That’s all she wrote for long time Australian star.
The torch has been passed emphatically in Australian boxing. Once upon a time Anthony Mundine (48-9, 28 KOs) was the belle of Australian boxing’s ball. The 90s rugby star turned to professional boxing in the year 2000 and exceeded all realistic expectations as to what he could become between the ropes. I don’t want to oversell Mundine; he was always a notch below world class. But for coming from another sport, he is one of the most successful examples in the history pugilism.
“The Man” used his built in name value to fight for a world title not much more than a year into his pro career. While he fought well for most of the bout against undefeated pro and former amateur star Sven Ottke in Germany, the ending was a tenth round disaster which found the brash Australian unnecessarily receiving a count as he laid unconscious on the canvas. Two years later with more experience under his belt, Mundine would dethrone Antwun Echols in his second chance at super middleweight gold.
He would lose the belt in his second defense before winning a vacant version of it back by stopping Sam Soliman in 2007. This time he managed four defenses before his journey down in weight began. Mundine never won a belt again competing at 160 and 154, but he will end his career with official wins against Sam Soliman, Daniel Geale, Danny Green, and Antwun Echols before he fell apart. He also has a victory over an aged Shane Mosley and two separate super middleweight title reigns. All the while he was the biggest draw in Australian boxing. Anthony Mundine has had a hell of a lot better career than someone coming from another sport had any right to. That is for sure.
He did not have a good morning US time today, however. Ascendant Australian star and controversial Manny Pacquiao conqueror Jeff “The Hornet” Horn (19-1-1, 13 KOs) saw to that. The younger man was being pulled up to a career high weight to meet his 43 year old Mundine so there was some promotional intrigue there, but the older man was also being forced to cut more weight than he had in a while which is likely more of an issue.
Horn opened the fight aggressively with stinging shots befitting of his nickname. He was clearly the quicker, more athletic man as expected. Mundine had no answer for the clean shots finding him in the opening minute of the fight whether they were right hands over the top, notably quick left hook counter attempts, or the conscious attempt at hard body work that I had never seen Horn really commit to like this before. All the former rugby star managed to accomplish was a single right hand that he didn’t get full extension on before he was clipped with a left hook and stiff on the canvas. Not even two minutes had passed.
This was one of the bigger recent fights in Australian boxing. It is a win that is going to do wonders for Horn’s continually growing drawing power at home too. It was never going to be competitive, however. Yet somehow the former school teacher managed to make it even more one sided than expected. I figured Horn would stop Mundine, but not so quickly. The left hook he landed from most angles didn’t even look that powerful. Anthony was clearly out though just the same. He has since officially retired from the sport.
