In a light middleweight WBA world title eliminator held in Wollongong, Anthony Mundine displayed his power with a tenth-round stoppage of a determined Ryan Waters.
Early on at the WIN Entertainment Centre, Mundine faced significant challenges from Waters, yet he has now positioned himself closer to claiming a world title in a third weight division.
This victory marked the end of a nine-fight streak without a knockout for Mundine, whose last KO was as a super middleweight back in December 2007.
After the fight, Mundine remarked, “I told ya, I’m only going to get stronger.” He added, “I’m only going to get stronger by the will of God … I put in a lot of hard work for this match, got my weight down, and felt strong tonight.”
Although it was anticipated that Mundine would easily overcome Waters, he struggled to take control until the fight reached its midpoint.
Despite being at a height disadvantage, Waters aggressively sought to press ‘The Man’ from the start.
Nevertheless, Mundine’s speed and skill eventually prevailed. After landing several strong punches in the latter part of the ninth round, he concluded the match with a TKO just 30 seconds into the tenth round.
This triumph grants Mundine the opportunity to challenge WBA light middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. However, he is set to face former NRL player Garth Wood—who also won the reality TV series The Contender—in December.
Wood participated in the undercard, achieving a knockdown of Elvin Marbun in the first round.
Mundine expressed that this upcoming fight would be his last before pursuing international bouts.
“There are many fighters in Australia eager to face me; Garth has earned his shot… but after Garth Woods, I want to test the waters with the best, that’s what I’m aiming for,” he stated.
Earlier in the evening, impressive fighter Billy ‘The Kid’ Dib showcased his skills against veteran Filipino Jack Asis, securing a fourth-round stoppage in their lightweight match.
Dib, ranked No.5 featherweight by the IBF, executed a series of impactful body shots against Asis, bringing his record to 29-1 with 17 KOs.
Johannes Mwetupunga successfully defended his Australian middleweight title, winning by unanimous decision against a determined Kurt Bahram.
