Green v Mundine: more than just a boxing match

Six years in the making, this event had captured the imagination of almost every citizen of this country, and now it had happened. It was over and would never happen again.

Mundine of course was not ruling out a rematch. Indeed, he was floating the idea within minutes of his victory, and I know full well that both boys had hoped to get at least two and maybe three contests out of this much-anticipated match up - giving them plenty of cash to retire on. But from the sporting public’s point of view, what would be the point?

Would anyone be thinking, “Well, maybe Mundine will slow down next time?” For it’s not as if Green fought badly. He didn’t. He fought beautifully - giving a great exhibition of the pugilistic arts. He was simply outclassed by a younger, faster and slicker opponent, and it’s hard to imagine any number of rematches going any differently.

Green was the realist. In the after-fight interview he said that he had “no excuses” for losing, and there’s the rub.

The legendary heavyweight, Joe Frazier, who happened to be ringside for the fight, pointed out in his autobiography some years ago that if you have no excuse for losing a fight then you have no reason to get back in the ring, and he’s right.

If you’re at the peak of your career, and you get beaten by someone simply because they are a superior fighter, what are you supposed to do with your career from that point on?

This was a tough reality for Danny Green to deal with but he seemed to be man enough to take it, swallowing hard after the fight as he thanked his many fans who had travelled with him all the way to this final destination on the Green Machine’s epic journey.

But that’s boxing. It’s like life - brutal and beautiful at the same time. That’s why I love it. And that’s what makes a great fight like the Green-Mundine bout more than just a boxing match.