Tony Mundine (boxer)

Anthony William Mundine OAM (born 9 June 1951)[1] is an Australian former boxer, and one of the country's most accomplished Indigenous fighters. The only Australian boxer to compete professionally in four weight divisions, he held the Australian middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight titles, as well as the Commonwealth middleweight and light heavyweight titles. He also challenged once for the WBA world middleweight title in 1974.[2] He is the father of former world champion boxer Anthony Mundine, and cousin of Warren Mundine.[3]

Tony Mundine
Statistics
Real nameAnthony William Mundine
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Cruiserweight
Light heavyweight
Middleweight
Height5' 11½ (182 cm)
NationalityAustralian
Born (1951-06-10) 10 June 1951
Baryulgil, New South Wales, Australia[1]
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights96
Wins80
Wins by KO64
Losses15
Draws1

Mundine was the 2005 Inductee for the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame Moderns category.

Rugby League

Mundine played centre three-quarter for a Grafton Rugby league team. He showed promise and was offered a place with the Redfern All Blacks in the South Sydney Junior Rugby League in 1968 at age 17. Rather than return to Baryulgil to work at the asbestos mine between seasons he kept fit at Ern McQuillan's gym in Newtown, where he showed natural ability and speed. McQuillan engaged him in a fighter-trainer contract.[2][4][5]

Boxing

Mundine won his first match on 5 March 1969 against Frank Graham. In his fifth professional bout, Ray Wheatley dropped Mundine in their scheduled ten round contest in round one to become the only Australian to have Mundine on the canvas at the Manly Leagues club in May 1969. Mundine stopped Wheatley in round two. In less than a year he won his first title, the Australian Middleweight crown.[5] His last bout was against Alex Sua on 19 March 1984.

His titles were:

Mundine challenged Carlos Monzón on 5 October 1974 for the WBA World Middleweight title but lost by a knockout in the 7th round. He was undefeated by any Australian boxer during his 16-year career.[7] He fought many top boxers including Emile Griffith, Monty Betham, Steve Aczel, Bennie Briscoe and Alex Sua.[8]

Professional boxing record

Mundine currently lives in Redfern, New South Wales, where he manages a training gym called Redfern Gym adjacent to the Block.

Mundine is father and boxing trainer/promoter of former World Super Middleweight Champion Anthony Mundine. Mundine's older brother Mickey Mundine played in the first Australian Aboriginal rugby league team in 1973.[9]

On 26 January 1986 Mundine was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to sport particularly to boxing and to aboriginal youth".[10] He was the winner of The Ella Award for Lifetime Achievement in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sport at the Deadly Awards in 2004.

References
  1. Peacock, Matt (23 March 2006). "Mundine's hometown copes with asbestos legacy". The 7.30 Report. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  2. "Tony Mundine". A history of aboriginal Sydney. University of Sydney. 2010. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  3. "Book Review: Warren Mundine's in Black + White is a searing look at Australian history & politics – Arts on the AU". Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  4. "How Tony Mundine went from football to boxing". A history of aboriginal Sydney. University of Sydney. 2010. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  5. Cameron, Dave (June 2006). "The Fighting Mundines From Sydney, Australia". Fight Times Magazine. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  6. Tony Mundine. Brookvale school
  7. Tony Mundine. Turning Sixty
  8. Tony Mundine. BoxRec.
  9. AAP (18 February 1973). "Aboriginal team wins". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: Fairfax Media. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  10. "Tony Mundine OAM". Australian Honours Database. Retrieved 23 August 2007.
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