Mundine to possibly boycott the Australian national anthem

[url]http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/boxing-mma/anthony-mundine-reissues-threat-to-protest-australian-anthem-before-fight/story-fndees0o-1226561274776[/url]

ANTHONY Mundine has resurrected plans to boycott Australia's national anthem before next Wednesday's IBF world title clash with Daniel Geale, a day after backing down from his threat. A curt Mundine arrived at yesterday's public training session refusing to talk to media after The Daily Telegraph revealed his plans to boycott the anthem.
However television reporters closed on Mundine following his public sessions to ask if he "denied" the story.
"I got nothing to say, baby," Mundine said.
Asked again if he denied the story, Mundine again replied: "I got nothing to say."
Then asked if he would protest the anthem, Mundine said: "I may, I may not."
The open answer has thrown preparations into a spin, with nobody sure what Mundine plans to do.
Subsequently, nobody is sure what the reaction will be.

Already extra security has been hired to avoid the judges potentially being abused, as happened during their first fight, but they will now also be on heightened alarm when the anthem begins.
While Mundine is aware of the outrage it will cause not only ringside but around Australia, he is also acutely aware that the fight is being televised live across Australia and New Zealand and beamed on delay into America and the United Kingdom.
While its effect as a political statement will be debatable, he undoubtedly sees it as an opportunity to underline his role as an Aboriginal activist.
Last October he kicked off this fight with Geale by raising his concerns and, with the fight near, is revisiting his political statements about the plight of Aboriginals.
Mundine's camp believed they had convinced him to back down from plans to protest the anthem after conversations drifted back and forth on Wednesday, when Mundine began the day adamant he would carry through with the protest.
By the end of the day, though, he had begun to waver on his plans and Team Mundine believed he planned to drop the protest.
The to and fro continued yesterday when Mundine arrived at the public training session and told the crowd over a microphone to ignore the newspapers.
"They're trying to sidetrack me, take me off my game because they know they're in trouble," he said.
Yet by the time he had finished training he was again clearly considering the protest, leaving everybody unsure what will happen on fight night.
Pay-per-views figures are expected to reach somewhere between 80,000-100,000 homes with thousands more watching in pubs and clubs.
With American Kimbo Slice on the undercard, a large pickup is expected overseas, commanding Mundine an audience of potential millions to make his point.
The threat has lit a fresh fuse ahead of Wednesday's world title fight, the first time two Aboriginals have fought for a legitimate world title.
Geale refused to be sidetracked, saying: "He has tried every little thing he can to try to throw me off my game, but no matter what he does it's not going to throw me off my game."
Mundine trained yesterday in a black T-shirt with an Aboriginal flag printed across the front.

 

I hope he does it.

 

Go and post in that lesser thread then.

Clown.