Anthony Mundine will be facing Bronco McKart tonight at the Palms Casino and Resort in Las Vegas for a minor junior middleweight title. Yes, Mundine is fighting in America. It?s the same Mundine who had much to say about the horrific events of September 11th, 2001, as terrorists killed thousands of innocent victims when the World Trade Center towers were struck down in one of the darkest days in this country?s history. Mundine, who a few years earlier had converted to the Muslim faith, didn?t seem to have much empathy.
He was quoted as saying, ?They call it an act of terrorism but if you can understand religion and our way of life, it?s not about terrorism. It?s about fighting for God?s law and America brought it upon themselves.?
Mundine explained those comments late last week to Maxboxing.
?Basically, the media portrayed it to be like I was for the killing of innocent lives which is negative,? he stated. ?I was just basically speaking on the concept of the government policies and what they?ve done in the past to other countries as far as invading and stuff. That?s what I sort of came back to on ?em. I?m an anti-war guy; anyone who knows me knows that, for me, killing any innocent human being is the tragedy. I don?t want no death. I?m anti-war, period. I always think about ?Why is there war?? And any intelligent person would know that it?s far bigger than just people killing each other.?
In truth, the uproar over Mundine?s comments probably resonated more in Australia than in the States. Down Under, he was a noted public figure; in America, he was relatively anonymous. It seems Mundine had a rather- shall we say- delicate relationship with the Aussie press?
?To certain elements of the media, I?m not the most liked guy because I speak my mind and I say what?s in my heart and, like I said, for them statements at the time, I said it at a raw moment. Things just happened,? said Mundine, who?s not one to mince words. ?It was very touchy and down the track, you have about 90 percent of the people agreeing with what I said- again, I?m not for anyone dying, any innocent person dying on both parties, Muslim or non-Muslim. We have a lot of American soldiers coming back in caskets. For me, my main question is, ?Why are we still having war now? Why are we having countries being invaded?? And there?s been retaliations and this and this, over what I feel is money and oil and stuff like that. We should just live in peace and harmony, y? know??
Generally, no matter what continent you live on, athletes shy away from making strong political statements. We just expect them to perform and entertain us, not talk about foreign policy or social issues- as Manny Pacquiao found out recently with comments that turned out weren?t even his. So why didn?t Mundine ever try to clarify his feelings? ?Yeah, well, when it did happen at that stage a decade ago, I really couldn?t get my point across. I was bombarded by people like I was for it. They put it out like I felt the people deserved that, which is bull crap. No one deserves to die and I was just stating my opinion that they shouldn?t have been- but why did they? The question is, why did they??
But it?s stuff like this that has made Mundine among the most polarizing athletes in his country. With ?The Man,? you either love him or loathe him.
?I think I have a lot of fans,? said Mundine, who was an accomplished rugby player before switching careers in his athletic prime, ?but there?s no in-between with me. You?re either with me or against me, like Floyd Mayweather, I suppose, over here. You either love me or you don?t but at the same time, they?re going to tune in.?
Speaking of Mayweather, it?s why Mundine?s over here.
?To be honest, I just want to fight the best. I want to test my skills against the best fighters in the world. Obviously, the best out there in our era and our generation and arguably one of the best of all time is Floyd Mayweather. So I want to try to get to that stage or get a chance to fight him. I know he doesn?t got long left either. Y? know, I started boxing late. I?m very lucky; I started boxing at 25, so I?m not 37 and look old, an old 37. I?m a young guy. As long as my desire, my commitment and hunger?s there, I still got a good four, five years in the sport and I am at a stage in my career- I was learning on the job; I never had no distinguished amateur background. I never had that, I was a rugby league star- where I feel I?m one of the best athletes of all time,? he said without any hesitation.
Yeah, it takes some audacity to state something like that but if nothing else, Mundine is audacious. Who else besides him actually thinks he?ll ever get into the running to face Mayweather? But perhaps it?s not any more preposterous to think Mundine could have actually crafted a successful boxing career after such limited experience. Say what you will about him; he?s been good enough to win major world titles and beat a fair share of good fighters like Sam Soliman, Danny Green and Daniel Geale, while falling to the likes of Sven Ottke and Mikkel Kessler, compiling a mark of 43-4 with 25 stoppages along the way. By any standard, that?s a very solid career.
?But I don?t feel like I get enough credit,? he says, ?especially from where I?m from. That?s like taking Michael Vick or one of the other NFL players and becoming a three-time world champion in boxing. I mean, it just don?t happen.?
Perhaps, though, Mundine?s personality has overshadowed his production as an athlete. In the States, his over-the-top confidence and bravado would be celebrated. Maybe Australians want their sportsmen to be a little bit more humble and gracious Down Under. ?Yeah, that?s not taken very well down there,? agreed Mundine who, in the past, has said his Aborigine background has also been held against him. ?You need to be subtle; you need to be humble. I?ve always been this way. I?m not trying to be anybody else; that?s just the way I?ve been since I was four or five years old, always been cocky, always been brash, always believed in my talent. But it?s true; do your research. Name me one guy that achieved what I?ve done in my sport in my lifetime. Rugby is massive down there and I was the highest paid player on the open market when I left. And then go to boxing where I had no amateur background and learn on the job and become a world champion in three years and then go on to win another one, then beat the current IBF middleweight champion [Geale]. Now I?m at a point in my career where I believe in my talent so much that if I?m given the opportunity- because I want to create history by winning a title at 154. That means I won titles at 168; I won a title at 160 and now I want to win a title at 154. That?s descending three weight divisions. Who?s done that??
He says his bout with the faded McKart is a ?foot in the door,? adding, ?He?s not on my level; not many fighters are.? However, he?s here to land a fight with one man. ?I?m a fan of Floyd Mayweather; he?s one of the best ever but he?s never faced anyone with as much speed as himself and I?m a bigger man.?
Yeah, Mundine thinks quite highly of himself. He is who he is.
But Mundine is also in America. It?s a surprise to everyone but himself.
?Because my belief is that everyone is entitled to their opinion. One, I didn?t have any bad or bitter feelings against the USA people; they?re human beings just like anybody else- but the people that are in the powers-that-be that maybe made some bad decisions. But like I said, I?m anti-war; killing anyone is a tragedy. What happened to them people on 9/11, that?s just crazy.?
