Boxing: Mundine's first opponent a Kiwi

SYDNEY - Former rugby league bad boy Anthony Mundine has selected experienced Auckland middleweight Gerrard Zohs as the first opponent in his intended climb to a world professional boxing title.

Mundine, who quit rugby league last month leaving the St George-Illawarra club mid-contract, will fight 11-year professional Zohs at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on July 3.

The fight is sure to engender much public intrigue and promoters believe it will attract a sellout crowd of 11,500.

Mundine, 25, has been in fulltime training with his father, Tony, who fought for the world middleweight title during an accomplished boxing career.

He professed to knowing nothing about 30-year-old screen-printing manager Zohs.

"It doesn't really matter to me. I'm focused on one goal and that's to win, and win good, and look good. That's my main focus," Mundine said.

However, New Zealand Professional Boxing Association president Carrick Belton said Zohs would be far from a pushover, having held the New Zealand super middleweight title in the mid-1990s.

After losing his New Zealand title, Zohs moved to Sydney where he lost to world-ranked Australian light heavyweight Glen Kelly.

He gave the sport away for two years before returning to live in Henderson in 1998.

In one of his first fights back he lost on a split points decision to New Zealand middleweight champion Alan Gibson and has since won two fights against up-and-comers.

- NZPA