Advertisement

Daniel Geale calls on Anthony Mundine to retire

Fierce rivals Daniel Geale and Anthony Mundine have clashed once again, this time with Geale being the instigator, calling on Mundine to retire from boxing.

Following the embarrassing cancellation of Mundine’s fight with former world champ Shane Mosley the day before the bout, speculation has grown over the future of the 38-year-old league-star-turned-boxer.

According to Geale, the controversy Mundine has brought with him throughout his boxing career (44-5) has been detrimental to the sport in Australia.

"A lot of people do argue he’s done a lot for the sport, he’s kept it in the media but at what cost?" Geale told News Ltd.

"I look at it like there definitely has been a lot of negatives.

"When he’s been involved, and not only him but others around the world who have done the wrong thing, it makes it hard for everyone else."

Geale and Mundine are anything but friends in the sport they have both championed for so long. They have each won and lost a bout against one other.

Before The Man hit the canvas in the duo’s last meeting, his mouth got him in trouble in the lead-up. After questioning Geale’s Indigenous heritage and insulting his wife and family, the public outcry in opposition to Mundine grew.

Trash talk has been a signature part of Mundine’s strategy before fights, but before the Mosley bout, he was uncharacteristically quiet in an attempt to win over the Australian public.

The dramatic sideshow that Mundine has brought with him in the sport, most recently seen in the failed Mosley fight, has hurt opportunities for up and coming boxers, Geale says.

"There are a lot of really good fighters out there working their butt off doing the right thing," he said.

"There are a new crop of Olympians who have turned pro coming through now and they are going to find it extremely difficult because no one will want to go near boxing for that reason.

"They are too scared that something bad will happen so they won’t sponsor it and get behind it."

Geale lost the IBF middleweight world title in a split points decision against Darren Barker earlier this year.

He will have a chance to regain the title when he takes on the winner of the Barker vs Felix Sturm bout at the end of the year.

Geale voiced his frustration at the loss of that belt to Barker. Watching replays Geale believes he was hard done by.

"I had a copy of the scorecards in front of me while I was watching," he said.

"It is just a frustrating sport at times."

Before boarding his plane back to the US Shane Mosley announced he had no intention of returning to Australia to fight Anthony Mundine and criticised the country's boxing scene as being "behind the times" and "almost like the mafia days".