Q&A: Danny Green

May 8, 2008

By Ray Wheatley -- World of Boxing

Recently retired WBA light heavyweight champion Danny Green talks to Fightnews and tells how proud he was to be WBA champion, how many fights he felt he had left in him before he announced retirement, about his fights with Anthony Mundine, Stipe Drews and Markus Beyer and what he plans to do in the future.

You will go down in Australian boxing history as only the second boxer along with former WBC light heavyweight champion Jeff Harding to hold a major body world championship at the 175 pound limit. You will will be now rated along with Harding, Ambrose Palmer, Ron Richards, Bob Dunlop and Paul Briggs as one of our best light heavyweights.You must feel proud of your ring achievements. Your thoughts?

It makes me proud to be only one of a few men in the history of Australian boxing to be the light heavyweight champion of the world, especially for the WBA crown, the oldest and most recognized body in the history of this great sport. Even more, I won world titles at two weight divisions, a feat not accomplished by many in our esteemed history.

How many good fights do you feel you had left had you decided to continue boxing?

From day one I said I was 'in it for a good time, not a long time,' and I proved that. I felt I had four more solid performances left in me before I hung them up. Obviously Mundine was on the radar, but I had Jones Jr. in my sights heavily before that.

A possible rematch with WBA super middleweight champion Anthony Mundine was thought to be on the horizon had you not retired with many experts picking you to defeat the aboriginal boxer had that taken place. Your thoughts on that and would you have been confident of defeating Mundine at the light heavyweight limit.

Our fight will go down in history as the biggest fight in Australian boxing history. My book Closed Fists Open Heart is released in early June and gives an in-depth insight into the whole fight, lead up and all. That is in the past, and I don't really want to sound off now that I have retired on what I could or would have done in the rematch. I built a solid support base with my humility. A fighter like me always thought I would destroy my opponents, that's how I trained and lived. The rematch is a fight I would have carried that same attitude to the ring with. I have always given my all in the ring and have never shirked the issue, and I would like to think this time would have been no different, apart from me squaring the ledger!

Your defeat of Stipe Drews to win the WBA championship was a one-sided fight. Did that surprise you that Drews did not offer more resistance. Your thoughts?

A lot has been said about the fight, especially by people who have never laced up a glove in their life. Understand this: I had a top ten ranked former European cruiserweight champion and world title challenger Alexander Gurov from Russia as my chief sparring partner for my preparation. A guy who Felix Savon dreaded sparring and I manhandled him. He was very awkward and strong, but I wobbled him and hurt him and walked through his punishment. Come fight time, King Kong wasn't stopping me and Drews could smell that animosity and aggression, as well as the fact that I hurt him bad in the first three rounds,which stunned him. I never gave him a chance and I outjabbed a 6'5 counterpuncher, who had lost once in 33 fights and was the current world champ going into the fight.

Your first challenge for the WBC super middleweight title against Marcus Beyer ended in controversial circumstances. Do you feel robbed you did not with the WBC 168 pound title that night. Your thoughts?

More will be revealed in my upcoming book, but without doubt the WBC belt belonged to me that dreadful, yet explosively exciting night in Germany. My head never touched, nor went within two inches of his eye, and the headclash was the opening needed for the preposterous decision handed down.

Beyer boxed very well in the rematch. Do you feel he had improved greatly for that fight. Tell me about that fight? Had your training been good for that fight?

Once again, more details will be in the book, but I have to give credit where credit is due to Markus Beyer. He overcame a huge psychological barrier to win the title that night, even though I strongly feel if the fight was on home soil or neutral ground I would have been the victor. One judge had it drawn,another gave it to Beyer by one round. It comes down to whether you favor technical counterpunching or aggression and workrate. Europeans love the former, so it was stacked against me, plus my prep was in tatters. I would have loved to have fought Beyer in Australia, and Ottke for that fact. That guy got so many gift victories and was as exciting to watch as watching paint dry.

You were getting ready to fight Hugo Garay in defense of your WBA title. Do you feel this could have been a difficult bout against the Argentinean who lost a disputed WBO light heavyweight battle to Zsolt Erdei.

Garay was a tough, hungry,aggressive fighter,who came to win and lost a disputed decision to Erdei. He appeared to be very open to the jab and the right hand, both of which were my strengths. I felt he was the kind of fighter who would have made me look very good, putting up a tough fight, yet being controlled with my powerful jab. It was a fairly basic proposition: come prepared and peaking on the night and be prepared for an animal coming all night, yet stick to the plan and let my power and experience, plus my chin, durability and inner mongrel bring home the bacon.

Who do you regard as the best light heavyweight in the world? Zsolt Erdei? Antonio Tarver?

There are many great fighters out there at 175 and any one of them could win on any given night at their peak. All of this talk has me all fired up! Never underestimate Roy Jones,he is a legend and should never be underestimated.

Who was your toughest fight as an amateur and as a professional?

My toughest and most enjoyable fight as an amateur was at the 2000 Sydney Olympics against world champ Alexander Lebsiak. I was in my 42nd amateur fight,and went out there throwing bombs with nothing to lose. I broke two bones in my right hand in the first minute, he broke my nose in the second, yet I fought hard till the end. I needed eight hands against 'the animal,' as he was called, and it was a good lesson in never giving up and never being overawed against anyone. Mundine was the toughest bout as a pro for the simple fact that it was the biggest fight in Australian history, and I bloody lost!!!

You were a successful promoter of your own fights. Will you still be involved in boxing as a trainer - promoter etc.?

I love boxing,and always will. It has been my life for so many years and I dreamed as a kid of being world champion. I want to stay in the sport, but at the moment I have to assess in what capacity I will be involved in. My company Green Machine Promotions co-promoted the biggest fight in Australian history,as well as the historic world title fight in Perth that was a huge success, so promoting and training are exciting prospects. Some trainers out there have never laced up a glove in their entire life, which amuses me when I hear them yelling at the fighter between rounds. How can you teach someone to fight when you have never had a fight in your life?

Your book has just been released. Where can it be purchased? Does it give a special insight into Danny Green the man?

Closed Fists Open Heart is the title, and it gives an in depth insight into my career and my life in and out of the ring. There are some stories in there sure to spark up a bit of controversy, as well as answer a few questions people may have. It was written with my friend daniel lane,and it is something I am really excited about. we worked very hard together on this project, and I hope people appreciate the honesty that has been poured into it.

You were a great ambassador for Australian boxing. Fightnews wishes you and your family all the very best for the future.

I am very proud of the way I conducted myself both in and out of the ring, in victory and defeat, and I always tried to set a good example for everyone. I would like to sincerely thank all of my supporters who have so loyally backed me through the ups and downs, and was so thrilled to repay them with the world title. They will never know the boost a simple 'Go Greeny' gave to me, and I hope I gave them as many beautiful memories as they left me with. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. My true fans, you are simply awesome.