The night Anthony 'The Man' Mundine brought Australian boxing's eyes to Canberra

This man, The Man, considers himself "one of the lucky ones".

Because he went down a different path, one that led him to become a three-weight world champion in perhaps the most demanding of arenas and win a rugby league premiership.

Because he had the mindset of a champion, which is why he is taking a program by the same name into indigenous communities to share his story and how he got to where he stands today.

"I've always been a guy that has been very driven. I have been very driven in whatever I wanted to achieve in my life," Mundine says.

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"I have always been driven to work hard, I've always had a good work ethic. A lot of the social dynamic growing up gave me that drive.

"I fought a lot of racism, I was called a lot of names as a kid. 'Black this, black that, coon this, coon that'. I just wanted to triumph over everything and turn an adverse situation into a positive one.

"As a teenager, you see kids getting into trouble and doing this, doing that. I was never a follower, I was always a leader.

"I made the right choices in life, and that's the main thing. I didn't drink, I didn't smoke, no drugs. I was driven by what I wanted to achieve, and I actually achieved my dreams.

"That's why I have achieved everything I wanted to and ticked every box I wanted to."

Perhaps all bar one, with 'The Man' desperate to walk away from boxing as a winner. It's the only thing that could draw him back for a potential bout with Michael Zerafa.

A winner, like he was when he stopped Rashid Matumla in the sixth round at the AIS Arena on September 7, 2005.

Almost 15 years later it remains the biggest boxing show Canberra has seen, perhaps only to be unseated by the National Boxing Series following the coronavirus pandemic.

The show will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and could be headlined by Jai Opetaia or Brock Jarvis - rising stars closing in on world title shots.

Canberra-based fighters like welterweight Abe Archibald, heavyweight Arsene Fosso and middleweight Beau Hartas could earn a chance to shine under the bright lights that once beamed down upon Mundine.

"I never thought I would fight in Canberra," Mundine says.

"I played footy there, I'd been back and forth there a few times from football but I never thought I would be able to fight there. I was happy about that because I like Canberra."

Four times he had been to Canberra Stadium as a rugby league player, and in August of 2005 Mundine was back, sitting with Russell Crowe as South Sydney met the Canberra Raiders.

Weeks later he returned, but not to see the Green Machine close their NRL campaign with a seventh straight loss.

It was at the time Mundine's ambition to "squash that cockroach" Danny Green. So to the AIS Arena he came, a spot his then-manager Khoder Nasser deemed "as good as any venue in Australia for boxing".

Mundine wrapped his hands and started pad work with his father at the AIS with rap artist Eminem blaring through the speakers.

Then came rounds with AIS boxer Jarrod Fletcher, who would one day retire as a professional with his only losses coming to Daniel Geale, Danny Jacobs and Billy Joe Saunders.

As for Matumla? The Tanzanian flew into Canberra two days before the bout. He was an unknown. All Mundine had to rely on was a picture. He remained confident yet realistic that a loss could spell the end of his world title ambitions.

"Anybody who puts on a pair of gloves and steps through the ropes, they deserve respect," Mundine says.

"Some people might say he was a journeyman or whatever, but sometimes that happens in boxing. If you ain't on your game, sometimes the journeyman can beat you."

They stood toe-to-toe at the weigh-in before Mundine declared "he moves like a snake, man, I'll have to be like Steve Irwin".

So about 3500 crammed into the AIS Arena to see if he could be.

To the right of then-Canberra Raider Tyran Smith sat John Hopoate in a white tracksuit. To Smith's left were ACT Brumbies stars Matt Giteau and Matt Henjak.

In the ring Matumla was outclassed. A brave warrior, the fight was mercifully halted 36 seconds into the sixth round when he was dropped by a left hook.

"I hit Matumla with a couple of pretty good uppercuts and I think I cut him above the eye before I got the stoppage," Mundine says.

Soon after he declared "everyone will see I'm the best and forget about the rest". Eight days later he signed to fight Green in one of Australian boxing's biggest bouts.

"That rivalry built up. We were both coming through the professional ranks, knocking everybody out," Mundine said.

"Green was sort of built up as the great white knight, you know what I mean? Me being me, with my personality and who I was, throughout my whole career in boxing and football, I always stood up for my people's fight as an Aboriginal man."

Mundine would go onto win that bout. Today he searches for one more despite six defeats in 10 bouts.

Pride continues to lure Mundine back into battle. The end is gladly drawing near ahead of his 59^th bout.

For here is a man who has been fighting - whether it be for titles or for the plight of indigenous people - for years. The latter is where he is far more valuable.