Australian boxing legend Tony Mundine has died at the age of 75 after suffering a heart attack on Sunday.
His son Anthony Mundine, a former National Rugby League star who followed his father into professional boxing after leaving rugby league, is reportedly flying back to Australia from the Middle East, according to a report by Code Sports.
The elder Mundine established himself as one of Australia's premier sporting figures, making history as the only Australian boxer to fight professionally across four weight divisions while holding national titles in all four: middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight, and heavyweight.
He also fought for the World Boxing Association middleweight world title in 1974. Over a formidable professional career spanning 96 bouts, Mundine amassed an impressive record of 80 wins, with 64 of those victories coming by way of knockout.
Coaching career and world titles
When Anthony launched his professional boxing career in 2000 following a successful stint in rugby league, his father served as his primary trainer.
Under his father's guidance, Anthony rose to the summit of professional boxing. He won the World Boxing Association super-middleweight world title twice, first in 2003 and again in 2008, before capturing the International Boxing Organization middleweight title in 2009 and the World Boxing Association interim super-welterweight belt in 2011.
Early life and community service
Anthony was born in the town of Baryulgil in north-eastern New South Wales, located on the traditional lands of the Bundjalung Aboriginal people. He played for the Grafton Rugby League club before being offered a place at the Redfern All Blacks in the South Sydney Junior Rugby League competition.
Between rugby league seasons, he trained at a gym run by renowned trainer Ern McQuillan, who subsequently signed him to a fighter-trainer contract. In his later years, Mundine resided in the Sydney suburb of Redfern, where he operated the Redfern Gym as a community hub for local fighters.
Mundine was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1986 in recognition of his service to Australian sport and to Aboriginal youth. In 2005, his legacy in combat sports was permanently enshrined when he was inducted into the Australian Boxing Hall of Fame.
