MUNDINE on Wide World of Sports

My opinion obviously has some significance because you keep responding. :think

If you didn't care you'd let it fly.

 

Read your last two posts for evidence of mental deficiency. :nut

Next time take your medication before you post.

 

A serious question? I'll put the kids to bed while you get comfortable.

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:roll:

First thing you have to take into consideration is that being 33 years of age isn't an issue for Mundine due to his late start in the sport. In fact there's no doubt that over the last few years he has improved dramatically in every aspect, except maybe his hand speed although it definetly hasn't slowed.

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He has also matured to the extent that he is more reflective and thoughtful when it comes to past mistakes. In his recent interview he stated that he should never have fought Ottke after only 10 professional and 4 amateur fights, in fact he labelled the decision "insane"....as at the time of their fight Ottke had defended his title 12 times, fought a multitude of other successful professional fights and was one of the greatest fighters in amateur boxing history.

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I understand that fight fans want to see Mundine fight the big guns (for whatever reason) but I also understand that it's not as simple as pointing at a guy and saying "I want you!" Unfortunately the big name fighters have their own personal aspirations that rarely include fighting Mundine (unless they have plenty to gain and little to lose as we recently saw with Kessler.) They also have their promoters that don't want to risk the goose that lays the golden eggs.

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THIS IS WHY HE IS GOING TO MIDDLEWEIGHT. It would be easy for him to stay at super middle because it lacks depth. At 160 he can get more credible fights v contenders because his prospective opponents also recognise that they need to win against big name fighters if they want a crack at one of the champions. Futhermore, many of these guys are based in the US which brings him closer to his goals.

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Now, if Pavlik were to offer Mundine a fight he'd take it in a heartbeat, simple, but that's not the smart thing to do for either party because it aint ready to sell. For that reason Pavlik's people would ask that Mundine fight someone with a good reputation in the US (Wright and Taylor are the obvious ones that come to mind although Spinks, Greene, Griffin or even the winner between Marquez and Lorenzo could do the trick if Choc was to beat one of them impressively.)

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Unfortunately (again) it's a real mix'n'match. Mundine wants a big fight before the year is out, October-November at the latest but how that fits in with any of these guys is anyones guess.

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Would Winky be prepared to wait until then? Would Spinks be prepared to go back up to 160lbs against a guy dropping down from 167? Would Joe Greene's people risk his perfect record this early in his career?

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What I can say is that it's unlikely Felix Sturm will be Choc's next fight after Soliman as Sturm's rematch v Randy Griffin isn't until July, meaning that Mundine wouldn't have his next bout until 2009 and that don't work for him. This would also rule out Griffin.

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One would expect the guys that started their careers well below 160lbs like Corey Spinks and Tito would be reluctant to fight Mundine unless it was for a title although their bargining power aint what it used to be after recent losses. These two are wild card opponents.

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The three guys that Mundine has on his radar are PAVLIK, WINKY and TAYLOR. All three would be set to go come October-November including Pavlik who has shown a willingness to fight on a regular basis. While it isn't the smartest business decision as mentioned in "Round 3" there's always a chance that Pavlik could accept the challenge if there isn't any more suitable opponents coming forward. That said I'm sure the governing bodies that have Pavlik as their champion could persuade him into giving one of their top ranked fighters a crack at the champ. The major promotional corporations carry an even bigger stick that often finds it's way up a fighter's arse. Pavlik and Mundine will hopefully cross paths midway through 2009.

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Should Choc defeat Soliman as expected then there's a very good chance that he will have his first fight in the middleweight division against Winky Wright or Jermain Taylor in the USA. The fact that neither fighter has committed to another opponent as of yet is a clear indication that they are leaving their options open, at least until Mundine defeats Soliman (a Mundine loss would see these opportunities evaporate.) On the flip side both Jermain Taylor and Winky Wright would view a fight v Mundine as both winable and rewarding, opening doors which could include a possible showdown with Mikkel Kessler should they decide to step up to super middleweight.

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An impressive win over either fighter (Wright or Taylor) would put him in line for a shot at Pavlik which would be the perfect scenario for Mundine although if a fight eventuates v Winky or Jermain as expected then Mundine needs to be completely focused on the task at hand. Any thoughts that either fighter is nothing more than a stepping stone to Pavlik could see his career terminated permanently. Both guys are great fighters and their records speak for themselves. In the end the belief that Wright is on the decline and his lack of activity could see him as Anthony's No.1 target.

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(who will Choc fight after Soliman)

Judge "Most Likely" awards it to WINKY WRIGHT

Judge "Two Bob Each Way" awards it to Jermain Taylor

Judge "Spanner In The Works" awards it to Danny Green

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