ANTHONY Mundine is promising the most meticulous preparation of his career in his quest to batter Jeff Horn at Suncorp Stadium on November 30 and has hired a rugby league fitness guru to help him.
The Queensland Government is expected to announce its official support for the fight which involves a cash injection of about $ 1.5 million into the promotion.
Last year Anastasia Palaszczuk’s Government and Brisbane City Council together poured about $ 5 million into backing Horn’s victory over Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp but claim they recouped that money many times over with the huge boost to Queensland tourism generated by the crowd of more than 51,000 and a television audience in the hundreds of millions.
This time they are banking on thousands of interstate visitors to Brisbane for what is being billed as the biggest all-Australian fight of all time.
Negotiations are underway to make the long-awaited heavyweight battle between Lucas Browne and Alex Leapai the main undercard fight.
Mundine-Horn is set to be fought at 71kg and while Horn’s promoter Dean Lonergan says the weight limit will “kill” Mundine before he even gets in the ring, Mundine is planning the best preparation of his career.
Faced with a million-dollar penalty if he is more than 2kg above the limit, he has hired South Sydney’s nutritional expert Ryan Pinto to assess every gram of food that he eats between now and fight time.
While Lonergan says a huge proportion of the crowd will be on hand to see Horn knock out Mundine, the Sydney boxer’s camp fully expect their man to spoil the party.
“Anthony has never had a training camp like this in his life,” said Mundine’s representative Emaid Dib.
“He really is Jeff’s worst nightmare. He’s fast, crafty and he can punch and he will be a lot physically bigger than Jeff. We know Jeff has trouble with fighters who can move well.
“Ryan Pinto is a top sports scientist who works with the Rabbitohs, the Waratahs rugby team and NSW cricket and he will make sure Anthony is super strong and super fit at 71kg.
“Anthony has been at the top of boxing for 18 years and he sees this as his big chance to shock the world in a huge stadium fight against a boxer who beat a legend last year.
“We’re very confident that making the weight will not be an issue for Anthony.”
Mundine has spent most of his boxing career fighting at 76kg but he has had seven fights at 71kg or lighter for five wins including a stoppage against Shane Mosley, the only time the great American failed to go the distance.
In two of his last three fights at the lighter weight, though, Mundine was badly mauled at 71kg by American contender Charles Hatley and Ghana’s former world welterweight champ Joshua Clottey.
Mundine says his preparation for this fight will be much more scientific and he is planning a fast start against Horn.
“I want to stop Horn in the first six rounds,’’ Mundine said.
“He’s a good strong kid but I know I have the quickness and the skills to beat him.”
Australia’s most successful fighter Jeff Fenech has warned Horn to beware of Mundine’s power.
“Anthony says he is going to have the very best preparation ever,” Fenech said.
“I know that Anthony will really be fired up for the fight. It’s his big chance to score a win over a huge name and leave boxing with a victory that fight fans will remember forever.’’
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