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

Can Conor McGregor walk the walk?

He’s talked the talk, but can Conor McGregor walk the walk?

It’s the intriguing question that remains going into UFC 194, with the Irishman finally getting locked inside the Octagon with UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

Aldo-McGregor is the most anticipated fight in UFC history, after the pairs scheduled bout at UFC 189 was postponed after the champion sustained a rib injury, just weeks out from the event.

The UFC 189 date with Aldo was meant to be McGregor’s coming out party, the moment when the box office appeal was finally matched with the credibility that comes with a UFC title.

But whilst he did leave UFC 189 with some gold, in the form of the interim Featherweight belt, McGregor wasn’t entirely convincing.

Although he stopped Chad Mendes late in the second round, it’s what occurred in the 9 minutes and 57 seconds prior that left people with some lingering doubt.  

Many pundits saw the Aldo fight as a better matchup for McGregor stylistically, given Aldo has a tendency to be a stand-up fighter, which is the Irishman’s strength.

The Mendes fight would see the Irishman tackle a superior wrestler, and arguably the best in the featherweight division. 

Throughout McGregor’s rise in the UFC, many have pointed to his wrestling ability as his Achilles heel, and there were several instances in the Mendes fight that showed exactly that.

The American took down McGregor multiple times and large parts of the fight were spent with the Irishman fighting off his back. As dominant a fighter McGregor says he is, UFC fight fans didn’t walk away thinking as such.

 Mendes had just three weeks to prepare for the UFC 189 date, and was in control for large parts of the fight, before McGregor’s stand-up ended things.

McGregor did the important stuff. He got the victory, took the belt and even collected a tidy performance bonus from the UFC. But what could have Mendes achieved had he had a full camp to prepare?

It is why UFC 194 is so appealing - all questions will be unequivocally answered.

McGregor’s opponent, Jose Aldo is the only ever UFC Featherweight champion and has not tasted defeat in ten years.

He’s fought Chad Mendes twice, winning both times - A crushing first round knockout, followed by a unanimous points decision win.

His resume is a roll call of UFC stars. His highlight reel is a thing of beauty. When the Brazilian decides to hang up the gloves, he’ll have a fair case to being instilled as a great in the sport.

Yet in the lead-up to the fight not one is talking about Aldo.

It is because McGregor is marketable like no other. 

Everything he says and does instantly trends on social media. He’s the face of the UFC’s deal with Reebok and he holds the biggest gate receipts of any UFC fighter – with UFC 194 expected to set a new record.  

His UFC cheque is set to reach nine figures, at least according to the Irishman, and the Aldo fight will see substantially more money in the McGregor bank account.

But the Irishman only needs to look to another box office smash in Ronda Rousey for a word of warning. Rousey was humbled by Holly Holm just a month ago, losing her title and a bit of her allure in the process.

UFC 194 is Conor McGregor’s chance to show he can handle the pressure and that despite all the brashness and media hype, he does his best work and speaks loudest inside the Octagon.

Should he win on Sunday, his appeal will only rise further. A fight at the 82,000 seat Croke Park has been touted, plus there are a handful of opponents waiting to cash in on their rivalry with the Irishman.

If McGregor walks out of UFC 194 as Featherweight champion his voice will only rise, and the doubters will be silenced once and for all.

Cotto v Canelo: The big fight that will live up to the hype

Sunday’s fight between Miguel Cotto (40-4-0) and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (47-1-1) is what boxing is all about.

Two of the best fighters in the world clashing in a fight mostly devoid of the usual politics that comes along with the sport.

Boxing generally has a habit of getting in its own way and we saw an example of that this week, with Cotto stripped of the WBC Middleweight Title for failing to pay $300,000 in sanctioning fees.  

Canelo can still claim the title should he win the fight, but the lack of the WBC strap doesn’t take the shine off this fight whatsoever.

With the Mayweather-Pacquiao sideshow almost gone, Cotto and Canelo have stepped up in their absence.

The only fight in boxing today that is bigger is probably Gennady Golovkin against the winner, that’s if Cotto and Canelo actually have interest in fighting him.

Had you sold me a Cotto-Alvarez fight three years ago, it would have looked very different.

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez was the next king of boxing, whilst Miguel Cotto was slowly losing the race against father time, seemingly destined to embark on a career trajectory similar to Mosley, Maragrito and Co.

But strangely in the last two years, the tables have turned.

Miguel Cotto has sparked new life into his career, in a new division, whilst Canelo has still yet to really show he is capable of carrying boxing’s crown, with the doubters growing all the time.

It all looked so promising for Canelo. As a 23-year-old he was undefeated in 44 career fights, and landed the biggest prize in the game, a shot at Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather. 

The Mayweather fight came a little too soon for Canelo. He was fed to the wolves in a way.

Mayweather was running out of options to fight and Canelo was next in line. Golden Boy (Canelo’s promotional company) accepted the risk, knowing that if Canelo did pull off a victory, well they’d have the goose with the golden egg.

But of course we now know that Canelo wasn’t good enough to beat Mayweather and in fact the fight showed he probably wasn’t ready for it either.

The fight left you feeling that Canelo was still morphing from potential star to superstar and left you thinking, ‘what a fighter he’ll be in a few years time’.

But here we are now a few years down the line and in my opinion Canelo still hasn’t become that fighter, yet. There’s no denying he is a star, but he’s yet to become the star he was touted to be.

His fight with Miguel Cotto could be that coming out party, and there’s big pressure on the Mexican fighter to ensure it is.   

Canelo has had 47 fights, but he doesn’t fight like someone with that many rounds under his belt. Looking at his record, he’s only really had a few high profile fights. Cotto on the other hand has toiled at the elite level for years.

Canelo fought Shane Mosley back in 2012, when it is safe to say Mosley had seen better days. Austin Trout was an up and comer, but Canelo showed he was in a different class. The loss to Mayweather followed, and since then it’s been a rebuild of the Alvarez brand.

Sure, Erislandy Lara and James Kirkland are no pushovers, but they are not Miguel Cotto.

Cotto on the other hand has been in the ring with everyone. Mosley, Margarito, Pacquiao, Mayorga, Mayweather, Trout and Martinez.

It is this experience that his trainer Freddie Roach says will be the difference, and I tend to agree.

Cotto has been in wars. He’s had to dig deep and find something within himself in the championship rounds. We can’t yet say the same for Canelo.

Of Cotto’s four career losses, two have been to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the third was to Antonio Margarito, who was later found to be using loaded gloves.

The loss to Austin Trout was a major shock and led to Cotto linking with Roach at the Wildcard Gym.  That decision has revived the Puerto Rican fighter.

This most recent incarnation of Cotto is some fighter. Moving up a division* has reinvigorated the 35-year-old.

He is back to his destructive best, with three stoppage wins in his last three fights.

Some will punch holes in those fights. Delvin Rodriguez and Daniel Geale aren’t elite level fighters, whilst Sergio Martinez was not as his best, with injury playing his part.

But Cotto can only beat what’s in front of him and he has done so in devastating fashion.

Freddie Roach’s training has seen Cotto resemble the killer of the late 2000’s with the famed punching power back.

Floyd Mayweather came out recently and said Cotto was the only fighter to ever hurt him. If Cotto brings the intense style he has shown in the last three fights, I don’t think Canelo can handle it.

One thing that can be guaranteed is that Cotto-Canelo will live up to the hype. Both fighters bring action, both won't die wondering.

It's must see on Sunday.  

PREDICTION: I think Cotto wins. I just haven’t seen Canelo go to that next level. Some betting companies in Australia have Cotto at $8.80 to win via TKO, its handy odds!

Miguel Cotto v Saul Alvarez, Sunday 1pm AEST on MAIN EVENT PPV

10 years on: The night that changed Australian football

November 16, 2005.

What a night! It is one I will never forget for as long as I live.

I was one of the lucky few to be inside ANZ Stadium that evening and it remains my greatest sporting moment.

I’ve been lucky enough to witness some special sporting events. I’ve been to World Cups, NRL and AFL Finals, I’ve witnessed English Premier League games, Asian Cup finals, big Boxing and UFC fights, but frankly nothing comes close.

In 2005 I was just 18 years of age, only a few months out of high school and working part-time at Target whilst taking the first steps in my media career.

Tickets to the match took a fair chunk out of my minimal wages, but looking back now, they are priceless. Even being part of the ‘football family’, I could only manage to secure seats most commonly known as ‘nosebleed’, in fact, they were literally three rows from the highest point of ANZ Stadium.

The seats were so bad my father, with whom I’ve experienced all my previous Socceroo heartache decided not to attend, he said he would watch from home.

I asked him as I was writing this article whether he regrets that decision. He tells me he doesn’t, but I say secretly it’s one he has regretted ever since.

Instead I attended the game with two of my best mates, and it is a memory we will have for life.

I took a piece of my father with me to the game, as I was wearing his old Socceroo jersey, you know that finger painting design from the early 1980’s that is considered the worst of all-time!

As soon as we found our seats, you could tell this night was going to be very different. The crowd was in full voice already and we were still a fair way from kick-off.

‘Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole....Aussie, Aussie” rang around the stadium.

This was a different crowd than I’d ever experienced before at a Socceroo match, and trust me I’d been to a few before 2005.

My first memory of World Cup heartbreak was 1993. I was still very young, but I remember the buzz around Maradona and Argentina coming to the SFS.

We were heroic home and away, but just fell short after a gallant performance in the return leg in Buenos Aries.

Iran 1997. That’s another night I will never forget. We we’re off to France 98 and then we weren’t. We were so dominant in that first half hour; it could have been 5-0. It would end 2-2

Kharim Bagheri and Khodadad Azizi. The two Iranian goal scorers. It’s a trivia question I will know the answer to for life.

I remember 2001 at the MCG. Paul Agostino winning a penalty and Kevin Muscat making it 1-0.

A week later, I was late for school, watching Uruguay do us 3-0 in Montevideo.

But something about 2005 was different.

The evidence of that was during the national anthem, where the Australian crowd booed the Uruguayan anthem.

Some said booing the anthem was wrong and unsporting. I loved it.

Now, booing the opposing nations anthem happens a lot in football, in fact the Uruguayan fans did exactly the same to the Australian anthem in the first leg in Montevideo.

Oh, and they even spat at the Socceroos at the airport and tormented the players at the hotel by tooting their horns and letting off sirens as they slept.

Booing the anthem was a substantial shift by an Australian crowd. We were no longer going to sit back and take it. It showed we were up for the fight as well, and I’m sure the players got a kick out of it too.

The most memorable aspect of the game was of course the fact Harry Kewell was left on the bench by Guus Hiddink. Kewell would of course enter the game for Tony Popovic after about 30 minutes, and given Kewell’s pass/miss kick set up Mark Bresciano for the opening goal, it is seen as a master stroke.

Hiddink was arguably the biggest difference in the Socceroos of 2005. He gave them belief and we stood taller with the Dutchman behind us. John O’Neill’s time in football was relatively short, but his move to land Hiddink is probably the single biggest coup in Australian football history.

Thinking back now and trying to reflect on moments in the game, much of the 90 minutes is a blur of nervous energy. Uruguay having won the first leg 1-0 only needed a goal and they’d go through, and I remember Alvaro Recoba going really close with a long range chip. Other than that most of the game was watched through my hands.

The penalty shootout remains vivid though and those saves of Mark Schwarzer’s are some of the best you will ever see.

I remember my Dad telling me stories of Jimmy Mackay’s goal that got the Socceroos to the 1974 World Cup and I imagine telling my own children one day of Schwarzer’s heroics.

We were nearly there.

Only for Mark Viduka to spray his penalty wide. VIDUKA!! Our captain on the night and one of our greatest ever exports.  

But Schwarzer would save the day again, and what a save! 

We obviously all know that John Aloisi would put Australia into its first World Cup finals in 32 years, burying his penalty with aplomb.

He’s probably thankful Viduka missed the penalty in a way, as with all due respect, he’d probably not quite be as iconic as he is now, and I’m sure ‘that penalty’ has brought in the odd endorsement or two.

In the stadium, the moment that Aloisi’s penalty hit the back of the net, it was delirium. I remember jumping all over my mates, hugging a random stranger next to me and signing ‘Land Down Under’ several times.

That night would see us go on a magical ride with the Socceroos throughout the 2006 World Cup which would show us more memorable moments, and feats we’ve yet to see repeated in South Africa 2010 or Brazil 2014.  

But that moment in 2005 is special for a bigger reason.

I’ve been a football fan all my life. I was born into a love of the game, passed down by my father. I was in Italy for the 1990 World Cup and remember cheering on Italy all the way to the final in 1994. My idol as a kid was Roberto Baggio (don’t mention the penalty).

Sure, I always cheered on Australia, but moments of cheer were few and far between. Even when we’d beat the likes of Fiji, New Caledonia and American Samoa.

I’d followed the NSL, as a Marconi supporter, and witnessed Grand Finals with less than 10,000 people. I saw some great times, but there were a lot of the bad times as well.

I often wonder where the game would be now had we not suffered the heartache of 1997 and gone to the World Cup in France. 

I was told a story recently where the Socceroos apparently had to break in to St George Stadium in Sydney to train before the 1997 World Cup qualifiers, as Soccer Australia couldn’t afford to lease a ground. The precinct was in that bad a condition that the bus driver refused to drop the players at the main gate, forcing them to walk. 

Seeing the rise of football since ‘that night’ in 2005, we’ve come a long way.

The A-League has its issues, but it’s still early days. The Socceroos are on the way up again and junior participation continues to rise, particularly through the women’s game.

One night ten years ago changed everything.

It is a night that will be with me forever, the night Australia finally opened their hearts to football. 

Ronda Rousey rocked by perfect Holm

Copyright: Zuffa 

Holly Holm is the new UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion courtesy of her team developing the perfect game plan, and it started long before she entered the Octagon.

The ploy was to make Ronda Rousey fight the fight Holly Holm wanted, and not the one that best matched her strengths.

For a long time Rousey hasn’t felt like she has been receiving the plaudits for her boxing skills, with many people seeing her as someone who wins fights solely on the basis of her judo ability.

The Holm fight was her chance to show she wasn’t a one trick pony.

But having an ego like Rousey’s can be a dangerous thing and it came back to bite her at UFC 193.

The execution of the Holm plan was evident at the weigh-in, from Rousey’s charge across the stage to Holly, along with a clearly agitated post weigh-in  interview with Joe Rogan.

Ronda was clearly rattled.

That’s exactly what the Holm camp wanted. 

They didn’t want a calm and methodical Rousey, one that would wear down Holm, eventually getting on the inside, taking her down and finding a way to finish.

They wanted a seriously pissed off Rousey. 

One that would ensure the fight would be a stand-up fight. One whose ego wanted to show she could out box a 19-time Boxing champion. 

They wanted one with a chip on her shoulder, and it was the one they got.   

Ronda Rousey has blown through opponents in recent times. Her last three fights prior to UFC 193 lasted all of a 90 seconds. She wanted to do the same to Holly Holm, in fact, she had to, and it has almost become the Rousey gimmick.

But for an established fighter like Holm, a relentlessly come forward fighter like Rousey is gold. 

Their chin is easy to find.

Rousey has gone through countless opponents because they have done the same.

But Holm was smarter.

 She used the distance, fought at range, catching Rousey as she rushed forward time and time again. With every punch, life drained out of the UFC star, then a sweetly timed kick knocked Rousey to the canvas and the damage was done.

The poster child of the UFC was downed and we had a new Bantamweight champion, and the world was stunned.

Whilst Rousey has quickly made herself a Superstar, there’s been some who have questioned her climb.

Some said she was one of the greatest fighters we will ever see, others questioned the quality of fighter put in front of her.

After her most recent win over Bethe Correira in Brazil, many said the UFC had simply run out of dance partners for the American.  

Every great champion is defined by their greatest adversaries – Ali had Frazier and Foreman, Mayweather had Pacquiao and others, Ronda Rousey now has hers in Holly Holm. 

You sense Rousey’s story is still to be written, with her legacy being defined by her time spent inside the Octagon with the new Bantamweight champion.

Dana White said in the UFC 193 post fight press conference that an immediate rematch makes sense.  

The rematch books itself, and it will do incredible business.

 As much as Dana White may have cringed post fight at his mega star coming unstuck, the UFC will most likely make more money as a consequence.

Ronda Rousey will be back and Holm will take some beating. But already everyone is licking their lips at a rematch.

Champions are made by the setbacks they endure.

The perfect plan that foiled Rousey in Melbourne will not work again.

Rousey will lick her wounds and every waiting second between now and the rematch, Ronda will plot her revenge. 

The ego has been checked. There’s nothing more humbling for a fighter than recognising their own mortality. But for the greats, such an experience steels them.

This setback may just take Rousey to the next level.

 She’s a global star now, but a rematch with Holly Holm will certainly lift her profile and the entire Women’s Mixed Martial Arts scene to a higher place.

Should she beat Holly Holm, it would only heighten the demand for a super fight with Cyborg, which was apparently in the works, had she, as expected walked out of Melbourne victorious.

But for now tears are being shed. Holm’s are celebratory, Rousey’s are in defeat.

It’s back to the drawing board for both.  

Now we see just how good Ronda Rousey really is. 

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

Why Jarryd Hayne cant be replicated

Jarryd Hayne stands alone. 

The media in the last few weeks has been awash with articles wondering who will be the next Rugby League star to make the jump to the NFL.

Swarms of NFL talent scouts are reportedly on their way to our shores to rip our talent away.

But just who will be the next man to don the helmet and shoulder pads you ask? 

The answer - Nobody.

That’s not to say our NRL stars don’t have the physical attributes to make the grade, but it’s the intangibles that make the difference.

Jarryd Hayne is a rare breed, for a variety of reasons.    

Having worked with professional players at high profile sporting organisations I was constantly baffled at how they see their careers.

No one really cares about their legacy. At the end of the day it’s about how much they can make from their careers and everything else is a bonus from there.

That’s the nature of the beast and in a way you understand it. Professional sport stars are assets who depreciate over time and it’s about maximising return in a small window.

They play a highly physical sport that replicates a car crash multiple times each game day. With every week, miles come off the clock, and with some, as we’ve seen recently; careers can vanish in a heartbeat.

I understand the need for financial security to be important, but sometimes you wish ambition was higher on the agenda.

Ambition is what has fuelled Hayne’s quest for an NFL dream. Sure he has come from a solid financial base, he’s made good money in his NRL career so far, but it can be argued that he’s left just when he was really ready to cash in.

Not to mention the fact that he turned his back on more common destinations beyond the NRL, such as Japanese or European Rugby, which present higher financial returns than the NRL and at considerably less risk than the National Football League.

Hayne had an ambition to leave a legacy, something he wasn’t prepared to trade for money and that is unique.

He’s on a guaranteed contract of just $100,000, which will become around $400,000 should he make the San Francisco 49ers 53 man roster.

It’s expected his income will jump considerably through endorsements if and when he makes the final roster, given the NFL doesn’t have limitations on third party sponsors like the NRL, but his income, at least initially, still wont dwarf his NRL contract.

It’s a significant risk to lay it all on the line, with the odds firmly stacked against you.

There are plenty of hurdles to jump in the NFL before you’re even on parity with what you’re already making in the NRL. It’s quite apt that Jarryd Hayne was a champion hurdler in his youth, because he’s made the task look easy.

He doesn’t fear the big occasion, in fact he lives for it. Professional sport stars fall in one of two categories. Some react to pressure like ‘deer in the headlights’, others aren’t fazed by anything.

All the greats have that special something which blurs the line between confidence and arrogance - Ronaldo, LeBron, Jordan prime examples.

All have a cocky swagger and a self belief that tells them ‘nobody is better’.

Jarryd Hayne is that player and you can change the posts, the uniform, the rules and the shape of the football, but he’ll still find a way to compete and succeed.

We saw that on his State of Origin debut or in his youth at the Parramatta Eels when he was thrown into a one-on-one session with World Champion boxer Danny Green to ‘test his character’.

In all conquests Hayne showed no fear and it’s that approach that has won him so many admirers so far on his NFL journey.

As someone who worked closely with Israel Folau during his stint with the Greater Western Sydney GIANTS, I’ve witnessed a great athlete try to learn a new sport.

Folau is a special athlete, the rarest breed. But he did not have a passion for AFL. Israel worked hard, he wanted to succeed, but deep down it just wasn’t in him.

Jarryd Hayne has a love for the NFL. He immersed himself in the game long before he made the decision to make it his occupation. Whether that was watching every game of every round, playing Madden on XBOX, forming a friendship with Reggie Bush or having secret training sessions with UTS – he made it his life.

No one else in the NRL would be willing to take the risk Jarryd Hayne has.

They are too financially secure, they lack the self belief, they lack a true passion for the game or they simply let fear get in the way.

Jarryd Hayne is a one of a kind specimen. Forged in working class roots, with assets you cannot teach or replicate.

Will another talent of similar ilk emerge from the Rugby League world?

I would say it is highly unlikely.  

The Hayne Plane will fly the flag alone, quite simply because he is the only one who can.

ADAM SANTAROSSA

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