Fight fans should vote with their remote

[Marlin]

From Brute's favourite publication:

A WEEK after Danny Green brought boxing to its knees, Anthony Mundine moves in for the killer blow. How long Australian fight fans continue to be asked to buy in to these fight farces, which in terms of credibility are one small step up from the fight fix, is anyone's guess.

Most fight fans left the game for good last week, no longer able to muster the enthusiasm for another sting in the pocket like the Green-Briggs fight in Perth.

Who can afford it any more?

If I want to give my money away in the future, it won't be on a sham fight on Main Event.

I can get a lot better ride with my $50 at Randwick. Even if I opt to find it with a blindfold and a loose toss of a dart in the general direction of the bookie's stand.

The races last at least a minute there, twice as long as last week's farce, and even if your $50 does finish in the bookie's bag you can still marvel at the brilliance of a So You Think or Typhoon Tracy.

Mundine and Green have broken faith with the people they need most. The fans.

They're the ones who dip into their pocket, often with money they can ill afford, to pay another $50 for a fight that isn't a fight. The undercards are often as bad.

Manny Siaca was pulled out of rehab - yes, rehab - to fight Green after just 11 rounds in four years.

Siaca did all that was expected of him. He lasted a few rounds and then he took the count on his knee to end it in the third.

The crowd was disappointed but, don't worry, Green promised he would make it up to them in his next fight. Enter Paul Briggs.

After Briggs was pronounced DOA, Green said Briggs "dogged it" and wouldn't be paid. Yet when asked by a Channel 7 reporter if he would give the money back, Green - who has that right as the promoter - ducked the question.

The same when the reporter asked it again. So who keeps Briggs' purse?

The promoter? Who is Green.

I wouldn't be surprised if Green retires now. How many more times can he put the hard hat on and mine our pockets? Who else is left?

Mundine has been paying for it for some time, with his pay-per-view fights not attracting anywhere near the subscriptions they once did.

But hey, it's better than real work, right? With each fight he still earns more than the average NRL first grader so he is happy to continue on his way for less bruises than he'd suffer against the Rabbitohs.

No wonder then - after the larceny in Perth - Mundine took just five days to come out and announce his next fight will be against Ryan Waters, a small slugger from Caringbah currently ranked, according to respected website boxrec, fourth among Australia's junior middleweights.

And don't tell me he is ranked No. 7 in the WBA. I don't pay attention to official bodies because just a quick Google search will show a rich history of rankings being bought.

The Mundine-Waters fight was organised weeks ago. Its announcement was held back so it wouldn't have to compete with media space designated to Green-Briggs.

When Waters stormed the ring after Mundine beat Carlos Jerez,

they had already basically agreed

on terms. Boxing people I know swear to me that when Waters fronted Mundine, he whispered to him "I'm gonna push you" moments before he shoved Waters away for having the temerity to challenge him.

So Mundine is taking on Australia's No. 4, two fights after saying he struggled to find the motivation for these kind of fights, as he had then against Robert Medley - who is Australia's No. 3.

I wouldn't buy this Mundine-Waters fight with your money.

In fact, fight fans need a ratings system to identify the genuine fights from the one-sided contests we are being asked to fork out for now.

So, without further adieu, call it a public service announcement:

Not even with your money. They should be wearing a mask to even ask for the subscription.

Only if you find the money down the back of the lounge.

Good fight on a quiet day.

If you can't get to the pub to watch it, promise the wife a night out if she lets you watch just this one.

Steal money from kids' college fund if you have to, the wife won't find out it until it's too late.

Mundine-Waters is a one star fight.

Waters will be hard pressed to win a round, and Mundine should stop him. If he can find the motivation missing against Medley.

The tragedy of this is the people who will pay the price for the actions of the Greens and Mundines will be the young Aussie fighters trying now to break through.

How can Will Tomlinson, one of the most promising fighters in the land and about to make it big, convince a gun-shy Australian public when the time comes that they should take a chance on him given the current evidence available?

They won't, and a whole generation of fighters are about to pay that price.

[Brute]

Journos have been trying to get boxing banned for decades.

Nothing new.

[Marlin]

I don't think he's trying to get it banned, I think he wants better match ups. He even highlights the need to showcase fighters like Will Tomlinson. Lets see if he puts his money where his mouth is and writes a story on him!?!

[Hounddawg]

Great article, great article......I think that article has just convinced me or Illuminated that I'm almost done with this sport, I await to see what Green does in his next fight to make my decision.

In less than a year Danny has gone from this country's hero to being classified in the same mould as Anthony " I steal your money with a smile" Mundine.

Wow just Wow...

Katsidis should be in Australia to show people what real Australian fighters are about.

[Brute]

I don't think he's trying to get it banned, I think he wants better match ups. He even highlights the need to showcase fighters like Will Tomlinson. Lets see if he puts his money where his mouth is and writes a story on him!?!

Too much else for journos to write about, like Family Worst trying to get a preference deal with the Australian Sex Party.

[funso banjo baby]

fight fans have more power than they realise.

switch off

we had khan in britain on terrestrial tv then allegedly switched back to sky ppv...and fans should have said no...but they paid for it...and ultimately suffer for it

[JSA]

^^ exactly funso. I think we under estimate ourselves-perhaps i under estimate the nuthugger factor. BUT i am one chap who does not have pay TV but USED TO make the effort to go to pubs and get many friends(some who were not even boxing fans)to go with me and watch. And we spent alot of money on mealls and of course coopers.NOT anymore. it was only a few years ago that even in SA the loyal boxing pubs wer WALL TO WALL with punters.
My big concern is for the up and comers and dudes like Katsidis. Very sad.