What if you had managed Anthony Mundine's career?

[jezzamundo]

While his career is probably not over, it's fairly obvious than The Man's best years are behind him. I consider his career to have been impressive in parts, but overall a fairly big waste of talent. This has lead me to have a think about what I would have done had I been in charge of his match-making throughout his career.

Ultimately I don't have much disagreement with Mundine's matchmaking up until the Danny Green fight, but since then he has had some of the most insipid matchups of any top boxer worldwide. I don't disagree with the logic of moving down to middleweight, but I think Mundine should have done it immediately after beating Green. I'd have given him a good chance of beating Taylor, Wright and Pavlik.

By 2008 his power had noticeably decreased, which is when I think he should have gone back to super middleweight. I also think a fight with Danny Green at 79kg in 2009 would have been a good option, at least financially (I think Green wins this fight by KO).

[hearns]

I think it really depends on what Mundine set out to achieve. If his intention was to set him and his family up for life, then i think he has succeeded. I cant think of a domestic fighter who has pulled as much money out of the sport as Mundine has. For a boxer who takes up the sport at 25 with no amateur background, i think he has done allright. His best was at super middle. At 160 in 2005, Pavlik KOs him, Taylor and Wright walk thru him as well. He has a chance now to walk away now in relative good health and as a multi millionaire.

[caveman]

as an entertainer he has done well,as a fighter,not impressed

[Rogue]

Mundine has done brilliantly well and made stacks of dosh...well done to him. The only blemish in an otherwise illustrious career has been the suckers for PPV system which has surprisingly found it's niche in the Australian market. For a nation which prides itself on sporting glory and high performance when it comes to parting with their dollar- this is truly surprising but I guess inspiring enough for Mundine's management.

[Brute]

While his career is probably not over, it's fairly obvious than The Man's best years are behind him. I consider his career to have been impressive in parts, but overall a fairly big waste of talent. This has lead me to have a think about what I would have done had I been in charge of his match-making throughout his career.

Ultimately I don't have much disagreement with Mundine's matchmaking up until the Danny Green fight, but since then he has had some of the most insipid matchups of any top boxer worldwide. I don't disagree with the logic of moving down to middleweight, but I think Mundine should have done it immediately after beating Green. I'd have given him a good chance of beating Taylor, Wright and Pavlik.

By 2008 his power had noticeably decreased, which is when I think he should have gone back to super middleweight. I also think a fight with Danny Green at 79kg in 2009 would have been a good option, at least financially (I think Green wins this fight by KO).

His career was like the legendary curate's egg.

"Excellent in parts."

[Hounddawg]

I would have forced him to travel. I would have made him challenge the champs who held the real champion status to the vacant belts that he owned.

He's best fights are listed below, this is how he'll be measured.

Win= bold, Lost =red

Green UD wide
Geale SD Controversial
Soliman X3 first fight controversial
Echols UD Wide

Kessler UD Dominant
Oktte KO 10 Mundine actually winning this fight

Mundine also has some strong Fringe fighters on his resume, fighters that were never world champions but were just a step or 2 below that level.

Siacca SD
Medley UD wide
Hamden UD Dominant

There's also some familiar names of old(past it fighters) that Mundine picked at the bones, that were good in there day.

Ellis KO 3 Beat a Superfeather at Super Middle
Waters KO 2
Thornberry KO11
Taylor UD dominant

[thunderfromdownunder]

there was a time when imo mundine was prob the second best smw in the world. He just never capitalized on the momentum of the green and solimam fights. He could have beaten Taylor or wright at his peak.

[Brute]

Ellis was drunk when he challenged Mundine. Mundine should have ignored him.

[dberry]

there was a time when imo mundine was prob the second best smw in the world. He just never capitalized on the momentum of the green and solimam fights. He could have beaten Taylor or wright at his peak.

[Brute]

Speaking of the Mundines, I see that one of Tony's greatest opponents died on Tuesday. "Bad" Bennie Briscoe. Busted Tony up in 5 rounds in Paris, France in 1974. Considered one of the best middleweights never to win a title. Had the misfortune to be around at the same time as Carlos Monzon and Rodrigo Valdez.
Hall of Fame member, once fought a draw with Monzon. Had to work as a rat catcher to make a living as his rugged style did not appeal to the big money people.

Vale Bad Bennie.

[Sweet P]

Mundine did well in his career, He beat some tough guys, fought 2 of the best 168 pounders of the last 10 years, And held his own in both fights.

He also easily beat our best fighters, He can retire now having been the best domestic level fighter in years, He had world class handspeed and footspeed early in his career but his movement the last few years has been hampered by his Hip problems.

I honestly think he could have fought in the US, He would have had a good chance of Beating Pavlik and Taylor would have been a good fight for him also.

[caveman]

gunna have to agree to disagree on that ben,i dont believe he held his own,i believe he had the speed & the ability, just wasnt in the same class

[Sweet P]

gunna have to agree to disagree on that ben,i dont believe he held his own,i believe he had the speed & the ability, just wasnt in the same class

I think Mundine was more than holding his own against Ottke. He was probably even or ahead in that fight before he got tired. Not bad in his 12th fight.

The Kessler fight he won 3 rounds IMO, And could have got a few more if he boxed with a bit more confidence, he was far from outclassed.

[Sweet P]

gunna have to agree to disagree on that ben,i dont believe he held his own,i believe he had the speed & the ability, just wasnt in the same class

I think Mundine was more than holding his own against Ottke. He was probably even or ahead in that fight before he got tired. Not bad in his 12th fight.

The Kessler fight he won 3 rounds IMO, And could have got a few more if he boxed with a bit more confidence, he was far from outclassed.

Being outclassed is losing all the rounds IMO, It wasnt a one sided beating. Kessler took the Win and deserved it. He was in a fight though and didnt have it his own way.

[Hounddawg]

I remember thinking that if Mundine had of threw more punch's he would of shaded more rounds, it was a 117-111 fight, the guy who had it 120-108 obviously disliked Mundine .
Mundine's work rate was poor, and he just sat back and talked too much.

For me this fight was a loss in Mundines head before he entered the ring, but it was a fight that Mundine probably realized his own potential.
Hence the performance he gave against Green.


He could have done so much more, shitt people could have ended up respecting him, had he only listened to the public maybe once or twice after his win over Green.

[Beltane]

I can just picture Mundine in 20 years time, talking to anyone who will give him the time, sounding just like the washed up fighter: Terry Malloy, played by Marlon Brando in the film: On the Waterfront:

You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am...

[thunderfromdownunder]

there was a time when imo mundine was prob the second best smw in the world. He just never capitalized on the momentum of the green and solimam fights. He could have beaten Taylor or wright at his peak.

yeah i think he was.

[myrontheinvincable]

".....there was a time when imo mundine was prob the second best smw in the world. He just never capitalized on the momentum of the green and solimam fights. He could have beaten Taylor or wright at his peak." (thundafromdown..etc.)

I think also, that at one time Anthony was close to the top of the tree......I was jumping out of my boots when Anthony was brilliantly boxing and counterpunching Green to oblivion (that night many, many years ago) - gee, I seemed to be the only one barracking for him in a packed pub - it was a monumental win, but Green was (and still is) pretty damn ordinary. The others you mention, Soliman, even in his prime has never been a class act. "Mr.BloodyAwkward" would have been a good nickname for Sam. Taylor had a great punch, was very unpredictable, at times undisciplined and disappointing.

If I was Anthony's manager, I would have sent him to a few sessions on "Being Happy", developmental training programs.....got him to tell a few more jokes, and not take life so bloody seriously, not to look and focus on the negatives..... another thing he could have learned was how to drop his dacks and brown eye his haters in an Aussie audience. This would have lead to more publicity and a few more World title offers.

[thunderfromdownunder]

i know soliman isnt the greatest fighter ever born, but he was good enough to hold a #1 ranking in the IBF MW standings and give winky wright a tough fight, which going into the mundine fight was the only fight he had lost in quite a while, i think he was on something like a 17 fight winning steak i cant exactly remember. he had also beaten quality guys like bika orneales and joval. the way that mundine beat him that night was eye opening, he looked world class.

[jezzamundo]

Agreed, and coming of the near shutout over Green, things were looking very promising for A.Mundine. What happened over the following four years was a tremendous disappointment for me.

[thunderfromdownunder]

yeah me to, i remember after those two wins i was even starting to become a fan, then he went backwards (exept for the geale fight, which i think he lost anyway)
back to the original question but, even though i think at his peak he could have picked up some nice wins at 160 against taylor, wright ect i think the drop in weight was a bad idea, he hasnt looked good in ANY of his fights south of 168. if he stayed at SMW and had some balls he could have had some real good fights. i think style wise he would have given joe calzaghe all sorts of problems, im not saying he would have won, joe was great at adapting and overcoming probles but i think mundines speed and power would have made it a competive fight

[Beltane]

Mundine must muse now about "what could have been" if he had stepped up instead of picking "money for jam" fights.

He deified himself thus polarising public opinion with his antics and announcements and must sometimes think now "why are people so unkind". But that answer is pretty straight forward - all that's needed is a visit to the "room of mirrors" by the Man!

[Grant]

If I had managed Anthony's career I would have gone after Kessler at Super Middle. A win would have meant respect, and a loss would not have made much of a difference except to his perception by the knowledgable fight fans who regard him as well, not so much a coward but a man who ran away from any test.
I would also of got him into the SM tourney.
One thing that I think deserves discussion is Manny Siacca, By all measure a better champion than Mundine. Thats the credibility I would have got for the man. Oh and he would be retired by now undertaking a public life in Politics, With a reputation.

I wouldn't have made people pay for non title fights, especially Taylor this would have built up a following for the big ones like Daniel Geale

Also had I been managing the Great Jeff Fenech I would have had him unifying the Freatherweight title. He owned the featherweights in my opinion, Deservidly in the HOF but could have been in the top 5 Feathers of all time

[Brute]

Mundine must muse now about "what could have been" if he had stepped up instead of picking "money for jam" fights.

He deified himself thus polarising public opinion with his antics and announcements and must sometimes think now "why are people so unkind". But that answer is pretty straight forward - all that's needed is a visit to the "room of mirrors" by the Man!

...so long as nobody rung in a photo of Garth Wood to break up the set. Old Tony said at the end of his career that at least no Australian boxer had beaten him. Anthony can't say that now.

[Mark pawsey]

gunna have to agree to disagree on that ben,i dont believe he held his own,i believe he had the speed & the ability, just wasnt in the same class

I think Mundine was more than holding his own against Ottke. He was probably even or ahead in that fight before he got tired. Not bad in his 12th fight.

The Kessler fight he won 3 rounds IMO, And could have got a few more if he boxed with a bit more confidence, he was far from outclassed.

Being outclassed is losing all the rounds IMO, It wasnt a one sided beating. Kessler took the Win and deserved it. He was in a fight though and didnt have it his own way.

Your right on the money