GREEN v LUCAS FOR WBC INTERIM TITLE - Paul Upham, Seconds Out
November 22, 2003.

GREEN BACK ON TRACK FOR WBC TITLE SHOT - Paul Upham, Seconds Out

READ PAUL UPHAM'S GREEN v BEYER FIGHT REPORT AT SECONDS OUT

[TOP]

The 30-year-old will fight the winner of the World Boxing Council super-middleweight title bout between the champion, German Markus Beyer, and former title holder, Canadian Eric Lucas, in Germany on November 22.

The WBC ruled at its annual convention in Moscow yesterday that the winner of the Beyer-Lucas contest must defend against Green within 90 days of that bout. Green's trainer, Jeff Fenech, is delighted at the decision.

"That is what we hoped and expected," Fenech said yesterday. "A world title fight in February will suit us."

Green and one of Fenech's assistant trainers, Angelo Hyder, travelled to Moscow to present their case for a rematch against Beyer.

Green is expected to return to Sydney tomorrow.

Green dominated his bout against Beyer for the world title in Germany on August 16 before being controversially disqualified in the fifth round for head butting. Lucas, who lost the title to Beyer by a controversial points decision in Germany on April 5, also provided a submission for the rematch.

After the April contest, the WBC ordered Beyer to defend against Lucas after the Green defence.

Yesterday's resolution merely confirmed the earlier decision. Fenech said he was not concerned if they had to travel to Germany or Canada for the title fight, but was expecting the latter.

"I think we'll be going to Canada, because I expect Lucas to beat Beyer," Fenech said. "I cannot see how Beyer will win, because after the beating that Danny gave him he will never be the same again.

"We have spoken to both camps and have already agreed to go to Germany or Canada for the fight."

Fenech has also spoken to WBC president Jose Sulaiman to confirm that Green was prepared to travel to any country to challenge for the title. Lucas is the No. 1 ranked challenger for Beyer's title. Green has improved his ranking to No. 5. Anthony Mundine is ranked No. 18 in the WBC.

October 11, 2003

© 2003 West Australian Newspapers Limited
All Rights Reserved

[TOP]

Fenech also scotched reports of a rift in their relationship.

At its Moscow convention, the WBC ruled super-middleweight world champion Markus Beyer must next defend his title against Canadian Eric Lucas rather than Green, who lost in a disqualification to the German in August.

The WBC then ordered the Beyer-Lucas bout winner must defend the title within 90 days against Green.

Fenech believes that will be Lucas, who dropped a close points decision to Beyer last April. He said if Lucas won - and Green beat the Canadian for the title - he would seek a rematch with Beyer.

Green travelled to Moscow and spoke at the convention. Fenech, who hoped to attend but stayed at home for business reasons, was satisfied with the WBC decision. Fenech had hoped Green would get the next crack at Beyer, whom the Australian floored twice before the controversial end to their bout after a head butt.

An internet forum suggested Fenech had skimmed all profits from the pay-for-view sales of the Beyer bout. Fenech denied the reports and was adamant there was no dispute between the pair.

"All you've got to do is say to Danny Green, if Jeff Fenech didn't train what would you do? And I'll let you know straight away, if I felt that I'd had enough of boxing, Danny wouldn't even consider fighting anymore," Fenech said. "So that's how our relationship is. It's 200 per cent."

Fenech was also puzzled by a report his wife had been spotted crying at the rugby league grand final. "Usually I jump up and down and scream, but today I don't need to do anything, just carry on with my life," he said. "I'm not going to be brought down to that level any more, so if people want to say things about me, they're only saying it because I'm successful."

Late February is the earliest realistic time for Green's second world title tilt and Fenech is determined to avoid "ring rust".

"We will have a fight in hopefully six to eight weeks," he said.

[TOP]

The decision handed down at the WBC conference in Moscow, October 9

"... Another exhausting conflict in the super middleweight division was resolved. World champion Markus Beyer of Germany will next fight former world champion Eric Lucas of Canada, with the winner being commited to fight Danny Green of Australia within 90 days..."

Promoters of Canadian Eric Lucas are lobbying the WBC to ensure Lucas, not Green, fights the German next, possibly in November.

"We're confident Eric will fight Beyer next," Jacques Theriault, spokesman for Lucas' promotion company InterBox, told AAP today.

Lucas, the WBC title-holder for almost two years, lost his belt in a controversial split points decision to Beyer in Germany last April.

After complaints from the Lucas camp and outrage from Canadian boxing fans, the WBC passed a resolution in May forcing a re-match with Beyer. "The WBC passed a resolution that Beyer's first defence should be his choice, and he chose Danny Green, but after the Green bout he would be obliged to fight Eric Lucas," Theriault said.

A Montreal newspaper last weekend also quoted WBC secretary general Mario Latraverse as saying Green would not have priority over Lucas.
"The secretary general said he would be very surprised," Theriault said.
"He said there is a resolution and the WBC will apply that resolution." If Lucas beats Beyer in the re-match, Theriault said the Canadian would be keen to defend the title against Green in Montreal.

Lucas is Quebec's biggest sports celebrity, more popular than Canada's ice hockey stars. InterBox believes a Lucas-Green bout would pack an 18,000 seat stadium and have a Canadian TV viewing audience of two million.

"Danny Green would be a potential opponent for Eric," Theriault said. "But first, Eric will fight Beyer and take back the belt that belongs to him." Last month in Germany Green knocked Beyer down in the first and second rounds but was disqualified in the fifth for a head-butt.

The controversial decision did not surprise the Lucas camp. "Many, many weird things happen during fights in Germany," Theriault said.

AAP

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/16/1063625014764.html

[TOP]

11.9.03
Danny Green’s trainer/manager Jeff Fenech confirmed to SecondsOut on Wednesday that an offer has been received from German promoter Wilfried Sauerland for a rematch with WBC super middleweight champion Markus Beyer in Germany on November 22.

READ PAUL UPHAM'S REPORT AT SECONDS OUT

[TOP]

By Paul Upham: New super middleweight star Danny Green returned home to Australia on Sunday morning, more determined than ever to win the WBC title after his controversial fifth round disqualification loss to champion Markus Beyer in Germany last weekend. A smiling and positive Green faced the media at Sydney Airport knowing how well he had fought in his first world title fight despite not winning the title.

“Markus Beyer is a shot fighter,” declared Green. “I absolutely flogged him senseless. He got the whipping of his life. He has never been so comprehensively beaten so badly by anyone in his amateur or professional career and I did it all within five rounds.”

.........MORE...read full article by Paul Upham at SECONDS OUT

[TOP]

New York boxing agent Don Majeski has told Fenech that former world champ Eric Lucas is preparing to face Green in November for the interim title, with the winner to meet Beyer next year.

Lucas lost his WBC title to Beyer by another controversial decision in Germany in April.

Fenech is hoping to stage a rematch in Green's hometown of Perth and said he was willing to pay whatever it took to bring the battered German to Australia.

Yesterday he said Lucas would be a much tougher opponent than Beyer because of his rugged walk-up style and solid chin.

Green was disqualified at the end of round five on Sunday morning in his title fight with Beyer at the Nurburgring motor racing track for a deliberate head-butt after dominating the outclassed southpaw.

Beyer was on the canvas in each of the opening two rounds and was badly cut above and below his right eye by the end of round four.

Green cut a tragic and forlorn figure in his hotel lobby yesterday after referee Bill Clancy and ringside doctor Professor Werner Wagner crushed the 30-year-old's lifelong dream of becoming a world champion.

Clancy ruled a deliberate head-butt and then Professor Wagner ruled that Beyer could not continue because of the cuts around his eye.

Green yesterday looked as though he had been crying all night and said he was preparing to cancel his boat cruise around the Adriatic Sea to begin the long road back to a world title shot.

"For five rounds I was the super- middleweight champion of the world," Green said. "And for 15 minutes after the fight, I was the champion until the officials had a rethink and decided to disqualify me."

Green said there was no way he would deliberately butt Beyer and that the clash of heads was just a consequence of his fighting style.

British boxing agent Dennie Mancini told Green yesterday he could arrange an immediate fight with undefeated Welsh slugger Joe Calzaghe who holds the WBO title.

But Fenech says Beyer is the rabbit in his spotlight. "We can draw 15,000 people to see a rematch in Perth," Fenech said.

"I will do everything possible to bring the Lucas fight to Australia. "After getting bashed Beyer won't be in a hurry to fight us again but if the dollars are there for him I know he'll eventually come down.

"Everyone in Australia knows that Danny is the rightful world champion and that he got ripped off."

The Daily Telegraph

[TOP]

Green battered Beyer for five cruel rounds only to have his world title dream and the millions of dollars it represented torn from him by a German doctor and an American referee.

Last night as the victory champagne became consolation beers, Fenech was preparing a formal protest to the WBC officers in Mexico City and is considering legal action to force the organisation to grant his boxer an immediate return bout.

Green took the Beyer fight for just $45,000 but was promised more than $1 million for his first defence against Canadian Eric Lucas in Montreal and an even bigger purse for a unification title fight with IBF/WBA champion, Sven Ottke.

But now it's back to the drawing board – or the court room.

Green dropped Beyer twice and had the badly cut southpaw world champion on the brink of defeat when he was disqualified at the end of the fifth round for an intentional head-butt.

Initially referee Bill Clancy instructed the judges to take two points from Green for the head-butt at the end of the fifth round, but after 10 minutes of discussion between the local German doctor, Professor Walter Wagner and WBC officials, the doctor ruled Beyer could not continue because of the cut and Green was disqualified.

The Australians were furious because Beyer already had cuts around his right eye that threatened the early finish to the fight when Green slammed his head into the German's face at the end of round five.

A devastated Green said: "This is heart-breaking but hopefully it will be a setback that makes me a stronger man. I didn't intentionally head-butt Beyer. Our heads were banging together all the time and he butted me quite a few times without any penalty from the referee.

"To lose a fight like this is shocking, but I've got a beautiful family and a small army of friends and supporters who came to Germany to cheer me on.

"And I think I showed tonight that I deserve to have the WBC belt. I beat Beyer convincingly in all five rounds and the only way the Germans could keep the world title was to pull a stunt like this.

"When they declared Beyer was still the champion, he was hanging his head in shame when I went over to shake his hand. It hurts so much because just a few more minutes and I would have been coming home to Sydney with the WBC belt."

Green had belted Beyer from round one telling Fenech in the corner that he had a much tougher time in the gym against his sparring partner Paul Miller than he did fighting the WBC champion.

With 50 seconds remaining in the opening round, Beyer hit the canvas from a looping right hand. He rose to his feet looking deathly afraid of the Australian's power.

In the closing stages of round two, Beyer was down again from a right upper cut and at the end of the round, had a cut over his right eye which the referee ruled was from an accidental clash of heads. He took a point off Green for the head-butt even though he said it was accidental.

By the end of the fourth round, Beyer was cut above and below his right eye and in round five, both men were covered in the German's blood when Green shoved his forehead into Beyer's face. Fenech, the three times world champion who was on the verge of creating his first WBC champ as a trainer, was involved in a heated confrontation over the ruling with Beyer's promoter Wilfried Sauerland.

Even after losing three points for head-butts, Green was ahead on all three judges cards. Frenchman Humbert Furgoni had Green ahead 46-45, while Italian Massimo Barrovecchio and South African Alfred Bukwana both had Green in front 46-44.

"It's Danny's fault for butting the bloke whether he meant to or not," Fenech said.

"But he didn't deserve to lose the fight on a technicality."

ON the under card yesterday, Australian heavyweight champion Bob Mirovic fought the fight of his life to climb from the canvas in round two to lose a spirited eight round bout with the world's biggest boxer, the seven foot two-inch 24 stone Russian Nikolai Valouev.

[TOP]

TRAINER Jeff Fenech is threatening legal action after his fighter Danny Green was controversially disqualified in his world title fight in Germany today.
The Australian challenger Green knocked champion Markus Beyer of Germany down twice in the first two rounds but was disqualified in the fifth round after it was ruled he had intentionally headbutted Beyer who was ruled unable to continue.

Fenech said his team was exploring the possibility of legal action, but also claimed WBC officials at the Nurburgring motor racing track venue had agreed to a rematch.

Green, who lost for the first time in 17 professional bouts, described the result as a "sham" and that it was "corrupt and wrong and totally unfair".

The 30-year-old West Australian was ahead on all judges' cards when disqualified and said he wanted to The Australian, 16-1, had built a big lead by flooring Beyer in the first and second round with powerful right uppercuts.

"I'm disappointed, I'm really upset," Green said. "That was not intentional."

U.S referee Bill Clancy first ruled that the Australian should be penalized two points and that the fight should go to the scorecards, which probably would have made Green the eighth world champion from his country.

But after a long discussion with the judges and the WBC delegate, Green was disqualified. Beyer could not continue since his left eye was now closed.

"He intentionally butted him - you'll see it on the tape," Clancy told the Green camp.

Green, who had knocked out all 16 of his previous opponents, sent Beyer to the canvas with 46 seconds in the first round, attacking ferociously from the start.

But by the fourth, the German recovered and jarred Green with a straight left, setting off a brutal fight in which both fighters were smeared with blood from Beyer's deep cut.

Green's trainer is Australian boxing legend Jeff Fenech, who held titles at three weights.

Beyer won the title in April in a close decision over Canadian Eric Lucas.

Agence France-Presse

[TOP]

Controversy: Beyer wins by DQ!
By Richard K. Redling
WWW.FIGHTNEWS.COM
WBC super middleweight champion Marcus Beyer somehow escaped with his title Saturday at Nurnberg, Germany. Unbeaten challenger Danny Green dropped Beyer with straight right hands in both rounds one and two, then dominated rounds three and four. Beyer was having his best round in round five, however, Green then intentionally head-butted Beyer, busting open a cut the champion had over the right eye. Referee Bill Clancy deducted two points from Green for the butt. Then after a several minutes of confusion, it was ruled that Beyer couldn't continue and Green was disqualified.
Beyer is now committed to facing former WBC champion Eric Lucas in a rematch next.
----------
Other results: WBC-Intl welterweight champ Alpaslan Aguzum retained his title with a vicious left hook to the body of Michele Orlando in round five. Orlando was landing the harder punches until he was dropped for the count. Heavyweight Nicolay Valuev won a dull eight round decision over Bob Mirovic. Vadim Tokarev and Firat Arslan battled to a draw. Unbeaten lightweight Kai Kurzawa outpointed Lolenga Mock over eight rounds.
Saturday, August 16 2003

[TOP]

Likewise strained one could be on the Weltergewichtler Alpaslan (26) and Michele Orlando. The two Athleten face each other on Saturday around the title of the WBC international championship in the Seilgeviert. The champion Alpaslan trained by coach Ulli Wegner brought today 66.4 kg on the balance, its 30-jaehriger to competitor from Italy weighed with 66,6 kg somewhat more, remained however nevertheless in the weight limit.

Beyond that the box haven fans in the Eifel may look forward on weekend also still to the IBF Intercontinental championship in the Cruisergewicht. Here the Russian Vadim Tokarev (85.8 kg) and Firat Arslan (86.1 kg) from Rottweil meets one another. Altogether will it on 16 August sieve fights in the box tent at the racing course to give.

All weighing results in the overview:

1. Fight in the middleweight over 4 rounds:
Franc Kary (Germany): 76.5 kg
Arthur Abraham (Germany): 75.3 kg

2. Fight in the heavyweight over 4 rounds:
Franc Dunklau (Germany): 114.2 kg
René Dettweiler (Germany): 98.2 kg

3. Fight in world-suppl.-yielded over 12 rounds, WBC international championship:
Michele Orlando (Italy): 66.6 kg
Alpaslan Aguzuem (Germany): 66.4 kg

4. Fight in the heavyweight over 8 rounds:
Bob Mirovic (Australia): 121.5 kg
Nikolai Valuev (Russia): 145.8 kg

5. Fight in the Cruisergewicht over 12 rounds, IBF Intercontinental championship:
Vadim Tokarev (Russia): 85.8 kg
Firat Arslan (Germany): 86.1 kg

6. Fight in the light heavyweight over 8 rounds:
Lolenga Mock (Republic of the Congo): 79.6 kg
Dock Kurzawa (Germany): 79.8 kg

7. Fight in the supermiddleweight over 12 rounds, WBC world championship:
Danny Green (Australia): 76.0 kg
Markus Beyer (Cologne): 75.9 kg

http://www.boxen.com/themen/aktuelles/news.php?pageid=2167

By Alessandro Ferrarini

As Germany recently played host to a few controversial decisions, the officials working tomorrow night's boxing show in Nurmberg could face some pressure. Thus, the WBC appointed veteran refs and judges for its title fights: USA's Bill Clancy will be the third man in the ring for the 168lb showdown between Markus Beyer and Danny Green, with Massimo Barrovecchio (Italy), Alfred Bukwana (South Africa) and Humbert Frugoni (France) scoring the bout. Also, Barrovecchio will ref the Alpaslan Aguzum vs Michele Orlando WBC-Intl welter clash, with Bukwana, Frugoni and Bob Logist (Belgium) as judges.
Friday, August 15 2003
http://www.fightnews.com/

[TOP]

Fenech, who won three world titles during his own career, will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky after two previously unsuccessful training attempts abroad.

Shannan Taylor and Glen Kelly predictably lost world title attempts to superstars Shane Mosley and Roy Jones respectively, but Fenech rated Green a better chance of bringing back the title and giving him his first world champion as a trainer.

``It would be unbelievable, it's a dream of mine and hopefully it will come true this weekend,'' Fenech said today from Germany.

He said Green had enjoyed an awesome preparation but he wouldn't divulge his fighter's tactics.

``Whether we miss or we hit the mark, we are going to keep working. People will get a shock, Danny will be all right,'' Fenech said.

Green said his attitude would be the key. ``My strength is my strength and I've got to use my brain as well.

``I'd like to think I'm a fairly smart boxer as well as a very strong fighter and pressure fighter, so I've got to incorporate my skills and make it come together on the night.

``In previous fights, I've always been able to perform on the night and this is obviously the biggest fight of my life so far.''

Betting institutions today continued to rank the 30-year-old West Australian as the outsider, though Centrebet reported three local punters had laid $4,000 on Green at $2.20.

Betting manager Gerard Daffy said Centrebet had a lot of German clients but noted with interest few had put any money on Beyer which he interpreted as a sign that those punters think the bout could be dangerous for their countryman.

Beyer, 32, boasts a record of 32 wins (11 by KO) and one loss, while Green has won all 16 of his professional contests by KO.

The champion identified Green's right uppercut as the Australian's danger punch, but felt the fact he had gone the twelve round distance four times would be an advantage given that was unknown territory for his challenger.

``I have more experience and I have fought over twelve rounds. I am faster and stronger than Danny,'' Beyer told AAP.

Fenech described Beyer as ``very classy, so we've got to be careful of everything''.

The undercard at the Nurburgring race track early on Sunday (AEST) includes a fight between leading Australian heavyweight Bob Mirovic and gigantic Russian Nikolai Valuev, who is regarded as the tallest fighter in world boxing at over 2.17m.

As vital to him as his awkward crouching southpaw style and savage left hand counter, will be the 4000 German fans squeezed into the huge white marquee at the end of the pit lane at the treacherous Nurburgring motor racing circuit.

"Obviously having so many people there supporting me will be an advantage," said the stocky strongman, who first learned his craft under the powerful East German amateur system.

"It is always helpful to have your fans behind you. They lift you up when you need it.

"But I will beat Danny Green because I am very well prepared for this fight and for his aggressive style, and I am in excellent physical condition. When I am in shape I can beat anyone in the world."

Green's trainer Jeff Fenech says the only fear he has going into the fight is that Green won't get a fair deal in the scoring of the fight.

"I've got every confidence in Danny's ability but there have been some very strange decisions concerning German fighters," Fenech said.

"Lennox Lewis is the world heavyweight champ and he won't fight in Germany. Everyone says we have to knock Beyer out to win but if the judges are impartial we can dominate the points."

The referee is American Bill Clancy. There are two European judges, Humbert Surgoni of France and Massimo Barrovecchio of Italy and a third judge, South African Alfred Bukwana.

German fighters have earned a reputation as being especially hard to dislodge in their own country with several controversial decisions in their favour.

Beyer, like IBF/WBA champion Sven Ottke, is promoted by German industrialist Wilfried Sauerland, who made his fortune from bottling plants in South Africa and began promoting the fights of Ugandan John Mugabi as a hobby in the early 80s.

Sauerland revitalised German boxing which had been in the doldrums since the glory days of world heavyweight king Max Schmeling 60 years earlier.

Germans in Germany have virtually been invincible at home for a decade.

Beyer regained his world title in April with a highly controversial home decision against Canadian Eric Lucas in Leipzig. Of Beyer's 28 fights, 26 have been in Germany or Austria.

Ottke has had 30 of his 31 fights in Germany, and one just across the border in Austria.

He won his world title with another controversial decision over Philadelphia slugger Charles Brewer in Dusseldorf in 1998 and retained it against Thomas Tate with another questionable decision.

Ottke suffered a badly cut eye from a punch but the referee ruled it was an accidental clash of heads and Ottke was declared the winner on points.

Fenech says he just wants a fair go for his Aussie battler.

KO king Danny Green doesn't want to hurt anyone, he just wants to win. Matthew Thompson reports.

Boxing is a bad sport to come second in, but if Danny Green shines the black lights on Markus "Boom Boom" Beyer to claim the World Boxing Council super-middleweight championship on Sunday morning (Sydney time), the Cologne southpaw won't be left to grieve alone.

"I always go up and check around the guy after the fight and buy them a drink to just relax, and try and talk to them," said 30-year-old Green, who has knocked out 16 fighters in his 16 fights since turning professional after the Sydney Olympics.

Not every opponent went to sleep. In Green's 15th contest, in March, a referee retired Argentine Jorge Sclarandi after the fifth round of a fight likened to a slasher movie, and sent him off for stitches and a possible blood transfusion.

Green lunched with Sclarandi the next day. "I would turn blue if I ever hurt anyone," he said from the back of a van in Germany. "OK, I'll knock them out for a living, and at times they get a broken nose or broken jaw: minor injuries."

But sometimes it seems worse: "They've been lying there like they've been shot. Mate, it's a scary feeling, and as soon as they wake up it's a blessing."
Green, with trainer Jeff Fenech, has intensified his workouts in the lead-up to the title fight to ensure that if anyone needs a blessing at the Nurburgring motor racing circuit, it will be the 32-year-old German, a veteran of the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics, and 27 professional wins (11 inside the distance) to one loss.

Germany boxing judges have a reputation (mind you, boxing is a UN of bad reputations) for hometown decisions, AKA controversial points decisions (CPDs). Beyer has been accused of benefiting from a CPD after taking the WBC title from Canadian Eric "Lucky Luke" Lucas in Leipzig in March.

Fenech, who copped a whopper of a CPD at the Seoul Olympics, would prefer to avoid any ambiguity. "A knockout would certainly be something I'd love to see," he said, adding that Green's "toughest opposition is going to be the judges".

Yet, Green has sweated and suffered enough to beat the lot of them, said Fenech: "He's in the best shape of his life."

Also shedding blood and sweat in Germany this week for the "Green Machine" cause was southpaw sparring partner Paul Miller, 24, who bagged gold at the Manchester Commonwealth Games and won his first professional fight last month.

"He fights very similar to Beyer; very flashy, very fast, very balanced," Green said. "We had a very, very hard hit-out yesterday and the day before." Pre-fight sparring injuries are the bane of boxers' lives but Green, who was leading against the eventual gold medallist at Sydney 2000 when his hand broke, said he is feeling no pain. He also said he couldn't give a stuff about injuries.

"It doesn't occupy my mind whatsoever, mate, because I've broken my nose six times; I've fractured my jaw a couple of times; I've fractured my eye socket; I've had six broken bones in my hand; I've got a plate holding one of my hands together."

Sharing the ride is Green's wife, Nina, who will be ringside for the stoush, as will his parents, two sisters and his brother. Watching loved ones fight for the entertainment of blood-thirsty crowds is not for everyone - Kostya Tszyu's father had a stroke after Kostya was pulverised in Atlantic City, with his wife, Natasha, finding other things to do on fight nights.

But the Greens are cool with it, said the contender. His father, Mal, has travelled the world supporting his son, and as for Nina: "She watches the fights. She's pretty relaxed; she's good. She knows how tough it is and she knows I'm ready for whatever they throw at me, and she knows I can't get hurt in there. She's all for it."

An understanding woman. Yet boxers often absent themselves when preparing for a fight, for reasons Green shared: "You're just like a machine. You're tuned into what you've gotta do, and you don't want to let any outside influences get to you. You're very tense and very nervous. It's a tough feeling. You're on edge the whole time, and people get very cranky."

And what is it like afterwards; being the last 76-kilogram athlete still on his feet?

"I'm the happiest man on Earth. I just want to hug and kiss and tell everyone that I love them, because that's how I am, mate."

[TOP]

In most places - Perth included - it is an unwritten rule that you do not help the visitor.

But the promoters of this bout are going out of their way to please Green and his entourage.

In contrast to the bickering common in the AFL, with visiting sides sometimes denied access to the ground for a training run prior to an important match, Green has been allowed to train in the gymnasium of Beyer and Sven Ottke in Cologne. "We were told Beyer and Ottke would train at the gym until 11am," Green said. "After then, we could use it for as long as needed.

"We made the 45-minute trip by road to Cologne for a strong training session. As they were walking out, we walked in. We then closed the doors and nobody else was allowed in until we had finished training. It is amazing co-operation by the promoters and the Beyer camp."

Beyer holds the WBC version of the super-middleweight title; Ottke is the IBF and WBA champion.

Green should have no trouble making the weight limit of 76.2kg before the weigh-in this afternoon.

He tipped the scales at 79kg on Tuesday and lost 2kg during an intense training session on Wednesday.

Green's trainer, Jeff Fenech, said his charge was in excellent shape.

"It is better being a little overweight than underweight at this stage of his preparation," he said. "It is one of the most critical periods before a fight. Danny must do the right things now. The weight must be right."

Green had his last sparring session on Monday, going six rounds with Sydney southpaw Paul Miller.

Miller fought as a middleweight at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where Green competed in the light-middleweight division.

Beyer is a southpaw and because Green has not faced one in his professional career, Fenech and Green decided to bring Miller to Germany.

August 15, 2003

[TOP]

August 15, 2003

By Uwe Betker

Jeff Fenech won titles in three weight divisions in the span of 20 fights in just three and a half years. He was the IBF bantamweight champion 1985-1987, WBC superbantam champion 1987-1988 and WBC featherweight champion 1988-1989. He is a national hero in Australia. Today he trains and manages fighters in Australia. One of his fighters, Danny Green, will fight against the WBC 168lb champion Markus Beyer on Saturday at the Nurnberg Racetrack in Nurnberg, Germany. Fightnews.com had a conversation with Fenech about the upcoming fight and about his vocation for being a trainer.

What is the difference between Jeff Fenech, the fighter who won titles in three weight divisions (bantamweight, junior featherweight and featherweight) and Jeff Fenech the trainer?
I am very smart now. I am much smarter now. As a trainer the start was very difficult. Because everybody expected that my fighters would be like Jeff Fenech. But everybody is different. Every fighter is different.

You were known as a hot-blooded fighter. Has the trainer Jeff Fenech cooled down by now?
I have still hot blood, but smart hot blood. I know how to make blood hot and how to make it cool and keep cool. You must be smart to have success and to be respected. My boys respect me very much.

Did your tremendous career as a fighter help you become a trainer or did it make it more difficult?
It made it more difficult - very difficult. I have worked very hard.

Does that also mean an increasing pressure on you?
Yes, there is always pressure. Pressure is good. Pressure makes good people great. If there is no pressure I have no respect. I like to have pressure on me. I like to let the people think: Can he do this? Can he help his boy? The boxers who come to my gym and train with me for two weeks, they realize what kind of trainer I am. I am not a boxing trainer. I can teach. I can show them. Many trainers can’t train boxers. They say: punch back, throw left hook and jab. But I can actually show them how to do it.

As a fighter you were more famous for your will to succeed and your willpower than for your technique …
No, that was the perception people had of me. The perception was that I hadn’t got the technique. But for me, I was very skillful. To beat all the fighters and beat them so easily - that’s skill. A pressure fighter tries not to get hit. Pressure is the thought of being hit. As a pressure fighter, all the time you must be able to think. You must be able to look. You must be able to make the punches miss. The people didn’t realize this. Because I am punching so much and putting so much pressure on my opponent the people think: oh this boy is strong. But you must realize, fighting the best fighters in the world like I did is more than just being a pressure boxer with the will to win. Every boxer who steps in the ring has the will to win. But some have a better preparation, and I had the best preparation.

Do you have any special training habits?
We do things a little different. I have many different training techniques.

But you don’t want to tell us more about it?
Right. We make many different things and I like this. If you look at the records of my fighters: I have maybe nine or ten fighters with over 250 fights between all of them. They maybe lost three or four fights. Some boys take on a fight to make money. Like Glenn Kelly, when he fought Roy Jones Jr. I knew that he couldn’t win the fight but he took the money. We are not getting much money for the fight with Markus Beyer but we get a big bulletin.

What do you think are the strong points and what the weaknesses of Markus Beyer?
He is a very very good champion. We think that there is nothing weak. But mind you, everything he can do my boy can do better.

What strategy will you send him into the fight with?
To dominate the fight. We will see that the opponent fights just as good as we let him. That’s the name of the game. If we let Markus fight his fight we will lose. But if he fails to fight his fight we will be victorious.

How would you describe Green’s style of boxing?
Green is a very good puncher, very aggressive, but he has also very good boxing skills. He was a very good amateur boxer with very good skills and a good jab, similar to Markus. At the beginning it will be a chess match.

Green fought only once over eight rounds ….
Yeah, that’s OK!

Don’t you think that he lacks experience going the distance?
Of course not. We may go two rounds or we may go twelve rounds. We are prepared to go twelve rounds in every fight. It’s not our fault that we haven’t gone twelve rounds yet. The preparation will be there. We have no problems with going twelve rounds. We are prepared to go fifteen rounds. My boys are trained to fight fifteen rounds, every one of them. My boys don’t fight six-rounders, we only fight for eight or ten or twelve rounds. We don’t have four-round boys here in Australia.

What is his special strength and what his weakness?
He is still very very very green. He is still learning. But honestly, I believe that Markus is the right opponent for us.

Green fought only once outside of Australia. Will the venue have effects on the outcome of the fight?
The venue has no effect if the individual believes in himself. If he can do it he can do it. Danny Green is a very strong boy and a very strong individual. It doesn’t matter where you fight. Obviously we worry about are the judging and of course we worry about the decision. But for us, I believe that we win the fight so convincingly that the judges can’t do anything against us.

So you expect and predict a victory?
I would not take the fight if I didn’t think Danny Green could win it. The money they are giving us isn’t it. We could make five times the money if we fought somebody in Australia. But we wouldn’t get the green belt [the WBC belt] at the end of the fight. At the end of this fight we won’t have made so much money, but we will have the green belt.

In his last fight Green fought against Jason De Lisle. He didn’t fight against Ottke for the unified Super Middleweight title before in June …
They gave us four weeks notice! I’m a professional. I don’t take my boys to fight with three or four weeks notice. We want to be at the top of the preparation. We want a good preparation. We would fight Ottke. If they let us fight now against Ottke we will fight him. Now we have a good preparation. With the right preparation and the right time we will fight Ottke.

Where do you rate Green in the Super Middleweight division?
I rate him as a very good prospect. He is good enough to be WBC champion. He is good enough to be the super champion because he can beat Sven Ottke. For Anthony Mundine Danny Green would need three rounds [Ottke KOed Mundine in round 10]. That’s why he didn’t fight us.

Please tell us something about this famous special relation between Danny Green and Anthony Mundine.
Anthony Mundine tells everybody that Green can’t fight - Green is a bum, he is not good. But he does not want to fight us. If he fought us he could earn two million dollars. But he doesn’t want to fight us. If Green is so easy, why didn’t he fight us?

What are your wishes for the future?
My wish for the future is that the people get the right opportunity to become rich and famous. That the boxing judges don’t spoil the dreams of the young boys. We want a fair decision. I don’t believe that Markus Beyer is the best champion in the world. We will beat Markus Beyer. We are ready to fight Markus Beyer. I watched videos of Markus Beyer and this boy is dangerous. This fight we can win. If the judging is fair in Germany we will take the belt home. I hope that the judges who come to Germany realize that of the two boys the best man must win. Danny Green will be world champion.

http://www.fightnews.com/betker17.htm

[TOP]

WA boxer Danny Green and his mentor Jeff Fenech are proof that opposites attract.

But the moulding of the relationship between Green and triple world champion, Fenech, is complete.

The pair do not have a teacher-pupil relationship, they are firm friends. Yet Fenech and Green come from different sides of the social divide.Fenech's early days involved roaming the streets of the tough working-class Sydney suburb of Marrickville. He was often looking for trouble . . . and crime.

In contrast, Green was raised in a respected middle-class family, who obeyed society's laws and rules.

"I didn't have anything," Fenech said. "Boxing got me off the street. "If I didn't have boxing I would still have nothing. "Danny has a totally different background to me. He grew up in a responsible area and has great family support."

Though Green agrees he and Fenech are from different sides of town, Green points out that his father, Malcolm, had to battle to reach lofty heights in his employment. "Dad did it tough," Green said. "He left school at 15 and started flipping hamburgers 30 years ago. "He and mum didn't have much. Dad worked his way from there." Green sen. is now the State manager for his company.

Green first met Fenech in 1995 and the pair forged a relationship over the next few years. "I now have a very strong relationship with Jeff,"
he said. "He has been a huge inspiration for me."

Green recalls his feelings when he appeared at a press conference in Sydney on July 9 when it was announced he would fight German Markus Beyer for the World Boxing Council's super-middleweight title in Germany on Saturday.

"I used to watch Jeff and his trainer Johnny Lewis at press conferences for Jeff's world title fights," he said. "Then last month I was with Jeff at my own press conference. It was unbelievable. "I want to repay Jeff for the faith that he has in me. He's my mate."

Fenech, who initially believed Green was too old at 28 to make the switch to professional boxing in June 2001, has since changed his mind. "I believed that Danny had too many amateur faults when he started with me," Fenech said. "But he has improved remarkably during the last year."

In Kuala Lumpur in 1998, Green became the first WA boxer to win a bout at a Commonwealth Games.

But he broke a hand in his opening fight of the middleweight division and was out of the competition.

Then at the Sydney Olympics two years later, fighting as a light-heavyweight, Green became the first WA boxer to win a bout at an Olympic Games. But after leading early in his second bout he broke a hand in the first round against the eventual gold medallist, Russian Alexander Lebziak. The referee stopped the contest in the final round.

After winning 35 of his 43 amateur bouts, Green has knocked out all his 16 professional opponents.

The former carpenter dismisses suggestions he will be too inexperienced to win a world title. "Jeff Fenech won his first world title in only his seventh professional fight," he said. Green will allow Fenech to request the WBC to appoint officials to Saturday night's fight.

There are fears in the Australian boxing fraternity that Green will need to knock out Beyer to win the title because Germany is one of the toughest countries in the world for visitors to gain victory by decision. Fenech uses his own experiences not to place a great deal of faith in officiating.

At the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, the judges awarded Fenech a 3-2 win against Yugoslavian Redzep Redzepovski in a quarterfinal of the flyweight division.

However, the jury reversed the decision 4-1 and Redzepovski went on to win the silver medal.

In 1991, Fenech fought a draw against Azumah Nelson for the WBC super-featherweight title in Las Vegas, in a bout most thought Fenech had won.

"I just want a fair deal from the judges for Danny," Fenech said. "But I think he can win if it goes the distance."

German boxer Markus Beyer is wary of Danny Green's right uppercut, but believes he has speed, strength and experience on his side for this weekend's super-middleweight world title bout.

Beyer, who has won the World Boxing Council's super-middleweight title twice, will defend it against the Sydney-based West Australian at the Nurburgring grand prix track on Sunday morning, Sydney time.

The 32-year-old German has lost only once in 28 professional fights and has amassed about four times as many rounds in the paid ranks as Green. His only loss was a dramatic final-round stoppage against Britain's Glenn Catley in 2000, though he has won 12-round points decisions on four occasions.

Conversely, 30-year-old KO specialist Green has won all 16 of his professional contests inside the distance and has yet to be stretched beyond eight rounds.

"His record shows a lot about his strength," Beyer said from Germany yesterday. "Green can go at a very fast speed and he has a good hard punch. He has a very dangerous right uppercut. I wouldn't like to say anything about his weaknesses . . . I would like to show them on Saturday."

Green is the third Australian in recent times to challenge for a super-middleweight title in Germany. Anthony Mundine and Rick Thornberry unsuccessfully challenged Sven Ottke for the International Boxing Federation title in 2001 and 2002 respectively.

Asked to compare Green with the other two Australians, Beyer said: "Perhaps Green has not so much experience as Thornberry and Mundine. Mundine is technically strong and elegant on his legs. Green might be larger and has the better punch. I am sure Green is better than Thornberry."

The Green-Beyer bout will be staged in a tent at the Nurburgring, where motor racing will be held earlier in the day.

With only 11 KOs to his credit, "Boom Boom" Beyer is not a recognised power puncher.

[TOP]

Green wound down his sparring for the fight yesterday with Commonwealth Games gold medallist Paul Miller, whose southpaw style mirrors that of WBC super middleweight (76kg) champ Markus Beyer, the local hero Green hopes to knock out for the title.

"The conventional wisdom is that to beat a southpaw you have to keep throwing straight rights down the middle over the southpaw's right lead," Miller said. "But for the last few weeks I've been telling Danny that to beat a real clever southpaw counter-puncher like Beyer you have to keep him off balance all the time and you have to be throwing plenty to set up the right hand.

"In our last few sparring sessions together it finally clicked for him and his snap is really there. He's throwing hard punches very fast and he's in great shape to go 12 hard rounds if he has to."

Green went through 12 furious rounds of sparring and punching the training pads yesterday in a small, stifling room at a local fitness centre in the serene resort town of Bad Neuenahr, between Frankfurt and Cologne.
The challenger, who is in Germany with his wife and parents, looks in tremendous condition and is relaxed and confident about bringing the green and gold WBC belt back to Australia.

"To have my family and friends so supportive just lifts me so much," Green said. "Im ready for anything here and I guarantee I won't let anyone down with my effort."

Australian heavyweight champion Big Bob Mirovic is expected to arrive in Germany today to finish preparations for his fight with the world's biggest boxer, the 217cm and 150kg Russian Nikolai Valouev on the Green undercard.

[TOP]

[TOP]

Danny and his family are mad Elvis fans and he was married last year in a Las Vegas chapel dressed like the King, in shades, side-levers and a rhinestone jumpsuit. He has an auntie who'll swear blind the King is still alive and well and waiting for the right moment to make a comeback.

His wife Nina and baby daughter Chloe are his most ardent supporters.

Markus Beyer's biggest fan is his girlfriend Daniela Haak, aka Lady Danii, the daughter of heavy metal musicians who is now the lead singer with leading German techno band Mr President.

While Beyer has risen to the top of the fight game with a conservative, almost cautious, southpaw style, his sweetheart is an in-your-face performance artist, with a tattoo of a baby lion on her breast and frequent appearances on nude celebrity websites.

Beyer's trainer Ulli Wegner has made a big thing in previous fights of taking his fighter away from the distractions of his famous female partner and putting him into a training camp at Zinnowitz on the Baltic Sea.

"Markus needs his strength for boxing," Danii says. "But naturally I sit ringside when he is fighting.

And Beyer adds: "It is important to me that she is there when I am fighting. But I do not want so see her at the hotel before my fight.

"She only arrives on the day of the bout."

After Max Schmeling held the world heavyweight title in the 1930s, Germany had a period of 60 years when the only fighters of theirs anyone remembered were Messerschmitt and Panzer.

Then big promotional companies started forming – Universum in Hamburg and the Sauerland Event group in Cologne – tapping into the enormous talent and love for amateur boxing that was nurtured under the old East German communist regime.

Sauerland, a wealthy Swiss promoter working out of Cologne, hit it big in 1993 with Olympic gold medallist Henry Maske, who became a pro world champ and paved the way for Sven Ottke and Beyer to follow. Beyer has won 27 of 28 pro fights in seven years.

Before that he won 178 out of 210 amateur fights and boxed at the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics, getting knocked out by a Cuban named Juan Lemus in 1992 and beating the world champ Francisc Vastag of Romania in 1996 before dipping out in the quarter-finals.

While many thought he was lucky to regain the world title in April against Canadian Eric Lucas, his greatest achievement came in 1999 in Telford, England, against a lanky Lancashire lad named Richie Woodhall.

The fight was for Woodhall's WBC championship Beyer is defending against Green on Sunday at the Nurburgring in Germany.

Woodhall had stopped a good fighter from Wollongong named Vito Gaudiosi to win the Commonwealth title earlier in his career and was favourite to do the same to the German southpaw.

But only seconds into the fight, Beyer landed a beautiful left-hand counter and Woodhall was down.

In round three Woodhall was caught by another left counter and went down again. And again for a third time. He barely survived the round.

But showing enormous heart, the Englishman managed to make the fight close after Beyer hurt his left hand and found the gas tank running low. In the final three minutes, the champ came close to stopping the weary German more than once.

A year later in Frankfurt Beyer was stopped in the last round by Englishman Glenn Catley, the defeat that more than any of Beyer's bouts, gives Green and trainer Jeff Fenech the confidence that the German's chin can be dented.

"Danny is a much bigger puncher than Catley, much fitter and stronger too," Fenech said."

Danny will be putting Beyer under enormous pressure from round one trying to make him fold.

[TOP]

As Sydney Olympian Danny Green flew off yesterday to face WBC super-middleweight champ Markus Beyer at the Nurburgring in Germany he said he owed whatever success came his way to the young men he'd spent the last few weeks punching in the head.

His sparring partners gave their time willingly, their reward to help a good bloke fulfil the dream he has nurtured all his life.

Paul Miller, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist, "Baby" Peter Mitrevski the rugged professional middleweight, Jamie Pittman, the brilliant Newcastle amateur, Victor Oganov the "Crushin' Russian" with 20 KO wins in 20 fights and Jason Lang, another slick amateur, have all helped prepare Green to face a task many fear will be beyond him.

Certainly Bob Sheridan, the American commentator and voice of boxing at more than 700 world title bouts, says Green is diving into deep waters.

"Danny Green is a great talent but unless he knocks Beyer out he won't win the fight," Sheridan said.

"Lennox Lewis was offered bouts in Germany many times and even the world heavyweight champion said point blank that under no circumstances would he go there."

Green, who has won all 16 of his pro fights by KO, says his plan is to win every round against the left-handed champ who boxed at the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics.

"I'm prepared for 12 hard rounds," Green said. "The Germans are hoping my relative inexperience will be my undoing.

"They say I can't win a decision there but even if I don't stop Beyer I aim to fight hard for three minutes every round, to win each round convincingly. If I do that there's no way they can rob me of the decision."

Green's manager Jeff Fenech has been driving his charge harder th