Mundine leaner, not meaner - challenger

Anthony Mundine is yet to make weight for his IBO world title shot against little-known Oakdale fighter Rob Medley next month, but he's already received his next challenge.

Cronulla's Ryan Waters, ranked No.7 by the World Boxing Organisation, has said it's his intention to fight the best light-middleweights in Australia - and the world - and Mundine's name will be on that list should he overcome Medley.

"I'm very confident I'd beat Mundine at light-middleweight," Waters told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I don't think it's his division … he appeared very weak to me at middleweight, I don't know how he'll handle losing the extra kilos to fight at light middleweight."

Waters, who is jockeying to fight for the world title in the USA next year, said he thought Mundine was taking an unnecessary risk by dropping down another division in his quest to make "history" by being the first man to lose weight to win the world super-middleweight, middleweight and light-middleweight belts.

"Personally, I don't think it is the right move," he said. "As you get older, your metabolism slows down, you go up in weight division not down. But that's his call, and I'd love to fight him if he wins the belt. It depends, I guess, if he makes weight and how he fights against Medley. If he is defeated by Medley, he might not stay there. If, however, Mundine wins, he might want to hang around for a while. If that is the case, well, with a bit of luck I might get that shot at him."

Waters, who fought on the undercard of Danny Green's historic win over Roy Jones jnr earlier this month, will tonight promote his own show at Cronulla Leagues Club featuring former world champion Billy Dib against Filipino Roel Mangan, and rising star Michael Bolling, who is fighting Cameroon's Serge Yannick for the Australian super-middleweight crown.

"Michael is an outstanding talent," Waters said. "He has a huge local following, and this fight could be a big stepping stone for him - he's a great prospect and well worth watching."

Waters, 32, hopes to next year follow the likes of Danny Green, Vic Darchinyan and Michael Katsidis to the United States and capitalise on what he calls a golden era for Aussie fighters.

"I think Aussies are getting a good name on the world stage," he said. "The success of people like Danny Green is helping us to gain greater recognition."

Meanwhile, Green is confident of enticing legendary American fighter Bernard Hopkins to Australia and says there is a chance dual fellow world champion Darchinyan could fight alongside him on a double bill.

IBO cruiserweight world champion Green and Darchinyan returned from California yesterday after the latter retained his WBC and WBA super flyweight titles with a second round knockout of Mexican Tomas Rojas.

Darchinyan, whose number one target remains a rematch with Filipino Nonito Donaire, revealed he had received an offer from Russian business men to fight in Moscow.

Green, who flew to California to support his friend and former flatmate Darchinyan, revealed some exciting plans for next year, which included the possibility of an Australian promotion featuring both men.

Green is pursuing a fight with former long-standing undisputed middleweight world champion Hopkins in Australia in early to mid 2010.

Green's sensational first round stoppage of Roy Jones jnr earlier this month potentially derailed a scheduled fight between Jones and Hopkins.

He revealed he had spoken to 44-year-old Hopkins on the phone three times while he was in America.

''He (Hopkins) said 'I want to come to Australia, you show me respect, I will come down under, I'm not afraid of anyone, we are warriors','' Green told reporters at Sydney Airport.

Green, his trainer Angelo Hyder and leading American promoter Gary Shaw held talks with Hopkins' promoters Golden Boy earlier this week about bringing the veteran to Australia.

''We made him an offer yesterday and I think that offer is going to be enough to entice him,'' Green said.

''They like the offer. In boxing it's not as clear as that. There's a fair few grey areas still involved.

''Bernard has offers to go all over the world, he's going to take the best but the only thing that excites him is the cruiserweight title he's never had.''

Green said his fight with Jones had pumped almost $7 million into the NSW economy and estimated a clash with Hopkins would be worth around twice that amount to the host city.

Hyder believed Sydney possibly had the edge in holding a Green-Hopkins show after the Green-Jones promotion.

Green added American networks were interested in a double bill featuring Darchinyan and himself.

with AAP

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