What does Anthony Mundine say to shake up his opponent?
While some of lines are best not repeated, others are closer to corny comedy. Here’s how ‘the man’ trash talks contenders.
Fiona Byrne
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Trash talk. We have all heard of it but what do boxers actually say to each other when they are face-to-face and putting on a show to announce a coming bout?
Veteran fighter Anthony Mundine, 44, is emerging from retirement to take on one of the rising stars of the ring, Michael Zerafa, 28, in a showdown in Bendigo on March 13 next year.
The pair confirmed their punch on with two press calls on Friday; one in Bendigo and one in Melbourne and gave a curious insight into some of the verbal jabs they throw when softening each other up at the microphone.
While some of the lines were best not repeated for fear of offence others were closer to corny comedy.
An old hand at trash talk, Mundine was quick out of his corner with the threat: “I’m going to hit you with so many combinations you’ll feel like you are in a Chinese restaurant.”
He followed up with the one two combination of “Your 17 knockouts were all taxi drivers,” and “he excites me but not in a sexual way.”
Not taking a step back from their near nose to nose standoff, Zerafa countered with: “You’d better put your sponsors’ names on the bottom of your shoes because when I knock you out you’ll be looking up at the ceiling.”
He then parried with: “I’ll hit you with that many lefts you’ll be begging me for a right,” before showing some real flare with “you’d better bring toothpicks with you to get the leather out from between your teeth.”
Melbourne boxing aficionado Mick Gatto brought the temperature down telling the pair to “ settle down children.” While definitely not in ballpark of Ali’s poetry the pair talked a good game.
Mundine warned Zerafa: “I never wanted to whip a bloke so bad,” eliciting a quick retort from Zerafa: “Just don’t knock yourself out in the process.”