By Mark Vester
Jeff Fenech, 44, has promised a war when he meets rival Azumah Nelson, 49, for the third time at Melbourne's Vodafone Arena on June 24. Fenech tells AAP that he plans to avenge the loss to Nelson, suffered 16-years-ago, which shattered his career and the hopes of Australian boxing fans. Fenech has not not fought since 1996 and Nelson has been out of action for almost ten-years. They fought to a draw in 1991 and Nelson stopped Fenech in their bout in 1992.
Nelson is happy to give Fenech a chance to avenge his loss.
“I'm a man of few words but I'm an action man,” Nelson said. “I'm here once again and I'll give him the chance again to see whether he can recognize his mistakes that he did in the second fight, not the first fight, the second fight.”
Fenech says the fight is not about the money - it's personal for him. He plans to end the fight with a knockout, even if he's one being knocked out.
“When I thought about this (comeback) obviously I knew what people were going to think, 'Is this going to be for real?',” Fenech said. “Well, let me guarantee you it's more than real. This is very personal for me, I'm not somebody who does things by half measures. They'll either carry me out or hopefully they're going to be carrying my mate out.”
Fenech then took the opportunity to shoot back at super middleweight Anthony Mundine. The two fighters have been waging a war of insults for the last few weeks in the media. Last week, Mundine said Fenech's fight with Nelson was something "pitiful," a direct response to Fenech's critical comments about Mundine's trilogy bout with Sam Soliman on May 28.
“He's only describing his own fights, he's only describing his own career,” Fenech said. "What a talent wasted. A guy with so much talent, so much ability, just be able to waste it with the crap that comes out his mouth and then not having the audacity or gumption to fight somebody that may have a chance of beating him."
“That's the difference between me and Anthony Mundine. Azumah Nelson has beaten me and there's the possibility that he could beat me again, but I will still fight him. But Anthony Mundine won't do that, that's why he's fighting Sam Soliman again because he knows it's a sure thing.”
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