Ten-time Muay-Thai kickboxing world champion and former Australian Middleweight boxing champion, John Wayne Parr, has defeated former three-time boxing world champion Anthony Mundine in their “Worlds Collide” bout on Saturday night.
The fight that was held at the Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre, was a competitive bout from the opening bell with both men giving it all. Despite being into their forty’s, Mundine 44 and Parr 43, both men put on a decent show. From the opening bell, Parr was the aggressor of the pair, constantly pushing forward and applying the pressure to Mundine. Mundine countered well using his nearly sixty bout experience to keep Parr at bay, but in the fourth Parr had Mundine on the ropes and caused a knockdown that almost sent Mundine into the first row. Mundine recovered and finished the round.
The fight continued with both men not letting up an inch with age of both men being no barrier for the two great warriors. Mundine was deducted a point for a punch behind the head in the later rounds and in the tenth and final round, neither man was prepared to let the other win. Both men battled until the final bell with both men raising their hands in victory and eagerly awaiting the judges scorecards.
In the end, John Parr was given the split decision win with the scorecards reading 95-94 for Mundine and the others reading 96-93 and 95-93 in favour of Parr.
In the build up to the fight Mundine said “I’m going to base this on performance and if I lose I’m done, 100% I’m done.
With the result in the post fight interview Mundine said that he was happy to sail off into the sunset.
Mundine said: “I’ve had a wonderful career. I thought I did enough to win but that’s boxing. I’m going to sail into the sunset now.
“I want to thank all the Australian public. Even if they didn’t support me or didn’t like my opinions, I always did my best.”
Parr couldn’t hold back the tears in his interview saying
“I can’t thank Anthony enough for giving me this opportunity,’’ Parr said. “This is my last fight and I was determined to go out a winner. I need a hip replacement and training was tough but I’m so happy and amazed.
“I’ve been doing this since I was 11 years old and to have so much support for this makes me so happy.”
With the fight Mundine’s record will now sit at 48-10, of those 58 fights Mundine holds the distinct privilege of being the only man in Australian boxing history to headline fifty plus fight nights with winning three world titles in the process. Not only this Mundine is responsible for being one half of the biggest fights in Australian boxing history. His first fight with Danny Green still holds the record for ppv buys in Australia.
Parr’s record in now 11-3 and Parr will forever have a victory next to Anthony Mundine’s name, a honour that only four other Australian fighter’s share joining the ranks of Daniel Geale, Danny Green, Jeff Horn and Garth Wood.
Both men officially announced their retirements from combat sports with both indicating that their focus will be on the next generation by turning themselves into trainers.