Boxing: Mundine denied dual billing

SYDNEY - Super confident league player-turned-boxer Anthony Mundine has had an audacious plan to fight New Zealander Sean Sullivan and an Australian opponent on the same night rejected by the sport's authorities.

Mundine wanted back-to-back fights against Sullivan and Australian super middleweight champion Juarne Dowling as preparation for another world title challenge.

However, Mundine's manager, Khoder Nasser, found boxing authorities would not allow it.

Instead, Mundine will fight Sullivan in early September in Perth and then Dowling on the Gold Coast later that month.

Mundine remained confident he was capable of doing the double.


He denied the back-to-back fights were a publicity gimmick, saying they were designed as punishment for his poor performance when he lost against Puerto Rican Manny Siaca in May.

"I wanted to punish myself by fighting back-to-back fights to teach myself how much energy and stamina I really have," he said.

"I was angry at myself for my performance against Siaca because I left that fight with plenty of fuel to burn."

Mundine said because that plan had been ruled out, the next best option was to have two fights within a three-week gap.


Nasser, who is finalising negotiations with the Sullivan camp, warned his fighter not to underestimate the New Zealander.

Sullivan's Australian-based trainer Noel Thornberry said the veteran, who lost on points to Mundine in Auckland, was eager to have another crack.

"Sean will be ready. He's an awkward fighter with a ton of stamina," Thornberry said.

Sullivan proved his durability in his last visit to Perth in March this year when he took Mundine's local rival Danny Green the full nine rounds before losing in a unanimous points decision.

Green was so disoriented after that bout he initially thought he had lost the fight and needed to be hospitalised to rehydrate.

- NZPA