Anthony ‘The Man’ Mundine is older and wiser going into showdown with Danny Green

ANTHONY Mundine has never been one to mince words. Easily one of the best boxers to come out of Australia, the 41-year-old is just days out from the biggest fight of his life — a rematch against rival Danny Green at Adelaide Oval.

ANTHONY Mundine has never been one to mince words.

Easily one of the best boxers to come out of Australia, the 41-year-old is just seven days out from the biggest fight of his life — a rematch against rival Danny Green at Adelaide Oval.

But before the clash Friday night, ‘The Man’ sat down with journalist BEN HARVY for a one-on-one interview to talk about his career, whether he really hates ‘The Green Machine’, drugs in sport and what comes after February 3.

Anthony Mundine celebrates after scoring his third try against Cronulla in 1999 NRL preliminary final.

If we go back to the start, your rugby league days, you were an amazing talent in the sport - when did you first discover you had abilities in the game?

Yeah, I knew when I was young, when I was a teenager. I had four amateur boxing fights when I was 16.

I was playing footy from four years old, then when I got to about 15, 16, I wanted a break from footy and I did a bit of boxing and I wanted to turn pro when I turned 17, but I had to be 18, so I went back to footy and I started killing it.

I stuck footy out until I was hard done by as far as selections for national teams and stuff - that’s when I knew it was time to leave.

You accomplished some big things in league, but you left the sport halfway through the 2000 season. Did you feel like you achieved everything you wanted? And looking back now, do you regret leaving when you did?

I could’ve done so much more but I was denied it, because of my personality or whatever.

Because people didn’t like my. . . who I was. . . but as far as, I thought I was the best player at the time.

And my statistics showed that.

Anthony Mundine, Wendell Sailor and Gorden Tallis celebrate after the Super League grand final.

So boxing was the back-up then? And when did you know you were going to switch?

I knew from a young age, I knew from 17 years old that I was going to do boxing. It was always the plan.

After that you go on another solid run, you win 13 out of your 15 fights and you end up facing Danny Green. Take me back to 2006 - how did that fight come about?

He reckons I called him a ‘bum’. I can’t remember saying anything bad.

I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to say something bad. I was the flashy, the flamboyant, the charismatic, the one everyone was talking about and the one who was getting notoriety in the sport.

So obviously he had to come out and try come against me and in order to make some rivalry because we were the same weight.

We were pretty much the same age - he was an Olympian and I was a former rugby league star.

Do you hate Danny?

Nah, I don’t hate him, I just don’t think he’s a good guy.

I think he’s arrogant, that’s the perception I get. But who knows?

Anthony Mundine punches Danny Green during their 2006 bout.

Do you have to hate people in order to fight them?

You can separate being a professional but, in saying that, it’s better to dislike somebody.

I don’t hate him like that, I just dislike his mannerisms, the way he walks around and he’s always bringing me up to make himself relevant.

So you feel like he’s riding your coat-tails?

He has been - there’d be no Danny Green if it wasn’t for Anthony Mundine, full stop.

I’m more grassroots and I relate to the common man easier, he doesn’t represent what I represent.

Compared to 2006, is the feeling leading up to Friday night’s fight different?

I’m a little older, a little wiser. The feeling’s the same.

Anthony Mundine celebrates his 2006 victory against Danny Green.

After beating Green in 2006 you go on and win another 21 fights, you lose only a couple, including your last fight to American Charles Hatley in 2015. After that loss, where was your head at? Did you feel like it (your boxing career) could be over?

People didn’t understand what I had been going through.

The Charles Hatley fight, he outboxed me straight up but I was no way near my best.

My preparation was the worst it had ever been. I had tendinitis in my elbows and my hip.

My hip was the worst it ever was, that’s why I got the surgery straight after.

So the hip had been bothering you for a long time?

About seven or eight years. I didn’t want to take the risk of surgery and not being able to come back.

You don’t know how it’s going to go because it’s major surgery.

I’ve heard that the procedure cost $30,000, is that true?

Yeah, plus all the costs. But I was going to the best surgeon Derek McMinn in Birmingham, in the UK.

He was a pioneer of the surgery, he was the one who invented it, so I knew I was in good hands.

With the resurfacing (which Mundine had) they keep all the bone, they just shave the top of the femoral head, drill the middle of it, cap it like a tooth, cap the socket and put it back in.

It’s more natural, as opposed to prosthetic.

Anthony Mundine during his loss to Charles Hatley at the Melbourne Convention Centre.

How long until you were up and walking again?

Straight away. The next day, I was a freak (Mundine shows video of himself one day after surgery walking), and they couldn’t believe how I recovered.

They couldn’t believe I was walking on day one.

So there, in England, one day after major hip surgery you’re walking around, surely the one thing on your mind is ‘fight’?

Yeah, I knew I had to get my body right.

But was it a fight or the Danny Green fight?

It was the Green fight because that was the one that made the most sense, it was going to be the biggest challenge to me.

So how did the rematch come about, then?

Well, they didn’t think I was serious. We’d been talking for a while but they didn’t think I was serious about it.

For Danny, this is his everything. This is all he wanted, redemption.

He’d be happy if he won this fight and sailed off into the sunset.

We had to let him know we were dead serious. We met out at the international airport in Sydney; I spoke to him for about five minutes and told him, ‘I’m in - let’s go, get the right deal’.

I wanted the fight at 80kg at the start, then I went up to 81kg, 82kg, and then eventually 83kg.

Everything is on his terms, so he got everything. The weight is a massive thing in his favour.

Anthony Mundine is counted out in 10th round knock-out by Sven Ottke in 2001.

You’re not scared giving up the weight, then?

No, because it’s going to be positive for him, he’s going to have more power.

But it can be negative for him, too. I think he’s going to gas faster, he’s going to try too hard and he’s going to find it harder to deal with my speed.

I’m moving like I was when I was 25.

So regardless of the outcome of this fight, what is Anthony Mundine’s next move? Retirement? Or do you keep going?

More than likely, but you never know. If I perform the way I think I can perform and do something extraordinary and do something that’s never been done, jumping from super-welterweight to lower light-heavyweight, four divisions, it’s never been done.

This is history-making stuff. People have got to realise, first, what I am attempting to do.

Then once I’ve done it, how much of a great success story it’ll be.

Let’s say you do call time - is there something else you want to do?

I’ve always wanted to work in a community centre and inspire youth, inspire kids, I want to start a foundation and do something that’s positive.

Something that’s going to benefit the youngsters and people that I can reach out to. I can be a mentor.

Would you consider yourself a hero?

That’s not for me to say. I’ve kept it real from day one, spoke the truth, spoke from my heart and what I’ve done in my sporting career has never been done, it’s never been surpassed.

I’m the pioneer, period. Dominating one sport then going to another code as hard as boxing and winning three world championships.

Anthony Mundine punches Danny Green during his 2006 victory.

Speaking of code-hopping, would you ever have contemplated Mixed Martial Arts if the timing was more in your favour?

No, I’m not really passionate about that.

Do you think it’s a threat to boxing at all?

No way. There is a certain art and science to boxing that you can’t deny.

Boxing reigns supreme, there’s no comparison.

Some are critical of combat sports in general (boxing, MMA, kickboxing etc) and say they are to blame for violence in the community. What do you think?

I think it’s just all social. It’s the social problems we’ve got in our society, like alcohol, drugs, that’s the problem right there.

Anthony Mundine arrives at Adelaide Airport ahead of his rematch with Danny Green on February 3.

You mentioned drugs, how have you gone through your career, surely people have been there offering drugs to you? How do you deal with that?

Oh yeah, there’s two ways you can approach that.

You can either be a follower or you can be a leader. And a leader in the sense that you lead yourself into the right choices.

I’ve always been a firm believer, and my dad taught me and my mum taught me, and instilled in me as a young boy don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs.

Those who want respect got to treat you with respect.

But if you want respect you treat them with respect.

And I’ve always had a vision that I wanted to be somebody and do something with my life.

So every time I’ve been peer-pressured to try and drink, try and take drugs, I always denied it because I had a focus and a vision and where I was going.

I’m clean, I’m the most clean dude you’ll know.

My drugs is good food, good tucker and a fierce drive.

Originally published as Anthony ‘The Man’ Mundine is older and wiser going into showdown with Danny Green