Man versus Machine

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! [shouts] Rumble, young man, rumble!"
- Muhammed Ali

First there was the Rumble in the Jungle. Then the Thrilla in Manilla. Tyson - Holyfield with that bite. More recently we had the epic trilogy of Arturo Gatti v Micki Ward. Now, for Australian fight fans we have the long awaited Danny Green v Anthony Mundine.

After 5 years, the bout that seemed like it was never meant to be, is going to happen 48 hours from now. Will it be one for the ages? It is a contrast of fighting styles. Green, the heavy hitter with the devasting power versus Mundine's speed, elusiveness and counter punching style.

I must admit that I was a Mundine hater in the past. His cockiness, and bragging really annoyed me. But I must admit that he was at least interesting to watch and read about. He made Australian boxing interesting. Say what you may about Kosta Tzyzu, but if it wasn't Mundine, many people including myself wouldn't even bother actually watching a full fight.

Mundine's a great fighter. His handspeed and footwork are amazing. Flurries of combinations, excellent left jab, and a killer right hand. I watched a couple of his fights, most recently his first loss to Manny Siaca. He actually struggled in that fight, to get a decent punch in due to Siaca's range. Siaca kept coming forward, while Mundine kept retreating. At the end of the day, Choc didn't throw enough punches in and wasn't aggressive enough. It was a tough fight, because he wanted to hit him but Siaca's defense and reach was just too good.

Green's no slouch either. From what I hear, he was in absolutely devasting form two years ago in his controversial loss to Markus Beyer but he may have a lost a step or two. Still, you know that Danny wants this bad. He's been calling out Mundine for ages. I reckon Green's going to come out guns blazing, and try to rock Mundine with some body punches to test his toughness. He'll probably want to corner Mundine, and try to turn it into a slug fest.

I can't wait. Wednesday night is going to be amazing. Come to Meridan Hotel @ Hurstville around 8-9pm for some pho and some fight night action.

For you anti-boxers out there, I'll admit that boxing is dangerous. Men's lives are at risk. A person's brain gets rattled and damaged every time someone takes a blow to the head. There is a demand for fighting/boxing/blood in the marketplace, and they are fulfilling that need. The boxers are willing to fight because we are willing to watch. No one is forcing their hand, and they understand the risks as well.

One of the most famous pictures in boxing, taken from the roof of the stadium. It shows a young Muhammed Ali standing over Joe Frazier, from their first encounter dubbed "The Fight of the Century".

Is it sadistic? Because we cheer everytime a combatant gets smashed in the head. We cringe when the one we are supporting hits the canvas. We scream for blood and we aren't satisfied unless someone is in a world of pain. It's not a good fight unless they punish each other for 10 rounds.

But hey, its all entertainment right?