Indigenous Australian boxing great Tony Mundine was the first Australian to fight in four different weight divisions. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAPView image in fullscreenIndigenous Australian boxing great Tony Mundine was the first Australian to fight in four different weight divisions. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAPAustralian boxing great Tony Mundine dies aged 75Father of former boxer and NRL star Anthony Mundine succumbed to a heart attack on Sunday
Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains images and names of Indigenous Australians who have died
Indigenous Australian boxing great Tony Mundine has died, aged 75.
The father of former boxer and NRL star Anthony Mundine succumbed to a heart attack on Sunday.
Born in Baryulgil, near Grafton in northern NSW, Tony Mundine was the first Australian to fight in four different weight divisions, challenging for the world middleweight title against Argentina’s Carlos Monzon in 1974, in a bout stopped in the seventh round.
Mundine leaves a significant boxing legacy. Anthony was an IBO middleweight and WBA super-middleweight world champion, whose son Rahim won his fourth career fight from as many professional bouts on the Gold Coast only last week.
Anthony Mundine posted a tribute to his father on social media, saying he was returning home for his funeral after travelling to Saudi Arabia.
“I don’t know what to say, I’m broken,” Anthony posted.
“I’m on my way home to say goodbye one last time till we meet again.
“Thanks for doing all you did for me and supporting me in every moment, showing love and strength gonna miss you Tonza, there’s only one Tony Mundine.”
Through a career in the middleweight, light-heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, Tony Mundine recorded 80 wins - 64 from knockouts, 15 losses, and one draw.
