Mundine-Sullivan Saturday Night!

By Tony Nobbs

30.01 - The Anthony Mundine show has gone on the road this week as the World Boxing Association number two Super Middleweight contender defends his three WBA regional belts against five division New Zealand Champion Sean Sullivan at the ASB Stadium in Auckland, N.Z , tomorrow night.

The 27 year old Mundine (16-1, 13 KO) was promoted five spots in the January rankings after an impressive eleven round TKO of two time World Title Challenger Ricky Thornberry on November 2. He is expected to fight off for the Vacant WBA Title against number one rated Antwun Echols following the Byron Mitchell-Svenn Ottke WBA-IBF Unification on March 15, and the 34 year old Sullivan (50-13-1 ND, 22 KO) doesn't figure to pose a serious threat to his future plans. Most predict the bigger Australian to be the second man to stop Sullivan and the first to do it in almost ten years.

Currently filling the #2 spot in the PABA at 168 lb, Sullivan went five and three last year, losing points decisions to Nader Hamden, Jerry Elliott and Sam Soliman in Middleweight bouts. However he rebounded to capture his Nation's Lt. Heavyweight Title by beating Sam Lueii on points in August and is riding a three fight winning streak.

The veteran had his best days as a Welterweight in the mid 90's where he rose to # 3 in the WBA, losing that position when beaten by Shannan Taylor in Taylor's hometown of Wollongong, Australia in 1997. He should have lost it two years earlier when evergreen Aussie southpaw Jeff Malcolm outclassed him for ten rounds in Auckland, only to lose a decision that caused a media outcry in New Zealand.

Now trained by Alex Sua, a former NZ Lt Heavyweight Champion who defeated Tony Mundine Snr in the final fight of the elder Mundine's illustrious career in Auckland, 1984, the workman like Sullivan usually throws a lot of punches and is a very fit and courageous campaigner. And he will need every bit of it against one of the World's better Super Middleweights who is already scheduled to fight again on March 15 in Queensland, Australia. After being knocked out by Svenn Ottke in December 2001, Mundine was unbeaten in six fights in '02, scoring stoppages in his last five bouts, capturing the PABA, PAFBA and Fedeltin Titles.