UNDISPUTED: A GOLDEN ERA IN AUSTRALIAN BOXING
Paul Upham
Boxing
in Australia is steeped in history and tradition. The primal heat of battle and
the triumph of the underdog have been woven into the fabric of Australian society.
Even though the 'format' has changed with super-fights drawing stadium crowds
and reaping millions of dollars, the core attraction of boxing is still about
competition and entertainment.
Since the glory days of Les
Darcy and Young Griffo, the success and popularity of Australian boxing has ebbed
and flowed. With the development of pay-per-view television along with the arrival
of other sports competing for attention, and the dearth of true stars fighting
on the global stage, Australian boxing took a battering in the middle to late
1990s.
UNDISPUTED: A GOLDEN ERA IN AUSTRALIAN BOXING charts
an exciting new era between the years 2000 to 2009, a time of promise and hope.
Out of this decade came the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and a group of newly blooded
fighters arrived. There was also the presence and skill of Kostya Tszyu, Anthony
Mundine, Vic Darchinyan and Danny Green who punched above their weight at an international
level. Super fights flourished, with Kostya Tszyu versus Zab Judah, Anthony Mundine
versus Danny Green, Vic Darchinyan versus Cristian Mijares and Danny Green versus
Roy Jones Jr. Impressive performances at the highest level helped push boxing
back into the spotlight, raising the profile of the sport among boxing and mainstream
sports fans.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
One
of Australia's best-known boxing writers today, Paul Upham is a content editor
for SecondsOut.com and editor of the Australian Boxing Almanac 2005. He has appeared
live on air as a boxing analyst for Main Event Pay Per View, Sky Channel, Fox
Sports, Sky News, SBS, Radio 2UE, Radio SEN. He writes monthly for The Fist magazine.
He is the author of Something Worth Fighting For.
UNDISPUTED:
A GOLDEN ERA IN AUSTRALIAN BOXING is available now.
