Anderson: no room for Choc in top 10

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AS his career fades and hopefully his voice, it's time to reflect on where Anthony "The Man" Mundine sits in the pantheon of Australian boxers.

We will rate him over the past 50 years, which excludes pugilists such as Jimmy Carruthers, Les Darcy, Young Griffo, Vic Patrick and Dave Sands.

Anthony Mundine and Joshua Clottey both land snapping jabs during their bout. Source: News Corp Australia

Hopefully Mundine will now call it quits, 14 years after he knocked out Gerrard Zohs in his 2000 debut in front of an assortment of celebrities and spivs at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

He deserves huge credit for becoming an elite performer in two sports, rugby league and boxing. He wasn't the best in either, his mouth always overshadowing his skills.

One of the five times Mundine was put on the canvas by Clottey. Source: News Corp Australia

But the facts are he fought some good fighters and was only knocked out twice. His finest performance to my mind was a points loss to brutal Dane Mikkel Kessler in 2005, proving he belonged on the world stage.

After that loss he should have campaigned in the US instead of continually putting up patsies while attempting to convince everyone through his brash countenance that he would become a world champion.

Mundine lands a jab on Antwun Echols to win the vacant WBA super middleweight title in 2007. Source: News Limited

Sadly he never did win a fair dinkum world title, his belts coming from fights described as Interim World Titles, a confusing tactic used by boxing bodies to ensure more dollars.

Barry Michael, who was ringside for most of Mundine's career, believes he firmly belongs in the top 10 from 1964-2004.

I disagree, rating him in a group along with his father Tony, Danny Green and Daniel Geale just outside.

Is Anthony Mundine among our top 10 fighters of the past 50 years?

Kostya Tszyu delivers an overhand right that finds its target as he fights on the front foot. Source: News Limited

AUSTRALIA'S BEST BOXERS OF THE LAST 50 YEARS

I: Kostya Tszyu. His amateur career before turning professional, the quality of his opponents and the titles he held suggest Tszyu is our greatest boxer in that time period after he left Russia 23 years ago.

2: Jeff Fenech. I'm not convinced Fenech would have beaten any or all of Rose, Famechon, Michael and Ellis, but his overall record demands he sit second to Tszyu on this list.

3: Lionel Rose. Has there ever been a more natural boxer than Lionel? He was born to fight and at his peak in 1968-69 was among the finest pound for pound boxers in the world.

Johnny Famechon after successfully defending his world featherweight title in London. Source: News Corp Australia

4: Johnny Famechon. The artful dodger who personified the golden rule in boxing of to hit and not be hit. "Fammo" won his featherweight title when there weren't all the alphabet bodies.

5: Hector Thompson. To my mind the most underrated of any Australian boxer. Beat the best before losing to the best in Roberto Duran and Antonio Cervantes for world titles.

6: Barry Michael. If every world title was held in a phone booth, Michael would have been champion for a decade. Devastating body puncher who ate big punches for breakfast.

Vic Darchinyan strikes Shinsuke Yamanaka with a left hook during their title fight in Tokyo in 2012. Source: AFP

7: Vic Darchinyan. Never captured the Australian public and has campaigned largely in the US, but for quality of opponents and titles he has to rank highly.

8: Rocky Mattioli. A massive banger who knocked out the best to win his world light middleweight title. Not as scientific as some but had a hammer in both hands.

9: Lester Ellis. For sheer talent the Sunshine Comet ranks up with Rose and Tszyu. It probably all came too early him yet when he put it all together, Lester was a jet.

Jeff Harding returns home to Australia with his light heavyweight world title belt. Source: News Limited

10: Jeff Harding. Copped more punishment than any other Australian world champion, but for sheer toughness nobody betters him.

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