As another world title defence looms, there's plenty of fight left in Australia's Daniel Geale

EVEN with a fifth world title defence looming, boxer Daniel Geale's mild manner hides his fierce determination to stay at the top.

THIS is one boxing tale that comes without the standard-issue balaclava of so many modern day promotions, even when the Mr Nice Guy of Australian sport, IBF world middleweight champion Daniel Geale, starts to talk a little tough.

Geale has always been more Don Bradman than Don Corleone, which is why when his tone turns momentarily-threatening as he discusses his fifth world title defence of one of the most prized belts in boxing history, the immediate reaction is to go looking for the latest fix.

Relax, there's no con job when it comes to Geale.

With a record that includes beating world champions Felix Sturm and Sebastian Sylvester in their own backyards in Germany, the Tasmanian who's now based in western Sydney has proven he'll fight anyone, anywhere.

Or as Hall of Fame world champion Jeff Fenech put it: "The thing I love about Gealey is he lets his fists do the talking. There's no smoke and mirrors."

A father of three, devout family man and husband to childhood sweetheart Sheena, the dangerous mistake people can sometimes make is confusing Geale's mild-mannered approach to life outside of the ring to equate to a lack of killer instinct inside it.

When it's time to flick the switch, Geale is all business.

Geale and his Grange Old School boxing team of Bill Treacy, Garrie Fransisco and trainer Graham Shaw flew out of Sydney bound for Atlantic City in the US yesterday, their first foray into the lucrative US market scheduled forAugust 18.

Their latest mission is to silence wiry Englishman Darren Barker, a dangerous boxer whose resume includes pushing the best middleweight in the world right now, Argentina's Sergio Martinez, right to the limit.

Barker broke Martinez's nose and had him cut on the forehead until the South American knocked him out in the 11th round. Irrespective, Barker earned immediate acclaim for almost engineering one of modern boxing's biggest upsets.

With top-billing as the main event in prime time in the US, Geale understands how much first impressions count.

Which is why, when we mention Barker, his tone gets enough of a hint of menace to understand why nice guys don't always finish last.

"Darren's still very hungry and a hungry fighter is a dangerous fight but the only little factor he may not realise is that I'm still as hungry as I was before I went to Germany for the first time," Geale said.

"He's had the taste of the US before. This will be my first taste of it and I'm determined to make a good impression.

"Working hard is what got me here and I'm not about to start taking short cuts now I'm at the top."

World champion trainer Charlie Gergen, who trained Tony Mundine and Troy Waters to world title fights, reasons Sugar Ray Robinson and Carlos Monzon will always go down as the greatest middleweights in any bar room banter.

When it comes to boxing, Gergen's word is treated as gospel, especially when you consider he's 71 and still training inside the ring with fighters every day, encouraging them to hit him.

The list of legends to have worn the IBF middleweight world crown add a legitimacy to the reputation Geale is currently building. From 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler to Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jnr, it's a division that has always had serious credibility, dating back to when legends like Robinson and Monzon were punching fearful reputations from the 1940s to the 1970s.

"Sugar Ray Robinson is the best. Not too many will want to argue about that. But Carlos Monzon, he was unbeaten for 11 years in a row back when they fought 15 rounds. Oh, what a fighter. He was right up there too," Gergen said.

"You can't forget Hagler, he fought them all and punished them all. Geale still has a long way to go and he's a completely different fighter, but you have to take him seriously."

Granted, Geale has a long road until he convinces Australia he's one of our truly great fighters, ala Lionel Rose and Fenech.

But beat Barker in the US, then take on Martinez or Gennady Golovkin, fights his Grange Old School team are angling for, and all of a sudden he's presenting one hell of a compelling argument.

Or as his trainer Shaw put it: "Any of the champions out there he's willing to fight and he wants to fight them. But if we don't win this next fight, then it's back to square one so we're not looking too far ahead.

"We accept because boxing is not a major sport in Australia and Daniel's a quietly spoken family man who doesn't push himself, which makes it a little bit more of a hard sell.

"In the end we believe the legacy he leaves will speak for itself and command respect. We don't want Daniel Geale to be a loud mouth, brash, aggorant person with no manners.

"We like who he is and in the end, he's done it his way. As people get to know him, I think they really like who he is.

"We've had a great preparation and we're confident without being arrogant."

Fenech recalls the first time he ever saw Geale as a teenager.

"I remember seeing him when he was boxing at 14 years of age and even then you knew he was going to be something special," he said.

"As much as Vic Darchinyan doesn't get the big write-ups in the paper, he's pound for pound one of the best boxers to ever fight under the Australian flag.

"If you told Vic he had to fight Mike Tyson, he'd say when and where.

"Daniel Geale's the same and he deserves to be mentioned with the same sort of respect and on the same level in terms of his ability as a boxer."

Boxing icon Johnny Lewis is another unabashed Geale fan. The only blemish he points out on Geale's resume was his last fight against Anthony Mundine, when, according to Lewis, he failed to really finish the demolition job on The Man.

This time, against Barker, Lewis urged Geale to really go on with it.

"Daniel is a tremendous talent and I love watching him box. Truthfully, he's a great Australian.

"You wouldn't find a more humble fighter for kids to look up to. He's a wonderful asset."