Doctors fear Mundine title fight unsafe

SYDNEY – An Australian medical authority wants next month’s Anthony Mundine world title fight called off because they fear his Argentine opponent will be outclassed, reports said Saturday.

Argentine Pablo Zamora Nievas, who has never fought more than six rounds in 18 bouts, will challenge Australia’s Mundine for his World Boxing Association super-middleweight title on Queensland’s Gold Coast on June 27. The Australian Medical Association fears Nievas, 26, will get seriously hurt if the fight goes ahead.AMA spokesman Shaun Rudd said boxing was brutal enough without having to watch an outclassed boxer be “bashed up” for a pay cheque.”Boxing’s extremely dangerous, but in these situations it becomes even more dangerous,” Rudd told Saturday’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.”You get somebody who’s willing to be bashed up by somebody who can bash them up and you pay them money for that.”Rudd said the biggest danger was that a referee could allow Nievas to take punishment even when he was obviously hurt.Nampa-AFPThe Australian Medical Association fears Nievas, 26, will get seriously hurt if the fight goes ahead.AMA spokesman Shaun Rudd said boxing was brutal enough without having to watch an outclassed boxer be “bashed up” for a pay cheque.”Boxing’s extremely dangerous, but in these situations it becomes even more dangerous,” Rudd told Saturday’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.”You get somebody who’s willing to be bashed up by somebody who can bash them up and you pay them money for that.”Rudd said the biggest danger was that a referee could allow Nievas to take punishment even when he was obviously hurt.Nampa-AFP