After hearing conflicting reports for the past week, it has finally been confirmed by reliable sources that Australian kickboxing legend John Wayne Parr (10-3, 10KO) will return to boxing to take on Australian boxing legend Anthony Mundine (48-9, 28KO).
The fight will take place in November on the Gold Coast.
John Wayne Parr has not competed in a professional boxing match since a 2003 war against Sakio Bita in a fight to determine an Australian Middleweight Champion. Since this bout, Bita has gone on to win multiple world titles, including the World Boxing Council World Super Middleweight Championship. Exactly two months prior to the Bita fight, Parr took on Mike Cope in a rebound fight and knocked the journeyman out without much issue. Parr’s two other losses came against legit competition, however. He fought and lost to other future world champions in Ian McLeod and Nader Hamdan.
The 43-year-old Bellator Kickboxing veteran, Parr has remained active in kickboxing and muay thai over the past decade and a half, though. In fact, in a few weeks time, “The Gunslinger” will head to Japan to compete in fight #100 at RIZIN 18. When it comes to boxing, JWP has never fought anyone even remotely on the level of his upcoming opponent in November, though.
Making his pro boxing debut in July of 2000, the 44-year-old Anthony Mundine has hardly looked back. A controversial, and often disliked figure, Mundine is a former World Boxing Association multi-division title-holder. His resume includes wins over Danny Green, Lester Ellis, Sean Sullivan, Nader Hamdan, Rafael Sosa Pintos, Daniel Geale, Robert Medley, Shane Mosley, and more.
In November of 2018, Mundine fought Jeff Horn in a super-fight of sorts with multiple titles on the line. After being knocked out just over 90-seconds into the bout, Mundine seemed to hint at retirement but never quite made it official. Now, his comeback is planned.
In July of 2015, Mundine reportedly sent a letter to Floyd Mayweather Jr., essentially begging “Money” to fight him, claiming that he, Mundine, was “the greatest uncrowned athlete” of all time. The letter was rumored to be filled with emojis and spelling errors.
The Parr vs. Mundine fight will take place in November, not October as originally reported. It will happen on the Gold Coast at the Gold Coast Convention Centre. Not date has been announced, but an official announcement regarding the match-up will be made on Saturday night at the Ben Mahoney vs. Rahul Kumar fight in Brisbane.
