Veteran contender Anthony "The Man" Mundine's (45-5, 27 KO) next opponent's name won't ring a bell unless you know him personally. Gunnar Jackson (18-4-3, 6 KO) will provide the opposition for the 38-year-old veteran who is eager for another chance to fight for a world title.
The fight takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at the Brisbane Entertainment Center in Mundine's home country of Australia.
Last time out, Mundine became the first man to stop "Sugar" Shane Mosley. Mosley suffered a back injury that forced referee Raul Caiz Sr. to halt the bout. Mundine was ahead on all three cards when the stoppage occurred.
At such an advanced age, Mundine needs to keep winning to keep hope alive for another meaningful fight. His opponent on Wednesday is obviously not a big name.
How obscure of a presence is Jackson in boxing? Per the Courier Mail, Mundine's camp didn't even recognize the 27-year-old from New Zealand when he arrived for the pre-fight press conference.
However, that could change if he can upset The Man.
It's clear the draw for this fight is Mundine's and his quest for another title. Jackson is just there to provide some slight resistance.
Interested? Here's how you can watch.
When: Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 3:30 p.m. EST
Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall, Queensland, Australia
TV: Main Event PPV in Australia
The Book on Mundine
Mundine has had a solid, but less than illustrious career. He has twice been the WBA super middleweight champion, and he was even a playable fighter in EA Sports' Fight Night Champion video game.
I'm not sure how many gamers outside of Australia ever picked him as their character of choice for virtual battle, though. In his career, he's been in the ring with some of the best fighters of his era.
Despite his success, Mundine has never garnered the type of attention and respect he craves.
Phil Lutton of the Sydney Morning Herald spoke to him about his career, and his focus moving forward.
Mundine said:
I’m always getting belittled within the Australian media for my achievements. It doesn’t bother me none but I think it would have more effect if I don’t say much and let my hands do the talking.
I really want to go for the 154-pound WBA championship. Obviously I want the biggest fights in the world but that doesn’t happen if they don’t choose you. You have to put yourself in a position to get those fights. That’s my mentality and that’s where I want to go.
Beating Jackson will at the very least maintain his status in the minds of those who make the decisions.
The Book on Jackson
It was actually shocking that there were videos of Jackson's bouts available on YouTube. He's fought outside of New Zealand just once, and has had only 25 fights total. This brief action against Peter Tovi'o is from Feb. 2012.
In the two years since this bout, Jackson has been quite busy. He's had 10 fights and he's 7-2-1 in that span.
The 27-year-old was a late replacement after Mundine's plans to take on Carson Jones and Billy Lyell fell through. This fight represents a huge opportunity for Jackson to make a name for himself.
No one is expecting him to win, so he should be competing with no pressure. Lutton discussed Jackson's fitness and chances of pulling the upset.
Jackson, to his credit, looked in decent enough shape at a public weigh-in on Tuesday despite just seven days’ notice of his participation. But he should be little match for Mundine, ranked fourth by the WBA and in hardened condition for his opening bout of the year.
Can the me-against-the-world approach help push him to an upset win?
Prediction
It's hard to imagine Mundine having great difficulty with Jackson. His experience level far exceeds Jackson. From the looks of the video, and the New Zealander's KO numbers, Jackson doesn't possess big power.
The chances he out-boxes Mundine are slim to none. Look for The Man to stop his overmatched opponent by the sixth round.
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