Mundines defence in doubt

[pies4ever]

Mundine defence in doubt
April 26, 2004

ANTHONY MUNDINE's world title fight on Wednesday week was tonight thrown into doubt after the World Boxing Association super middleweight champion sustained an ankle injury in a sparring session.

Mundine, who is scheduled to make a mandatory title defence against Puerto Rican Manny Siaca at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on May 5 slipped on a watery patch inside the ring at his Redfern gym, in Sydney, while sparring with Peter Mitrevski Jnr.

The 28-year old fighter lay prone on the canvas for several minutes with his head resting on some boxing pads and his injured right ankle rested on a stool.

Supporters rushed to get some ice for the stricken fighter's injury and he was eventually able to sit up on a stool inside the ring.

Mundine said he had suffered around 15 ankle injuries playing rugby league and basketball and felt tonight's damage wasn't serious and he still had a chance of making his May 5 engagement.

"I know ankle injuries and what happened tonight, (I think I've) sprained it," Mundine said while receiving treatment.

"There's five grades (of ankle injuries) with five being the worst and this is probably about a 2-1/2 or three.

"If I do everything right, anti-inflammatories, ice, ice and more ice, I will have more than the Antarctic, by the time I'm finished.

"I'll keep icing it and I should be able to jog in three days and then in a week it should be back to 90 per cent."

When his manager Khoder Nasser reminded him he had to fight in just over a week, Mundine displayed his trademark confidence.

"We are not talking any ordinary man here because I've done things no man has done, but in the end it's God's will," Mundine said.

"We've got to make a decision soon, but I really feel if I can get three or four days, I will be able to make a decision."

The injury occurred in his ninth round of sparring and ironically Mundine had originally planned to do just eight rounds tonight against Mitrevski and Nader Hamdan.

While he always strapped his ankles for a fight, Mundine said he didn't usually take that precaution at training.

Nasser said Siaca, who is due to arrive in Sydney on Wednesday, had already left for Australia.



AAP


cheers bryan..!!