Anthony Mundine just can’t help himself

WHENEVER an opportunity to humiliate a bitter rival presents itself, Anthony Mundine milks it for all it’s worth.

Anthony Mundine never lets an opportunity to take a shot at Danny Green slip.

EVEN during Danny Green’s moment in the spotlight, fierce rival Anthony Mundine couldn’t help himself.

Ahead of Green’s Australian Cruiserweight title fight at Hisense Arena on Wednesday, Choc spoke to KIIS FM Drive’s Hughesy & Kate, and made sure one thing was clear: he is boxing’s Kanye West.

“He built his name off me, nobody would know who he was if it wasn’t for me. I put him on the map, he’d be playing in an RSL if it wasn’t for me,” Mundine said of the 43-year-old Green.

Asked by Kate Langbroek if he was saying “he made that bitch famous” like Kanye and Taylor Swift, Mundine replied: “Yeah pretty much so.”

The pair’s heated rivalry has been well documented since their first and only fight in May 2006. The former NRL star said, with a potential rematch still being spoken about, the fight would not be a contest.

“I’m not going to trash talk and say this and say that, I just know that I’ve got the skills to pay the bills, I’ve got the skills to beat him again, and he didn’t win a round in the first fight, and I don’t think he’s going to win a round in the second fight either,” Mundine said.

Anthony Mundine ringside at the Hisense Arena.

In true Choc fashion, the fighter took another stab at his arch-nemesis, claiming more people would be interested in what he was doing ringside on Wednesday during Green’s title fight than in the bout itself.

“I’m a cool cat man, I’m just going to relax and enjoy (tonight). I think there’s going to be more people watching me eating my popcorn. The fight will probably be dull and boring,” he said.

“I’m hoping he wins, it would be better if he wins — the anticipation for our fight will be bigger.”

While the fight certainly built anticipation for one of the greatest rematches in Aussie boxing history, it was a far cry from boring.

In a 10-round thriller, Green came out on top by unanimous decision, beating Victorian Kane Watts 99-89, 99-89, 98-89.

The war took all Green had to get the win.

“That was heavy. Talk about pressure, it was like I was in a pressure valve, it was hard. There was so much expectation,” Green said.

“Kane Watts is an animal. He’s the fittest he’s ever been.”

Speaking in the ring after the fight, Green addressed questions of the Mundine rematch, and said the bout had a personal flavour.

“Mundine won’t hurt me,” he said.

“It will be more of a boxing test and my sparring partners will be totally different.

“It will be a whole new ball-game. And I’ll be a lot sharper.

“This is a fight that’s real, ‘Choc’ thinks he’s the best, I think I’m better than ‘Choc’. It means something, he doesn’t like me, I don’t like him.”

Danny Green’s fight with Kane Watts was anything but dull.

Green said his team would start talks with Mundine’s camp immediately on the terms, date and venue of their long-awaited bout.

“We’ll sit down and get it going. We’ll get a venue and a state and then we’ll talk the black and white details. Hopefully, (fight) end of November, the start of December. That would be the optimum time,” he said.

The four-time world champion admitted it had been difficult not to look forward to a chance to avenge his points loss to Mundine ten years ago in Sydney, as he prepared for the younger, bigger Watts.

“It’s in the back of your mind and anyone who said it wasn’t, would be lying. I did my best to block it out over the last 10 days,” he said.

“I’m happy to get the W (win) and move forward and reset, give the body a break and try to stay healthy and as young as I can.”

— with AAP