In my corner: World champ Sakio Bika challenges Anthony Mundine to take a shot at his title

IN my corner: Sakio Bika makes an offer to Anthony Munine, Olympic death, Dib targeted, Deal for Geale and more in the weekly wrap.    

BIKA WANTS TO BELT MUNDINE

AUSTRALIA’S newest world champ Sakio Bika has a magnificent green and gold WBC super-middleweight belt and he’s offering it to Anthony Mundine.

"It’s here for him,’’ Bika told me at the Australian Boxing Hall of Fame awards on Friday night. 

"I called him out for years and he wanted no part of me.

"But now I am the world champ – and I have this belt.

"It is here for Anthony. He just has to come and take it."

Bika said "the gate is open" if Mundine and his manager Khoder Nasser want a world title shot.

"Anthony is a good fighter," Bika said. 

"He is fast and skilful. I know I will beat him but he would give me a good fight.

"He says he wants to fight big names but he is talking about fighting Shane Mosley who is nearly 42 and has no world title. I have this beautiful belt and I am a young, strong champion.

"If Anthony wants to prove he is still a top fighter he can fight me for this belt."

One of Bika’s admirers at the Crown casino function on Friday night included the former belt-holder Nigel Benn, England’s fearsome Dark Destroyer, who now lives in Sydney.

The ex-world champ, who turns 50 next year, sold his WBC belt at auction a few years ago to raise money for the many charities he supports.

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CARR REVVED UP

FORMER world super-featherweight champ Barry Michael said he welcomed Bika’s offer to spar with rising Melbourne star Jake Carr.

The 22-year-old son of former Commonwealth champ Rod Carr was in brilliant form outpointing Serge Yannick for the Australian super-middleweight title on July 25.

"Sakio has offered to help Jake and we can only benefit from the experience," Michael said.

"Sakio is one of the toughest, hardest blokes in the world. He’s been in there with the best -  Calzaghe, Andre Ward, Markus Beyer, Lucian Bute. And he’s given them all hell.

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HITMAN HARDING FIGHTS BACK

ONE of the highlights of the Hall of Fame night was seeing Jeff "Hitman" Harding happy and healthy after years of doing it tough.

His problems outside the ring have been well documented and at times he has lived rough on the streets of Sydney.

But he is slugging back at life’s woes with all the fire he showed to beat Dennis Andries for the world light-heavyweight title in Atlantic City in 1989.

"If it comes down to sheer guts, Jeff will win this fight," said his old trainer Johnny Lewis.

"To see the courage he showed in becoming world champion is still one of the highlights of my career as a trainer."

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WATERS HONOURED

GUY Waters, who also fought Andries – for a close decision defeat in Adelaide - was a big hit on Friday night.

He was honoured for his three world title challenges – against Andries, Virgil Hill and Juan Carlos Gomez and for his victory over former world champ Leslie Stewart.

Now with white hair and glasses and bearing a  resemblance to Football Federation Australia boss David Gallop, Waters paid tribute to Sharon, his wife of 22 years who supported him through thick and thin even though ``she hates boxing.’’

The night was capped off by Jeff Fenech’s elevation to "Legend" status alongside Lionel Rose, Johnny Famechon and Les Dacry.

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TOMLINSON TARGETS DIB

WILD Will Tomlinson told me at the Hall of Fame awards that he’s filthy on Billy Dib for comments the former IBF featherweight champ made about him on Fox Sports.

He says if Dib said the same thing to his face he’d slap him.

"I’d love to fight him," Tomlinson said. 

"If a promoter can get it on I’m ready to go."

For now Tomlinson is heading to the USA to base himself with a leading American trainer.

One of the candidates to train him is Robert Garcia.

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HONOUR FOR AUSSIE GREATS

POSTHUMOUSLY inducted into the Hall of Fame were Mick Dooley, who beat Peter Felix for the Australian heavyweight title in 1896, Jack Haines, who won the Australian middleweight title in 1929, and Melbourne Olympian Max Carlos, who won the Australian lightweight title against George Bracken in 1958. Will Lawless, the famed boxing journalist who wrote under the pen name Solar Plexus until his death in 1938, was also honoured.

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OLYMPIC TRAGEDY

THE DEATH OF Gladstone's 2012 Olympian Billy Ward on Sunday at just 20 years of age sent shock waves through Australia’s amateur boxing community.

The popular  redhead fought in the 49kg division in London after switching to boxing from gymnastics.

After making the team for the Games he was greeted at his home airport by a cheer squad with red wigs.

Ward had to overcome a bout of Ross River fever in 2008 on his way to establishing himself as one of Australia's best young boxers.

London Olympian boxing team captain Luke Jackson was given the task of telling team members of Ward’s sudden death.

Beijing Olympian Paul Fleming posted a message on Facebook that said: "Today Queensland boxing lost a true champion.  My thoughts go out to his family and loved ones.  

"Such a young talent - so much life left to live - just wish he would (have) reached out to someone."

Ward’s London team-mate Jeff Horn  will go into the biggest fight of his career against Rivan Cesaire on Fox Sports on Thursday night (August 8) with a heavy heart.

"Billy was a great kid," Horn told me. 

"It is such a waste and a terrible shock."

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HORN’S TOUGH EXAM

HORN, 25, a Brisbane primary school teacher, has been doing his homework for weeks for a searching exam against the rugged and experienced Cesaire, 29.

Horn has had just three pro fights and Cesaire 14 since he represented Cameroon at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne where he lives.

The fight is at the Southport RSL.

Horn did his final round of sparring with club mate and the current 75kg Australian amateur champion Sam Banney.

At this year’s national titles in Adelaide, Banney won the Arthur Tunstall award, which is presented to the best elite male boxer at the tournament.

He flies to Melbourne to contest the selection trials on Sunday  for the upcoming World Boxing Championships. His opponent is Ross Weaver, who Banney beat in this year’s national finals in Adelaide.

Banney holds a win over London Olympian and fellow Queenslander Jesse Ross.

Stretton Boxing Club trainer Glenn Rushton, who coaches both Horn and Banney said: "Sam seriously considered giving amateur boxing away after missing out on the Olympics.

"He had to watch on the sidelines as Jeff went on to become Australia’s most successful Olympic boxer for the last 20 years.

"I believe that Sam has the speed and skill to be a serious medal chance at the World Championships."

Also competing on the August 8 Fox show is Horn’s Olympic team-mate  Damien Hooper.

Hooper sparred Adam Copland, Zach Bacigaluppo and Simon Cooper from the Stretton club as he finished his preparation last week.

A third Olympian, Ethan Warren, a silver medallist at the Commonwealth Games who represented Australia in diving at London, was also training.

He has struck up a friendship with Horn at the Olympics and has been doing boxing training under Rushton’s watchful eye.

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LEAPAI HITS CHINA

ON Friday night in Hengyang, China, Logan forklift driver Alex Leapai, 33, does battle with Mexican mauler Felipe Romero, 29.

Leapai hopes it will be a warm-up to a pay-per-view fight on the Main Event channel late this year against Perth's undefeated bruiser Lucas Browne.

Romero has two wins over Mexico's former world light-heavyweight champ Julio Cesar Gonzalez who broke two of Danny Green's ribs in a torrid Los Angeles sparring session with the Australian six years ago.

Leapai then hopes to get a start on the David Tua-Alexander Ustinov heavyweight fight in Hamilton, New Zealand on August 29.

The 178cm  Tua, who has lost just four times in 58 fights and holds knockouts over four former world heavyweight champs, intends to cut the 202cm Russian down to size.

Tua will have Sam Soliman’s trainer Dave Hedgcock in his corner.

Ustinov has 28 wins in 30 fights.

The fight is still on despite Tua suffering a Grade One tear of his calf muscle this week.

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BARKER’S GEALE DEAL

DARREN Barker says the sickening knockout he suffered against WBC middleweight champ Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City, New Jersey two years ago can only help him in his fight with Australia’s IBF champ Daniel Geale on August 17 (Sunday week Australian time)

Barker was stopped in round 11 at Boardwalk Hall and fights Geale down the road at the Revel Resort.

"I really have taken that negative – losing in a world title fight – and built on it to go one better," Barker said.

"I feel I’ve matured from it and I’m in my prime now."

It was Barker’s only defeat in 26 starts.

Geale says his superior work-rate will be his key to victory.

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VALENTINE’S CARD

FORMER Aussie amateur star Paul Nasari has high hopes for rising lightweight Valentine Borg.

Nasari who beat the likes of rugged Tony Miller, Craig Pevy and Simon Maidment as a pro and  went close to beating Scott Brouwer for the Australian lightweight title, is putting on some exciting shows before big houses at the Croatian Club in Sydney’s appropriately named Punchbowl.

Borg faces Dubbo’s rugged Robert Toomey for the Australian lightweight title on Friday (August 9).

"Val is all class," Nasari told me at the Hall of Fame on Friday night.

"I would love to see him win the title because it eluded me three times even though I went pretty close."

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MURDOCK BACKS SHERRINGTON

FRESH from his stoppage of renowned hard-head Les Piper, rising Queensland super-middleweight Rohan Murdock has been pencilled in to fight on the undercard of the Les Sherrington-Manny Siaca card at Southport Sharks AFL Club on September 20.

Siaca famously beat Anthony Mundine for the WBA title in 2004 but was bombed out by Danny Green six years later.

Murdock has been sparring with WBA No.3 middleweight and Beijing Olympian Jarrod Fletcher.

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FRENCH FLAIR

KEEP your eye on Brisbane-based Frenchman Faris Chevalier, who fights the Gold Coasts’ Shane Parry at Brisbane’s Irish Club on September 20.

He is a classy mover working out with Fletcher’s coach Steve Deller.

The Irish Club card will feature Deller’s other prospects Dennis Hogan, Josh Robertson and Beijing Olympian Todd Kidd.

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BROTHERS IN ARMS

JAPAN’S boxing brothers Koki, Daiki  and Tomoki Kameda were this week included in the Guinness Book of Records as the first three brothers to win world boxing titles.

Tomoki, 21,  won the  WBO bantamweight title from Namibia’s Paulus Ambunda in the Philippines last week.

Koki, 26, holds the WBA title and Daiki, 24, is a former WBA flyweight champion.

Twitter: @GrantleeKieza