Danny Green slams Brendan Fevola’s fake Mundine rivalry claims

BOXING legend Danny Green has accused former AFL star Brendan Fevola of making false claims ahead of the champion’s hugely anticipated encounter with career rival Anthony Mundine.

BOXING legend Danny Green has accused former AFL star Brendan Fevola of making false claims ahead of the champion’s hugely anticipated encounter with career rival Anthony Mundine.

Just 48 hours before Green is expected to join Mundine as a contestant in a TV reality show, he slammed Fevola over suggestions the boxing rivalry was fake.

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Boxer Danny Green has slammed Brendan Fevola over claims his rivalry with Anthony Mundine is fake. Picture: Nigel Wright

Speaking on radio this morning Fevola declared the boxing duo were actually friends and their fierce rivalry had been ramped up by producers of I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! in an orchestrated bid to lure viewers.

But speaking from South Africa, ahead of his jungle appearance, Green hit back:

“I am scratching my head at the completely false statements Brendan has made,” he told the Herald Sun.

“His claims are quite bizarre. Anyone who knows me or Anthony knows full well of the ill feeling we have towards each other.

“The biggest rivalry in Australian sport for nearly two decades cannot be contrived.

“Fevola has completely fabricated this story for what reason I do not know.”

Danny Green says Brendan Fevola’s claim that he is mates with Anthony Mundine are false. Picture: Sarah Reed

Fevola set tongues wagging when he urged listeners to “peek behind the curtain.”

“They’re actually mates,’’ he said on Fox FM “There’s a bombshell.”

Fevola said he realised the rivalry was completely made up a decade ago when he was in Mundine’s room ahead of a fight.

“In walked Danny Green and Danny Green’s wife and I’m going, ‘Oh it’s going to be on! What’s happening? These guys hate each other!’,” Fevola told his radio co-hosts.

But rather than throw punches, he said the two fighters “cuddled” and exchanged pleasantries.

Green said the incident never occurred and that he had actually only meet Fevola outside a Melbourne hotel in 2008 when he had been meeting Mundine’s manager to discuss a re-match.

Brendan Fevola says he realised the Green-Mundine rivalry was made up a decade ago, a claim Green denies. Picture: Josie Hayden

Publicly, the two boxers have traded insults for more than a decade and have famously come face-to-face for two grudge matches.

Mundine won the opening bout in 2006, and Green scored a controversial win in a rematch last year.

Green’s representatives AMW Media said today the deal by Channel 10 to lure the pair for the television show was the result of furious negotiations and had ``taken years’’.

“In the years we have worked with Danny we have never seen him with Anthony Mundine nor heard of any friendly exchanges between them outside of weigh-ins, media conferences and inside the ring,’’ spokeswoman Aneta Rodgerson said.

Danny Green and Anthony Mundine fight it out in Adelaide last year. Picture: Sarah Reed

“The feelings between them are mutual and are far beyond ‘matey’.’’

Channel 10 had alluded to the potential showdown for weeks ahead of the third season of the popular program but before entering the jungle Mundine said he didn’t know if Green would follow him in.

It comes just days after fallen tennis star Bernard Tomic became the first contestant to ever walk off the set only a few days into the experience.

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