I'm ready to punch on: Green
UPDATE: A six-round sparring session against heavyweight Pieter Cronje has convinced Danny Green to continue his boxing career.
Green had not exchanged blows in the ring since his November win over American BJ Flores and he was unsure about fighting again following emergency abdominal surgery in January.
The 38-year-old, who beat Flores on points, had been on holiday in WA’s south-west early in the New Year when he complained of severe stomach pain. He was rushed to hospital in Perth and had an operation to remove his appendix and a large abscess.
The International Boxing Organisation cruiserweight champion said he was now prepared to step up plans to defend his title after today’s sweat-soaked session at The Ring Gym in Northbridge.
After the session, Green initially suggested he would take a few days to see how his body reacted but quickly confirmed his intention to extend his career beyond the 31 victories (27 knockouts) and three losses.
“Unless something radical happens, I’m back,” Green said.
Cronje, who will headline Green Machine Boxing’s April 15 show at the WA Basketball Centre, gave his smaller opponent plenty to consider and also took some heavy shots during a vigorous 18-minute session.
“He’s a big, strong guy and he took it to me and I was actually surprised with some of the shots I was landing on Pete,” said Green, who wanted to test his own capacity to withstand heavy body blows.
“A couple of shots hurt. They didn’t look like they were much. They weren’t really big shots but a couple of them stung where the scars are.”
Green retired briefly in 2008 after claiming the World Boxing Association light-heavyweight title with a unanimous points victory over Stipe Drews but returned to the ring and won the IBO cruiserweight belt with a fifth-round stoppage of Julio Cesar Dominguez in August 2009.
Green’s career reached a peak in December 2009 when he beat the legendary Roy Jones Jr with a spectacular first-round knockout in Sydney.
He scoffed at suggestions Garth Wood, who recently stunned Green’s nemesis Anthony Mundine, and former light-heavyweight world champion Antonio Tarver were on his radar, claiming he was lining up a European opponent.
