Anthony Mundine promises he's walking away from boxing — for real this time — but some fight fans believe he never should have been allowed into the ring for a swan song on Saturday night.
The Australian icon was humiliated in little over two minutes by countryman Michael Zerafa inBendigo, ending an illustrious career on a depressing note as The Man resembled a shell of the fighter he was in his heyday.
Mundine should have stopped fighting years ago and at 45, conceded he was officially done.
However, some say he shouldn't have had the option to touch gloves with 28-year-old Zerafa, who is one of Australia's bright boxing hopes. Having lost his previous two fights to John Wayne Parr and Jeff Horn — via a lightning quick round one knockout in 2018 — Mundine was clearly past it, and boxing authorities have come under fire for sanctioning Saturday's bout.
Boxing promoter Lou DiBella was furious after watching Mundine collapse in a heap, saying the former rugby league star had been let down by officials.
"This 'fight' should never have happened. DISGUSTING," DiBella wrote on Twitter. "Australian #boxing owed a debt to Mundine to protect him from himself.
"The man is forty-five and had NO chance. This was wrong. And I said what I said."
It was a view echoed by NRL commentator Dan Ginnane, who tweeted: "There is something very wrong when there is a body willing to sanction this. Only positive is it ended quickly and Mundine didn't cop as many blows as he could have."
Michael Zerafa lands a punch to Anthony Mundine. Photo / Getty
Veteran boxing scribe Grantlee Kieza described it as "a sad end for Anthony Mundine — once a brilliant boxer" while boxing reporter Cody Kaye also found the fight uneasy viewing.
"It was a great career, but I hope that's the last I ever see of Anthony Mundine in a boxing ring," he tweeted. "Very predictable result. No one wins in that situation."
Mundine has "retired" several times before. He did so after his brutal loss to Horn three years ago but despite pleas from those around him to hang up the gloves, Choc kept coming back for more.
Everyone in boxing, who appreciates what Mundine has achieved in a career that netted 48 professional wins, will be hoping he finally makes good on his promise to quit after his fifth defeat in his past six fights.
It certainly sounds like Mundine knows he can't keep going any longer.
"Definitely, that was it for me win, lose or draw," he said after the fight. "Even if I won I still would have hung them up. I just haven't got the heart any more to do it.
"God has given me great talent both in rugby league and boxing. I'm not the fighter I was five years ago, a year ago or 10 years ago. But I've achieved a lot in my lifetime and hamdullah — it's all for the praise of god.
"I'm healthy but I got caught in the first round. It happens in boxing. Hopefully Michael can go on and be a success and reach all his dreams.
"But he wanted to fight me when he was 15. Lucky you got me when I was 45, not 35."
