Career
The only Australian boxer to compete professionally in four weight divisions, he held the Australian middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight titles, as well as the Commonwealth middleweight and light heavyweight titles. Mundine played centre three-quarter for a Grafton League team He showed promise and was offered a place with the Redfern All Blacks in the South Sydney Junior League in 1968 at age 17.
Rather than return to Baryulgil to work at the asbestos mine between seasons he kept fit at Ern McQuillan"s gym in Newtown, where he showed natural ability and speed.
McQuillan engaged him in a fighter-trainer contract. His last bout was against Alex Sua on 19 March 1984.
His titles were:
Australian Middleweight title, 23 April 1970 against Billy Choules
Australian Heavyweight title, 25 February 1972 against Foster Bibron
Commonwealth Middleweight title, 14 April 1972 against Bunny Sterling
Australian and Commonwealth Light Heavyweight titles, 30 October 1975 against Steve Aczel
Australian Cruiserweight title, 24 July 1981 against Steve Aczel. Mundine challenged Carlos Monzón on 5 October 1974 for the WBA World Middleweight title but lost to a knockout in the 7th round.
He was undefeated by any Australian boxer during his 16-year career.
He fought many top boxers including Emile Griffith, Monty Betham, Steve Aczel, Bennie Briscoe and Alex Sua. Mundine currently lives in Redfern, New South Wales, where he manages a training gym called Redfern Gym adjacent to the Block. Mundine is father and boxing trainer/promoter of World Super Middleweight Champion Anthony Mundine.
Mundine"s older brother Mickey Mundine played in the first Australian Aboriginal rugby league team in 1973.
