The LeonMcS Green-Van Kneejerk review or how I learned to start loving Mundine...

Well fight fans, I realised before the event its been over a decade since I saw a live card, due to work etc so I was looking forward to last night. As I left I thought to myself it may be another decade before I bother attending another one.

Started the night at boxoncottonon's place with three quick Jagermeisters nd reminiscing over previous fights we'd seen in Victoria, the motherland. We got to Challenge around 5.30pm to be confronted with the line from hell. Now another poster has said people were queing for 2 hours, I call bull**** unless they got there at 2pm. It took us half an hour to get in but to be fair, it did feel like a couple of hours. Huge security presence as everyone had to go through a metal detector upon entrance. While I can understand the security no credit to the WA Police or the event organisers to corraling everybody in one huge line.

Finally made it in towards the end of the Bryant-LaPorto bout, I went to get some drinks but found out I had to leave the stadium, go outside and queue in another line to buy tickets to buy drinks, then re-enter, find a bar and handover two tickets for a stubbie of Jacks poured into a plastic cup. Have I mentioned the whole event was running like a well oiled machine.

Early notes I took outside include '****ing Shambles' & 'They need a beer tent for the line'. Both valid observations I believe.

So finally made back in with drinks for myself & boxon, settled down to watch a fight but instead we get some blondie singing 'True Blue'. Palpable relief when she finishes and the crowd went mild.

Fight Time!

No, it isn't, they wheel out some memoribillia and its auction time, the female auctioneer gets the best laugh of the night when she tries to sell a framed guitar from 'The greatest band in the world, AD-DC!'

Finally a fight. Willie Kickett enters the ring on a segway (not a scooter Kagsy) and any other time I'd be like wtf? but tonight nothing seems out of the ordinary. Second round even and the rest all for Willie, it wasn't until the 4th round when I made any notes, 'First flurry by Willie, finally'. Seemed a little hesitant, possibly gun shy after last time out against Elomar which could be expected and as a few others have noticed, his hands were dangerously low a few times during the fight. Still, he'll be better for the effort hopefully and have been told he'll be fighting again on the 22nd May.

Asiku-St Clair next and I know quite a few people saw this as the fight of the night and they weren't disappointed. Have just finished telling boxon what a great chin St Clair has when he gets dropped hard in the second. Thanks for making me look like a knob. Asiku sweeps the first four rounds and I had St Clair making a comeback in the 5th and 6th (along with a note asking 'Iron Sheik in St Clairs corner?').
Head out for a smoke after the seventh telling boxon that St Clairs never been stopped so I won't miss anything. finish my gasper and come back in to boxon telling me St Clair got dropped, did a crab dance and I've missed everything.

Yeah, this night is turning out real well so far.

Main Event Time. Van Kneejerk enters to modest applause and scattered boos. Then Men at Work rings out and I feel its only fair at this point that I report exactly what I wrote in my notes.

'Standing ovation for Green!?! WTF? Unbelievable, me and 3 others in the arena are the only ones still seated. Un-****ing-real'

(Sidebar: The previous night I'd stayed up late with my kids and watched Supertroopers with them. Theres a scene in the movie where two of the cops are tricked and locked in the back of a truck, only to be rescued a few hours later by another cop who upon entering, looks around, looks at them and says 'Hmm, smells like sex in here'.
For some reason this line came straight to me during Greens ring walk.)

So anyhow, the crowd works itself into a masturbatory frenzy, and then has to cool down for a a minutes silence for the last post. Plaudits to those at home who decided at that moment it would be funny to send their mates at the fight a text message. Some of us had the sense to turn our phones to silent though, while others around me seemd to have trouble with the whole idea.

Anyhoo, off we go. Kneejerk lands a few and Green moves around sussing him out before responding. I feel it only fair at this point to go the the special expert comments from the chick in the row in front of me.

"Farginhookhimmmmm"
"Useyamuscles"
"Killthafarker"
"I'madumbslutwhoshadtoomuchtodrink"

Ok, I made that last one up.

10-9 to Green but the whole thing to me has a rotten stench over it. I mean, I didn't expect anything less, but now its here in front of me all I can think is I'm glad boxon won tickets to this.

Second round and pretty much this is what happens. Green hits Kneejerk. Kneejerk goes down. I start getting ready to leave. Kneejerk gets up. Green hits Kneejerk. Kneejerk goes down. Ref waves it off.

Crowd goes ballistic thinking they've witnessed the second coming. I figure at least I saved money but not going to the pub and being able to buy a drink when I want.

More unsettingly, I find my allegiances starting to swing. While never a Green fan boy I'd support him any day of the week against Mundine. But last night just reeked of a manufactured milking exercise of a gullible public who were more than willing to eat it up. And, I fear it won't be the last time. I can't explain how or why, and I never thought I'd say it, but for the moment at least, when Mundine-Green II happens, I'll be in Chocs corner. And I can't believe I just said that.

EPILOGUE

Catch up with Kagsy after the bout and his mate gives us a lift to the nearest train station so we're not waiting hours for a cab. Kagsy keeps trying to steal a glimpse at my package (don't deny it).

Boxon has tix for some club so we head there. Apparantly a fat bloke and a skinny bloke playing records for three hours is worth $25 for a ticket nowadays. Go figure.
Anyway, while there run into someone heavily involved in the nights card. Some revealing insights about the night, at the weigh in more than a few people thought Kneejerks trainer was the fighter himself. Tells you a lot.
I also asked about Greens next opponent, ie, is it Taylor?
The response was 'The Green camp wants it, but Shannons not sure, they're trying to sell it to him'. Hmmmm.
Green-Taylor 'The dash for more cash'.

Yeah, that'll work.

By (a very cynical) LeonMcS