agreed to revive Mundine-Mosley on November 27 - a fortnight before their own event.

A shattered Wood last night revealed his promotional team, who were set to outlay $800,000 on the interim middleweight title bout, couldn't risk another "Mundine circus", which is now set for All Phones Arena, Homebush, on November 27.

"How can we risk following a fight that is essentially two blokes fighting for their super fund?'' Wood asked. "If the Mundine fight is a farce, and I believe it will be, what hope have you got of asking Aussie punters to then shell out another 50 bucks to watch you a fortnight later? And right before Christmas.

Anthony Mundine is forced on to the ropes by Garth Wood, who sprung a huge upset in their 2010 fight.

"People are fed up with the fight game. That's what we hoped to change. We weren't bringing a fighter who is on the way out to Sydney. We were bringing a genuine world champion; a guy ranked No.1 for a reason.

"But to do that, it was going to cost my backers $800,000 ... I can't ask people to outlay that sort of money if we're going to be made to follow a circus."

Wood and his trainer, the legendary Johnny Lewis, both questioned how Main Event could effectively cruel their bout by reviving a fight which was initially cancelled a fortnight ago when Mosley sensationally fled the country having tired of awaiting the remaining $700,000 of his purse.

Jeff Fenech lost $500,000 on the farce, and has no involvement in the coming bout.

Anthony Mundine and then manager Khoder Nasser in shock as referee Les Fear lifts the arm of winner Garth Wood in the 2010 Mundine v Wood fight in Sydney.

While Main Event executives refused to comment last night, it's understood the broadcaster remained convinced that, with Mundine and his manager Khoder Nasser now promoting round two, both fights would sell well.

"For the life of me I can't understand this decision,'' Lewis said. "Here was a legitimate title fight, a throwback to those halcyon days of Australian boxing in the 1950s, and they've effectively snubbed it.

"I have no problem with Anthony fighting Mosley, but the decision to let them fight two weeks before Garth ... it's the wrong one."

Wood, who has spent 12 months chasing this fight, also questioned the decision by Main Event, who effectively kick-started his career via that shock win in The Contender.

"They're talking about the winner of Mundine-Mosley fighting Floyd Mayweather,'' he said. "I mean, c'mon, it's more likely to be Jeff Fenech or Roberto Duran.

"I've been living under a rock for a year in preparation for this. Sparred over 500 rounds. It's incredibly frustrating to a get a genuine fight and have this happen."