Ryan Waters believes he has the strength and power to overcome the class and speed of Anthony Mundine when they meet in a WBA junior middleweight world title elimination bout at WIN Entertainment Centre on September 15.
The 32-year-old Caringbah fighter is rated nine in the WBO and seven in the WBA, having 24 professional fights to his credit for 20 wins, two losses and two draws, as well as an impressive background in full contact Kyokushin-Kai karate before turning his focus to boxing.
A WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental junior middleweight titleholder, Waters made it clear that he thinks Mundine will have problems retaining strength in getting down to the junior middleweight division.
After winning world titles in the super middleweight and middleweight divisions, former rugby league star Mundine won his first fight at junior middleweight on June 30 with a unanimous points decision over Argentinian Carlos Jerez at Brisbane.
Waters, who has sparred with Mundine, claims that "The Man" could not bruise a grape at middleweight let alone junior middleweight.
"He couldn't knock a pea off a pork chop at junior middleweight.
"He thinks he's got skills but we'll find out on the 15th (of September) because I won't be getting hit either," Waters said.
"He'll be getting hit. I seen him getting hit at junior middleweight a couple of weeks ago by an Argentinian plumber.
"So to get hit by an Argentinian plumber, y'know if I hit him he'll know about it, that's for sure.
"In this part of the world (southern hemisphere) I'm the strongest light middleweight getting around and I'll show everyone that on the 15th.
"I'll be sticking to the game plan that Birchy's (trainer David Birchell) got me working for.
"Anthony's just another speed hump in my way to winning the world title.
"It (world title) would be good, I suppose. It would change a few things but I'm comfortable where I'm at at the moment. I'm not fighting him for the money that's for sure. I don't need the money.
"I'm quite comfortable at home. I've got a nice place and a beautiful wife and lovely children so that's not what I'm striving for. I want to win the world title and that's what I'm here for."
Mundine shrugged off Waters' claims.
"They can say whatever they like, man. I've been hearing he's already sparring eight, 10 rounds. They prepare the best they can when they're fighting me," Mundine said.
"He's making out it's just the same opponent. When they fight 'The Man' they make sure their body is the best as it's ever been.
"They think their will and their hard work is gonna pay off for them. But guess what? My will is stronger, my hard work is harder and my skills impeccable.
"They're gonna come up with a game plan to beat me? Well guess what? There is no game plan to beat me, 'cos I can adapt to any game plan to beat me. I can fight on the front foot, I can fight on the back foot, I can give you angles, I can do anything. Whatever's necessary to win, I will do."
Mundine said there was not a man in the world at junior middleweight that could beat him.
"No-one. Not Ryan Waters. Nobody."
Main Event pay-for-view will provide live coverage starting at 7.30pm.
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff
Twitter