Australia sensation: was Fenech attack a set-up!

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 12 Jan 2004, 09:00

Former world rated middleweight of the 1970's Tony Mundine has denied rumours that he was responsible for the serious assault on three-time world champion Jeff Fenech on January 4th.
"I know what people are saying - that I had something to do with those kids attacking Fenech," Mundine said. "Some journalists have been trying to put that story out there and it's just rubbish. I'm not a dog. If I got a problem with Jeff I'd say it to his face. I wish Jeff no harm - it is very unfortunate."
Tony Mundine, who challenged Carlos Monzon unsuccessfully for the world middleweight title in 1974, is the father of Anthony of course, current WBA super-middleweight champion.

Lugh · Post by **Lugh** » 12 Jan 2004, 09:20

What is the beef between Fenech and Mundine then?

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 12 Jan 2004, 09:26

Lugh wrote:What is the beef between Fenech and Mundine then?

I know that Anthony Mundine labelled Fenech "a bum" when switching from rugby league to pro boxing a couple of years back. The two factions have been at each other's throats ever since.
Add to that the fact that Fenech now trains Danny Green, Mundine's bitter rival and fellow world super-middleweight champ, and there is genuine animosity between the Mundine family and Fenech.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 12 Jan 2004, 09:27

I knew they had beef previously - didn't Fenech at one point say he would fight Anthony Mundine at 12st!!?

Lugh · Post by **Lugh** » 12 Jan 2004, 09:44

I (like the rest of the world's boxing public) had a real problem with Mundine (Jr) obviously after the whole "America had it coming" thing.

The more I read from him these days, the more I like him.

I am starting to wish him a lot of luck - he is starting to look like a real player at SM...... and then what, he emulates Calzaghe and fights a nobody.

Fenech lost a lotta cred and then regained it in my eyes.

I was amazed when he started working with Tyson - and by the esteem that Tyson clearly held him in - I assumed that Fenech was assuming the chief cheerleader, nutsack stroker "you're the greatest, Mike".

Thankfully - he then left after Tyson apparently stopped listening.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 12 Jan 2004, 09:54

Don't think Fenech would play nutlicker to any fighter - that just isn't the Aussie's style.

Tyson appreciated Fenech as he could see him for what he was, a throw back hard man who fought with the kind of passion and zeal men like Dempsey and Archie Moore exhibited years ago.

Fenech fought Nelson for the first time on the undercard of Tyson v Ruddock", that was an awesome fight. Look at the fury on Fenech's face when he doesn't get the verdict, he was a real fighter.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 12 Jan 2004, 09:57

TerribleTerry wrote:Don't think Fenech would play nutlicker to any fighter - that just isn't the Aussie's style.

Tyson appreciated Fenech as he could see him for what he was, a throw back hard man who fought with the kind of passion and zeal men like Dempsey and Archie Moore exhibited years ago.

Fenech fought Nelson for the first time on the undercard of Tyson v Ruddock", that was an awesome fight. Look at the fury on Fenech's face when he doesn't get the verdict, he was a real fighter.

That was a shocking draw in my opinion. Fenech even rocked Nelson in the closing seconds to seal what should have been a convincing win. Those Las Vegas judges came up with another beauty.

Sweet P · Post by **Sweet P** » 12 Jan 2004, 10:45

There has been a lot of tension between the two camps but it came to a head when Mundine said that Fenech fought taxi drivers from indonesia to win his title's. I doubt that Mundine senior had anything to do with it as him and Fenech have always been polite even when there has been tension.
I don't know if it was a setup but Mundines manager is of Lebonese or Turkish decent i think and looks a very shady customer.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 12 Jan 2004, 10:52

bennie wrote:
TerribleTerry wrote:Don't think Fenech would play nutlicker to any fighter - that just isn't the Aussie's style.

Tyson appreciated Fenech as he could see him for what he was, a throw back hard man who fought with the kind of passion and zeal men like Dempsey and Archie Moore exhibited years ago.

Fenech fought Nelson for the first time on the undercard of Tyson v Ruddock", that was an awesome fight. Look at the fury on Fenech's face when he doesn't get the verdict, he was a real fighter.
That was a shocking draw in my opinion. Fenech even rocked Nelson in the closing seconds to seal what should have been a convincing win. Those Las Vegas judges came up with another beauty.

No doubt Fenech was robbed that day/night but the Mighty Warrior proved his undoubted class in the return in Austrailia. Fenech, competing in his fourth weight division, was blown away.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 12 Jan 2004, 10:59

Ben Keilty wrote:There has been a lot of tension between the two camps but it came to a head when Mundine said that Fenech fought taxi drivers from indonesia to win his title's. I doubt that Mundine senior had anything to do with it as him and Fenech have always been polite even when there has been tension.
I don't know if it was a setup but Mundines manager is of Lebonese or Turkish decent i think and looks a very shady customer.

Very interesting. I found the whole attack situation very strange. Fenech was abused - and thus drawn - to two guys sitting in a car waiting at traffic lights. He abuses them back, and next thing, two guys jump out of another car and the whole sickening attack commences involving all four men. It did seem a planned thing.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 12 Jan 2004, 14:08

I wouldn't put anything past people today, it's another kick in the balls for the sport if it is true. When i read the thread and saw "Was it A set-up" i thought you meant Fenech had staged it himself!

Sweet P · Post by **Sweet P** » 13 Jan 2004, 07:28

TerribleTerry wrote:
bennie wrote:
TerribleTerry wrote:Don't think Fenech would play nutlicker to any fighter - that just isn't the Aussie's style.

Tyson appreciated Fenech as he could see him for what he was, a throw back hard man who fought with the kind of passion and zeal men like Dempsey and Archie Moore exhibited years ago.

Fenech fought Nelson for the first time on the undercard of Tyson v Ruddock", that was an awesome fight. Look at the fury on Fenech's face when he doesn't get the verdict, he was a real fighter.
That was a shocking draw in my opinion. Fenech even rocked Nelson in the closing seconds to seal what should have been a convincing win. Those Las Vegas judges came up with another beauty.

No doubt Fenech was robbed that day/night but the Mighty Warrior proved his undoubted class in the return in Austrailia. Fenech, competing in his fourth weight division, was blown away.

I know it is no excuse but Fenech went into the second fight with Nelson with a badley bruised rib that he got in training from Kostya Tszyu. Fenech was a natural bantamweight and if he didn't take 3 years off because of hand trouble he could have easily got the 4th belt.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 13 Jan 2004, 08:00

If I remember, in the rematch Nelson hit Fenech bang on the chin in the first round and nearly knocked him out there and then.
Jeff just seemed to grow old overnight.

This Mundine allegation sounds a bit doubtful, like something the Aussie press dreamed up on a slow day.

I have heard....allegations...that Fenech is (allegedly) pretty forward when it comes to women in general, to say the least, and nearly got in some nightclub trouble when he was here in the UK for the Tyson farce.
Might have something to do with it....

Lugh · Post by **Lugh** » 13 Jan 2004, 08:18

MightyWarrior wrote:I have heard....allegations...that Fenech is (allegedly) pretty forward when it comes to women in general, to say the least

A straight-talking Australian who's behaviour is coarse, uncultured, chauvanist and offensive - that's just crazy talk!

Where do you get these nonsense stories from!!

JW · Post by JW » 13 Jan 2004, 21:39

I really do not think that the mundine camp was responsible in anyway.that would be utter suicide.
there has been a great deal of slanging between the two which i doubt will cease until green faces mundine.if that ever happens.
as for fenech.well IMO he was a great warrior,got robbed against nelson first time and after hat he was through.i think that fight took the last bit if strength out of him. he did not get ko'd in the first round versus nelson second time around -he hit the deck but it was more like a shock knockdown. once that had happened i was very worried and in the end there was no questions.
i really think jeff should ave retired after the 2nd nelson fight.he had already retired previous to that and i will never forget the pain he showed due to his hands(which would rate as the most fucked and fragile hands in boxing)when they took the gloves off. i also remember his press conference after he retired first .he just could not take the pain of broken hands anymore. but jeff being jeff he came back-3 more times.
i think there gets a point when once you start going up weights obviously the risk gets higher. watching fenechs earlier fights he did take a great deal of rights but had the chin/grit to wear them. once he stepped up to superfeather i think the extra power of his opponents just caught up with him.
there is no way on earth calvin fornicating grove would have beaten him at his best/without fucked hands.you could see in that fight how frustrated jeff was-he just did not have it anymore. phillip holiday also recently said that he would not have beaten fenech in his heyday and they fought at lightweight!!!!!
than god jeff did not get in the ring with mundine.it would have been like the lester ellis farce.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 14 Jan 2004, 06:28

Lugh wrote:
MightyWarrior wrote:I have heard....allegations...that Fenech is (allegedly) pretty forward when it comes to women in general, to say the least
A straight-talking Australian who's behaviour is coarse, uncultured, chauvanist and offensive - that's just crazy talk!

Where do you get these nonsense stories from!!

Don't know what I was thinking there Lugh

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 14 Jan 2004, 06:55

I once remember Jeff commenting of his hands:
"I have a Rolls Royce body but VW hands"

(Don't know why Jeff holds VW's in such low regards - probably was referring to the Bettle?...)