The huge test awaiting Lucas Browne

If Lucas ‘Big Daddy’ Browne ( 23-0) becomes the first Australian to win a World Heavyweight Boxing crown on Sunday, it will be some feat.

Not just for the fact that the fight is being held in the heart of Chechnya, or that his opponent, Ruslan Chagaev hasn’t lost since 2011.

When Lucas Browne first entered a boxing ring for his professional debut in 2009, Chagaev was going toe to toe with Wladimir Klitschko, attempting to defend the same title he'll carry to the ring on Sunday. 

Browne's story is inspiring and its greatest chapter may yet be written. But he'll have to bridge a huge gap in experience to do so. 

Browne has had to play a patient game waiting for the World Boxing Association to honour his position as mandatory challenger to the Uzbek champion.

The 36-year-old Australian doesn’t want to miss his opportunity and has thrown himself into training.

He hasn’t been fitter and he’s hardly missed a day in the gym.

Sparring has looked sharp and Browne doesn’t seem rattled by the big stage that awaits him.

Physically he holds the edge, standing seven inches taller than Chagaev and with a three inch reach advantage.

Chagaev may hold the nickname ‘White Tyson’, but it’s Browne who adopts that fighting style, with an 87% knockout percentage.

A knockout is probably what he’ll need on Sunday if he is to take the title, with the Uzbek firmly in home territory, albeit the Russian city of Grozny, where he’s won previously.

But whilst the Australian holds the advantage in the key stats, the biggest difference in this fight won’t be physical. 

A look at the champions resume only highlights this.

Chagaev most recently knocked out Fransesco Pianeta (31-1) in explosive fashion, needing just one round and the 37-year-old has victories over Nicolay Valuev and Kali Meehan.

Only two men have ever beaten Chagaev, World Champions Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin.

The WBA Champion is the more seasoned - Chagaev has been in wars. 

Whilst Browne has never tasted defeat, you can’t help but question his preparation and the lack of big names on his resume.

His most recent opponent was Julius Long, a man who came in with 16 wins and 18 losses.

It was expected to be an easy night, only it wasn’t.

A broken hand early on made it tough for Browne and the prime time viewing audience throughout Australia would have been questioning his world title chances.

Before Long, it was a fight with Chauncey Welliver (55-8), who had lost three of his last five going in.

A routine knockout victory followed for Browne, but it did little to grow his mystique.

Both fights are hardly ideal world title preparation and do little to equip Browne for the challenge that awaits in Chechnya.

Criticism has come as Browne has battled promotional difficulties, with the fighter himself taking to social media to voice his frustration at handlers, Hatton Boxing.

The Australian has also bounced around trainers in recent times as well, with Ricky Hatton, Jeff Fenech and now Nigel Benn holding the reigns.

 But criticism aside, Browne has shown he’s willing to do whatever takes to claim the title.

He moved to the other side of the world and that dedication saw him improve in the ring and quickly climb the rankings.

Browne has his shot; it’s now up to him to take it.

 There are plenty of reasons to write him off, but his knockout power means he’s always in the fight.

One punch can change everything and Browne won’t die wondering.

Both Daniel Geale and Sam Soliman have shown how to win world titles in hostile European environments in recent years, with work rate and sheer will being the difference on those occasions.

The Heavyweight scene was rocked when Tyson Fury downed Wladimir Klitschko, and new hope Anthony Joshua has a world title shot, with Joseph Parker also waiting in the wings.

Change is upon us and Browne will not just create history on Sunday with victory; he can have his pick of some of the biggest names in the division.

Many may see it as mission impossible, but good luck telling Lucas Browne that.

PREDICTION: Ruslan Chagaev by decision 

Lucas Browne vs Ruslan Chagaev, WBA Heavyweight Boxing Title, Sunday 8am MAIN EVENT Pay Per View

Mundine v Green: Sliding Doors

Despite the fact that the continued debate around an Anthony Mundine-Danny Green rematch makes boxing purists in Australia cringe, the clash is still the biggest fight in the country.

It will happen eventually, and it’s what I’ve been saying ever since they squared off last time.

The rematch is a money fight. It captures the public’s interest, and it will do good business for all involved. 

Whether it goes above and beyond the first encounter, it’s hard to say, but given the experience of Mundine-Green in selling a fight, they’ll make enough noise to fill the seats.

When the fight will happen is the biggest unknown. It could happen as soon as early 2016 or it could be this time next year. 

It’s a true case of sliding doors, with one fighter’s movements directly affecting the other, and crucially in the sport of boxing, timing is everything.

In terms of how the fight will go – I still think Anthony Mundine is the winner. He’s just a better fighter, as was shown in the first fight.

That’s not to be disrespectful to Danny Green, because I think he has a better chance of winning the rematch than he ever did in the initial encounter.

Weight is the biggest obstacle to overcome. Mundine is currently fighting as a Junior Middleweight and Green is several weight classes away at Cruiserweight.

The light-heavyweight mark, or at least a catch weight around that territory, is the likely outcome the fighters will arrive at.

Green hasn’t seemed interested in getting near that mark mind you in his most recent comeback, and if he wants to place pressure on Mundine and seize control in their continued PR battle, hitting the light-heavyweight limit would be a good start.

Obviously Green will want to fight as heavy as possible, given the added weight favours him. He’s a bigger puncher and has the bigger frame, but it’s not the only way he’ll benefit.

The higher the weight class, the more Mundine will lose in speed - his biggest asset - as a consequence of carrying more. Sure he’ll probably bring increased punching power, going up in weight, but when was the last time The Man knocked someone out.

I also think Danny Green has become a better boxer since moving from the Super Middleweight division.

He was known for his come forward approach, and he would just go through guys - case in point, his first fight with Markus Beyer.

But moving up the weights, he didn’t have the advantage in power or size anymore. This has meant he’s had to pick his shots, go to the outside increasingly and he's become a better boxer and more rounded. 

His fight with Krystof Wlodarczyk is the best example of that, despite the way it ended.  

So I really think the pair are more closely matched now as fighters than they were in the first fight.

Anthony Mundine fights Charles Hatley on November 11, whilst Danny Green fights Konni Konrad on December 2.

If Mundine loses to Hatley, I think the next fight he signs is the Green rematch.

But the big fight that the Mundine camp will have their eye on will be the highly anticipated clash between Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez on November 22.

The Mundine camp are no doubt eyeing off the loser, with the winner likely to move on to either a mega fight with Gennady Golovkin or the ‘retired’ Floyd Mayweather.

Mundine’s camp has also said they’d be willing to jump in with Golovkin, as ridiculous as that sounds. But if Daniel Geale can score a fight with Golovkin, there’s no reason Mundine can’t deal his way into an opportunity.

Golovkin could even use such a fight to test the waters in the junior middleweight ranks, with the likelihood of both Cotto and Canelo making him come down in weight to face them. The Golovkin camp would see Mundine as a name fighter, who to them doesn’t really bring considerable risk at upsetting future plans.

*Cotto-Canelo fighting for Middleweight title, but will fight closer to Junior Middleweight as contracted. 

Many see hand speed and slickness as to the Golovkin kryptonite, and maybe that’s where Mundine fancies his chances. But I think people are mad to underestimate Golovkin’s boxing ability. Eastern European fighters are skilled in the fundamental elements of boxing – a good jab and tight defence – it’s why they are great Amateurs.

 Golovkin has superb head movement and when he makes you miss, he truly makes you pay.

So there are some potential options for Mundine, depending on how other fights go around him, but there are also cards for Danny Green to play.

I think Green is picking opponents to test himself, but not hamper his marketability.

Domestically he’s not short of people calling him out. Whilst there are some tasty fights there, Green knows a loss will hurt the appeal of the Mundine fight. So he’s not taking the risk, given the financial reward will be much less.

A potential fight with Sakio Bika would be worth watching, but that would only be a possibility if Mundine continued to drag his heels well into next year.

Interestingly though for Green, Roy Jones announced he’ll fight for the WBA Super World Cruiserweight Title against Enzo Maccarinelli in Moscow on December 12.

There’s money in a Jones-Green rematch and if it’s for a ‘World Title’, it’s even easier to sell. Roy Jones just may want some redemption after his KO defeat to Green back in 2009. It could soon loom on the radar, if the cards fall a particular way.

Mundine and Green will fight before they hang up the gloves, there’s no question of that. When it happens, well there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge yet.

It could all change at any moment. If you’re one of those people that wishes the column inches devoted to the match up would just end, well strap yourself in, because it’s only going to ramp up in the coming months.

Some will say it's time to move on, others will say it's time to throw down. 

Whatever our opinion, we'll all be watching, whether we like it or not. 

ADAM SANTAROSSA