Mundine triumphs in farcical finish

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ANTHONY Mundine's expensive gamble to bankroll his fight against veteran Shane Mosley ended in unexpected triumph when the 42-year-old three-division world champion was forced to withdraw from the 12 round fight after just six rounds suffering back spasms.

While Mundine deserved his victory, and was leading the fight according to all three judges, Mosley's abrupt abandonment provided another farcical element to a fight delayed five weeks, and which started late last night because the gloves for the entire card failed to arrive on time.

Shane Mosley goes down. Picture: Mark Evans Source: News Limited

The crowd booed loudly when Mundine's TKO victory was announced largely because they were disappointed at Mosley's surrender.

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But if it was not the emphatic triumph Mundine had hoped for, it was a result that kept alive the Australian's far-fetched dream of a lucrative crack at superstar Floyd Mayweather, or another international superstar.

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''No matter what you say he's not just going to back out because of something stupid,'' said Mundine. "It was obviously back spasms that got him.''

Anthony Mundine celebrates his sixth-round TKO victory. Source: Getty Images

Notionally, the fight was for the WBA international super welterweight title. But, for both the 42-year-old Mosley and Mundine, this was a referendum on their now limited futures.

In the early rounds Mundine was aggressive, but Mosley more crisp and controlled. But the momentum turned in the fourth round when Mundine stung Mosley with a big right hand that saw the American fall to the canvas as he tried to hold on.

It was not a knock down, but like blood in the water for Mundine who moved in with a series of combinations on the shaken Mosley. After that Mundine kept ploughing forward, scoring regularly as the American appeared to tire.

Anthony Mundine lands a left. Source: Getty Images

Despite losing three kilograms for this fight, Mundine said he felt stronger than five weeks ago when the fight was originally scheduled.

Mundine had been strangely quiet in the lead-up. A sign, we were told, "The Man" would for the first time let his fists do all the talking. Despite Mosley's injury, he can claim to have done that.

That Mosley had lost four of his last five fights was considered, by some, an indication he was past his prime. But that the American had continued to fight the cream of the world boxing talent gives Mundine's victory some credence - at least in name.

Shane Mosley rocks Choc. Picture: Mark Evans Source: News Limited

The fight had been delayed five weeks after Mosley was not paid a $1 million guarantee, prompting the American to leave the country. Inevitably, Mundine was forced to promote the fight himself at substantial personal cost.

Earlier, former Canberra Raider Blake Ferguson made his debut on the undercard suffering a four-round points loss to Luke Turner, a 22-year-old excavator driver from Goulburn.

If it wasn't an epic for the annals of boxing history it was, at the least, the first time a rugby league player had thrown a punch in recent times without attracting the attention of the NRL Integrity Unit.

But the glory belonged to Mundine, who will hope to use Mosley's scalp as a springboard to the big time. Something many believe he has delayed too long by fighting local and imported bums for pay-per-view riches.

Shane Mosley's wife watches on. Picture: Mark Evans Source: News Limited

When Manny Pacquiao beat Brandon Rios in a $30 million promotion in Macau at the weekend, David Beckham, Stephen Baldwin and Paris Hilton were in the crowd. On Wednesday night, there was a only a light sprinkling of local sporting celebrities.

Pacquiao walked away with a minimum $18 million. Depending on how many paid the $49.95 to watch Wednesday night's fight on pay-per-view, Mundine could lose $500,000 of his own money on this fight.

But so strangely contorted are boxing's machinations, Mundine might yet have a better chance of fighting the undefeated Mayweather than Pacquiao, the dream match-up which, the New York Times observed, ''has zero or close to zero'' chance of happening.

Mundine's chances? Probably not much greater. But, having claimed the biggest names of his career, the dream lives on.

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