World title hopes KO'd: promoter
(http://www.theage.com.au/sport/2001/10/25/FFXTIK116TC.html)
LONDON
Thursday 25 October 2001
Warned: Anthony Mundine, told to stay out of the US.
Comment: Greg Baum
Anthony Mundine has ruined his career after claiming America had brought
terrorist attacks upon itself, the German boxing promoter organising his
world title challenge says.
The Muslim convert outraged the boxing world with his comments and was
warned by International Boxing Federation ratings chairman Joe Dwyer to
stay out of America.
But after discussions yesterday with the IBF, promoter Ekhart Klein
decided against cancelling Mundine's world title challenge against
super-middleweight champion Sven Ottke in Dortmund on December 1.
Klein said, however, that Mundine had killed his career and said he hoped
he lost.
"He should come over here, fight, lose this fight and go home and stay
there, that's my message right now," an angry Klein said.
"We have heard a lot about him, that he's famous in Australia, that he has
got a big, big mouth, that he is good for promotion and good in press, but
this statement is very stupid and I think he has ruined his career."
Klein said the IBF had decided that Mundine should remain the sanctioned
challenger, despite calls to find another opponent for Ottke.
"He's the challenger and he should get his chance to fight against Sven
Ottke but he will never be an accepted world champion, never," he said.
Klein spent most of yesterday on the phone to the IBF and angry fight fans
after the story was splashed over the sports pages of most major German
newspapers.
"We are not pleased about the statement from Anthony Mundine but we have
to separate his political opinion and the sport. Right now there's no
intention from us to cancel the fight," Klein said.
"I'm really not satisfied about the whole situation but it's hard to get a
good opponent. I can tell you, he will be booed in the arena, that's for
sure."
Klein said Mundine's manager had told him the statement was taken out of
context and he had no alternative but to accept the explanation.
The former rugby league star said on Monday that he opposed Australia's
involvement with the war in Afghanistan because the US was to blame for
terrorist attacks.
"I really feel that it's not our problem," Mundine said. "They call it an
act of terrorism but if you understand the religion and our way of life
it's not about terrorism, it's about fighting for God's laws and America's
brought it upon themselves (for) what they've done in history and so on."
On Tuesday night he sought to clarify his comments, saying he had been set
up and misquoted by the media and that there was "no way" victims of the
September 11 attacks were to blame.
"I really felt that, you know, the situation at hand, I got basically set
up, I wasn't ready for any straight comebacks, I got caught with my hands
down," Mundine said.
"I want to apologise to the people that caught them statements but now you
heard me clarify myself tonight."
- AAP
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