Jeff Fenech slams Anthony Mundine after losing $500k on cancelled fight

Mundine is today at the centre of a sporting gaffe to rival Fine Cotton and Trevor Chappell bowling underarm after US great Shane Mosley sensationally withdrew from tonight’s scheduled bout at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

The controversial Redfern fighter has also been labelled “a bullshit artist” by Fenech after yesterday claiming little knowledge of what the Australian fight great had done to help save the fight, including a $350,000 cash payment when Mosley first threatened to walk in August.

Asked at a press conference if he felt sorry for the Marrickville Mauler, who all up has lost half-a-million dollars, Mundine laughed and said no.

“And, look, he can say what he likes,’’ Fenech said last night. “I now realise Anthony Mundine is the most hated Australian ever.

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“This fight, he just couldn’t sell it. Nobody cares anymore. I’m sure he thinks he will come out of this okay, but you saw his press conference, it was typical Mundine bullshit.

“He knew exactly what I’d done for this fight because we spoke about it. Often. I’m not worried about the money but when so many people helped him get to a bloke he never could’ve on his own . . . classless.”

Fenech revealed he was in his backyard on Monday night, about to fire up a barbecue, when he learned one of the most embarrassing gaffe’s in Australian sports history was already underway.

“I’d invited Sergio Mora, the sparring partner for Shane Mosley, over for dinner,” he says. “He walked into my backyard, shook my hand and said ‘Jeff, we’re going home first thing tomorrow’.

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“Sergio knew I’d put up $500,000 and wanted to let me know. So what do you do . . . we sat down and had a barbecue.”

Mosley jetted out of Sydney early yesterday after agreed payments on his $1 million purse were not met. The dramatic disappearance topped a shambolic 15 months involving the US great, Mundine and embattled fight promoter Vlad Warton.

Seen as something of a ‘Last Chance Saloon’ for both fighters, the Sydney bout was first hatched last July – when Mundine linked with Warton for his US debut against American journeyman Bronco McKart.

While that bout drew only 286 paying customers, for an embarrassing $15,000 gate, the pair left Las Vegas talking dollar signs and a date with Mosley. And Warton, to his credit, made it happen.

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Yet still the fight needed cash.

Enter Fenech.

With Warton unable to find a major sponsor, and Mosley already threatening to walk in August, Fenech generously stepped in and placed $350,000 into an escrow account.

“And now you’ve got Anthony coming out to say he’ll save the day,’’ Fenech laughs. “But why didn’t he put the money up this week? He could be fighting now. 

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“It’s typical Mundine. I guess that is why nobody likes him.”