Anthony Mundine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anthony Mundine
Mundine in 2012
Statistics
Nickname(s)	The Man Choc
Rated at	Light-middleweight Middleweight Super-middleweight Cruiserweight
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Reach	178 cm
Born	(1975-05-21) 21 May 1975 (age 50) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	59
Wins	48
Wins by KO	28
Losses	11

Anthony Steven Mundine (born 21 May 1975) is a famous Australian athlete. He was a professional boxer and a rugby league player. In boxing, he held the World Boxing Association (WBA) super-middleweight title twice. He also won the International Boxing Organization (IBO) middleweight title. Mundine is well known for his exciting rivalries with other Australian boxers like Danny Green and Daniel Geale.

Early Life and School

Anthony Steven Mundine is the son of Tony Mundine, who was also a professional boxer. His family comes from the Bundjalung people in northern New South Wales. Both of his parents are Aboriginal. He grew up as a Christian and later converted to Islam in the late 1990s.

Mundine played junior rugby league for Hurstville United. While in high school, he was a star player for his school team. He also played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1993. That year, he joined the St. George Dragons at 18 years old.

Rugby League Star

In 1994, Mundine played for the Junior Kangaroos. This team beat Great Britain's under-19s team. In 1996, he played in a big championship game, called a grand final, but his team lost. Later that year, he signed with the Brisbane Broncos.

Early Career and Big Games

In 1997, Mundine played 18 games for the Brisbane Broncos. He scored three tries. He also played in his second grand final, which his team won. In 1998, he returned to the St. George team.

Mundine was chosen to play for New South Wales in 1999. He scored a try in his first game. That year, he helped his team reach the Grand Final again. However, they lost to the Melbourne Storm.

Mundine felt that he should have had more chances to play for state teams. He believed that racism might have been a reason for this.

Moving to Boxing

Mundine left rugby league in 2000. He was inspired to try boxing after watching a video of Muhammad Ali. He later said that he felt there was racism in rugby league, which was one reason he switched to boxing.

In 2005, there were talks about Mundine returning to rugby league, but it did not happen. In 2007, he became an Indigenous Liaison Officer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. This role helps connect the team with Indigenous communities.

In 2019, it was announced that Mundine would play rugby league again. He signed with the Matraville Tigers in a local league.

Family Ties in Rugby League

Anthony Mundine has many family members who also played rugby league. These include Wes Patten, Amos Roberts, Beau Mundine, Blake Ferguson, and Reece Robinson. His son, CJ Mundine, is also aiming to play in the NRL.

Boxing Champion

Anthony Mundine's father, Tony Mundine, trained him for boxing. Tony was a middleweight boxer in the 1970s.

Mundine had his first professional boxing match in July 2000. He was 25 years old. He had only a few amateur fights before turning pro. After just 10 professional fights, he fought for his first world title in January 2001.

First Fights and World Titles

In 2001, Mundine fought Sven Ottke for the IBF Super Middleweight belt. Mundine was ahead on points, but Ottke knocked him out in the 10th round. This was Mundine's first loss.

Later, Mundine won the vacant WBA Super Middleweight title. He beat Antwun Echols by a unanimous decision in 2003. After defending his title once, Mundine lost it to Manny Siaca in a close fight. He then tried to win the WBA super middleweight title again but lost to Mikkel Kessler in 2005.

Big Rivalries: Green and Geale

Mundine had a huge rivalry with Perth boxer Danny Green. They often spoke about each other in the media. Their fight on 17 May 2006, was one of the most anticipated in Australian boxing history. It was a massive event, with many people watching on Pay Per View. Mundine won the fight by a unanimous decision.

Mundine also had a big rivalry with International Boxing Organization middleweight champion Daniel Geale. They first fought on 27 May 2009. Mundine won by a split decision. Later, on 30 January 2013, they fought again for Geale's IBF title. This was a very important fight in Australia. Mundine lost this fight by a unanimous decision. He disagreed with the judges' decision and left the ring quickly.

More Title Fights

Mundine fought Sam Soliman twice. In their second fight, Mundine dominated and won by knockout. He also fought Garth Wood twice. Wood knocked Mundine out in their first fight in 2010. This was a big upset in Australian boxing. Mundine got his revenge in the rematch in 2011, winning by a unanimous decision.

In 2011, Mundine won the interim WBA Light Middleweight world title by beating Rigoberto Alvarez. This made him a mandatory challenger for the full title. However, he later lost this title because he did not take part in a required fight.

In 2012, Mundine fought Bronco McKart in the United States. He won by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the seventh round. In 2013, Mundine fought American boxing legend Shane Mosley. Mundine won when Mosley retired from the fight due to injury. In 2014, Mundine lost to Joshua Clottey. Later that year, he won against Sergey Rabchenko in a split decision. This made him a mandatory contender for Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s title, but Mundine had to pull out of that fight due to an ear injury.

Beyond Sports

Business Ventures

Mundine has invested in real estate. He also owns a sports brand called Boxa and a cafe called Boxa Bar.

Music and TV Appearances

Mundine has appeared in several music videos. In 2001, he was in a video for the band Powderfinger. In 2005, he was featured on Joel Turner's song "Knock U Out". He also released his own song, "Platinum Ryder".

Mundine has been on many TV shows. In 2002, he was on Celebrity Big Brother. He also appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2005. In 2010, he was a guest trainer on The Biggest Loser Australia. In 2018, he was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

Awards and Recognition

In 2000, Mundine was named the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Person of the Year. He is known for having all of his professional fights shown on TV. He has also generated more pay-per-view sales than any other Australian boxer.

Some people have called him "arguably the greatest crossover athlete in boxing history." In 2014, the annual Anthony Mundine Award for Courage was created. This award is part of the National Indigenous Human Rights Awards.

He has won several Deadly Awards for Indigenous Male Sportsperson of the Year in 2003, 2006, and 2007.

Boxing Record

See Also

• Deadly Awards