Anthony Mundine has sought to clarify his controversial 9/11 comments after being taunted while he sparred at Floyd Mayweather's gym ahead of his first fight in the United States against Bronco McKart next weekend.

Mundine, who sparred seven rounds with two opponents last Friday at The Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, was upset that people in the gym wanted to see him hurt because they believed he supported the terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001.

He had said that October: "They call it an act of terrorism, but if you can understand religion, and our way of life, it's not about terrorism. It's about fighting for God's law, and America's brought it upon themselves."

Yesterday he said: "One of my team overheard them say to the second guy I sparred to try and hurt me because 'he had disrespected us and our country'.

"I was dumbfounded by that and some of the other remarks they were coming out with. They don't know how I was taken out of context about the whole 9/11 thing.

"I am just anti-war but back then, 10 years ago, it was made out that I was happy for the killings or that I supported what happened, which is not the case.

"Those comments were just spun around like I was clapping my hands. I have a family too, I know what it is like to suffer the loss of someone close to me and I would never wish that upon anyone.

"The point I was trying to get across was that it was in a war state of mind and there is always going to be tit for tat so why put yourself in a situation where you can endanger people.

"I have got nothing against any American, I have got nothing against any human being. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a genuine human being who fights for justice and tries to help people less fortunate than myself.

"It breaks my heart that people think I would even have that line of thought about being happy about people dying. That is crap and I want to clarify that because it is wrong."

Initially, Mundine said he thought the jibes and hostile reaction from the crowd was in response to him calling out Mayweather as a future opponent if he beats McKart at The Palms on Sunday (NZ time).

"It was a pretty interesting experience," Mundine said. "Obviously the Mayweather people knew who I was because they were saying 'send him back down under, send him back down under'.

"But I am cool under pressure and I was talking smack back, I was saying 'I'm not going anywhere'."

- Sydney Morning Herald