ANTHONY Mundine walks into Wednesday night’s fight with Joshua Clottey knowing that not only must he win, but he must make a statement in doing so.
Mundine is on a journey to create history, by becoming the first man in the sport to win three world titles in descending weight divisions.
Having been a WBA Super-Middleweight champion, and an IBO Middleweight Champion, he aims to become a three weight division world champion by capturing gold at Junior Middleweight.
The next name on his list is that of Joshua Clottey, a name very familiar to boxing fans. The Ghanaian is a former IBF Welterweight champion and has been in the ring with some of the greats.
Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Zab Judah, Diego Corrales, Carlos Baldomir and Antonio Margarito are just some of those names.
Despite the fact that Clottey only defeated Corrales and Judah, the fact remains, it is the type of company that Mundine is yet to keep, and Clottey may just be his pathway to get there.
But simply winning won’t be enough. Mundine needs to make some noise in doing so.
Despite his comprehensive victory over Shane Mosley not a lot of doors have opened for The Man. Mundine was comprehensive in victory against Mosley, but it was clear that Mosley was under more strain remembering how many noughts went on his pay cheque, than anything he did in the ring.
The boxing public knew Mosley was finished. Anyone who watched him against the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Saul Alvarez would say the same. Mosley won one round in those three fights, the first against Mayweather, from there it was self preservation mode.
Whilst Mundine can only fight what is in front of him, it’s hard not to think they knew exactly what they were getting when they brought Mosley to Australia.
His fight with Clottey hasn’t exactly lit up the boxing scene as it should. Clottey is a ‘name’ fighter, who as mentioned has been in with the best. Much has been made of his inactivity, having fought just twice since 2010.
A comfortable win over Clottey wont wake up the US public either. It must be devastating. It must make a statement.
Clottey has been in the ring with future hall of famers, yet has never been stopped. He was pounded on for twelve rounds against Manny Pacquiao, yet he wouldn’t quit. He didn’t win a round and Pacquiao himself begged the referee to call it off, yet the Ghanaian waved him on.
He has a chin of granite, which won’t change no matter how lacking his ring shape may be. Boxing trainers will tell you, the only thing you can’t train for, is how to take a punch.
If Mundine can stop Clottey, the queue to another World Title shot may just shorten.
Wednesday’s fight will be Mundine’s third in just five months. It’s clear that he knows he must remain active. Timing is everything in boxing and fights can come and go at a moment’s notice.
The Welterweight/Junior Middleweight divisions are the most stacked in the sport. Names such as Mayweather, Pacquiao, Alvarez and co reign supreme, and despite Mundine calling these names out, he knows he’s not quite yet on their level.
He is in the logjam behind waiting for that opportunity, with names such as Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout, Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana and the man Mundine is angling for, Erislandy Lara, the interim WBA Junior Middleweight Champion.
Boxing is very complex. It’s all about risk vs. reward, and fighters are judged by their skill as much as their ability to sell tickets and pay per views, and this is where Mundine is lacking.
His is the only fighter in history to have every fight of his career on pay per view, yet he remains largely nameless in the United States. He admits his struggles at forming relationships with the top pay per view companies Showtime and HBO, as well as the big promotional companies Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions.
Mundine is ranked at #3 in the WBA Rankings at Junior Middleweight, with only Canelo Alvarez above him at #2.
Erislandy Lara holds the interim title and will defend it in May against Ishe Smith, a member of The Money Team, the promotional company of Floyd Mayweather, boxing's king.
Smith is ranked only #10 by the WBA.
It shows how money and connections in the world of boxing can open doors quickly.
A win over Clottey will be a step in the right direction, yet it will only help Mundine rise a rung on the ladder.
A devastating win may just accelerate the process and bring a higher profile fight, a bigger stage, bigger risk, but greater reward and a step closer to history and the top of the division.
Whether Mundine is still capable of this remains to be seen. As he has diminished in weight, so to has his number of knockout wins.
But one punch can change it all. It can silence the doubters and wake up the world.
Mundine’s mouth has always talked a big fight, let’s see if his hands can earn him one.
ADAM SANTAROSSA
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