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Winging it
I can box with one eye, says Mundine
Dual world champion Anthony Mundine says he is legally blind in his left eye but believes it won't stop him winning the undisputed world super middleweight crown next year.
"I don't need two eyes to beat them. I'll fight with one eye," Mundine said.
The 32-year-old WBA champion is making slow progress from a serious eye infection picked up two months ago when he used his tongue to clean a protective contact lens he was wearing following surgery to remove a growth in the eye.
He spent 10 days in hospital and is being treated with daily steroid drops and antibiotics.
"My vision is not great - maybe 40-50 per cent - which is pretty much legally blind at the moment," Mundine said.
"It's not sore, but there's still a bit of cloudiness in the eye."
Mundine, whose last fight was a successful title defence against Argentine Pablo Zamora Nievas on the Gold Coast in June, said he was not certain how much vision he would recover.
His doctor John Males believes he is unlikely to regain his full eyesight.
But Mundine is determined to carry on with his career.
His priority is to fight Denmark's Mikkel Kessler for the so-called Super belt next year.
The undefeated Kessler, who outpointed Mundine in a WBA title defence in Sydney in June 2005, is scheduled to fight unbeaten WBO champion Joe Calzhage in Cardiff on November 3.
Mundine thinks Kessler will be too strong for the Welshman.
"I'm the only guy that's got the tools to beat Kessler, and he knows it, and hopefully I can get the fight in next year, with God's will.
"I want to be the king of kings. I want all the marbles. I want to be the greatest fighter that's ever come out of this country.
"All I need is for my eye to be about 60 per cent. If I can see a silhouette under them lights in my left eye, I feel that I can still become what I have always desired.
"I want to go through the adversity of having an impediment and beating the best in the world with one eye. You tell me who's done that."
Mundine, who was attending a ceremony in Sydney for the indigenous achievement awards known as The Deadlys, remains in light training and is currently fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan.
He says he has now come to terms with the setback, believing it to be God's will.
"At one stage I looked at life without boxing, and of course it hurt me internally, but as the days go on I'm getting more and more confident."
Dual world champion Anthony Mundine says he is legally blind in his left eye but believes it won't stop him winning the undisputed world super middleweight crown next year.
"I don't need two eyes to beat them. I'll fight with one eye," Mundine said.
The 32-year-old WBA champion is making slow progress from a serious eye infection picked up two months ago when he used his tongue to clean a protective contact lens he was wearing following surgery to remove a growth in the eye.
He spent 10 days in hospital and is being treated with daily steroid drops and antibiotics.
"My vision is not great - maybe 40-50 per cent - which is pretty much legally blind at the moment," Mundine said.
"It's not sore, but there's still a bit of cloudiness in the eye."
Mundine, whose last fight was a successful title defence against Argentine Pablo Zamora Nievas on the Gold Coast in June, said he was not certain how much vision he would recover.
His doctor John Males believes he is unlikely to regain his full eyesight.
But Mundine is determined to carry on with his career.
His priority is to fight Denmark's Mikkel Kessler for the so-called Super belt next year.
The undefeated Kessler, who outpointed Mundine in a WBA title defence in Sydney in June 2005, is scheduled to fight unbeaten WBO champion Joe Calzhage in Cardiff on November 3.
Mundine thinks Kessler will be too strong for the Welshman.
"I'm the only guy that's got the tools to beat Kessler, and he knows it, and hopefully I can get the fight in next year, with God's will.
"I want to be the king of kings. I want all the marbles. I want to be the greatest fighter that's ever come out of this country.
"All I need is for my eye to be about 60 per cent. If I can see a silhouette under them lights in my left eye, I feel that I can still become what I have always desired.
"I want to go through the adversity of having an impediment and beating the best in the world with one eye. You tell me who's done that."
Mundine, who was attending a ceremony in Sydney for the indigenous achievement awards known as The Deadlys, remains in light training and is currently fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan.
He says he has now come to terms with the setback, believing it to be God's will.
"At one stage I looked at life without boxing, and of course it hurt me internally, but as the days go on I'm getting more and more confident."
