![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788322092_224_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was everything to me, man,\u201d Mundine told ABC.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHe taught me how to be a man, make the right choices in life.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t drink. Don\u2019t smoke. No drugs.<\/p>\n \u201cI live by that to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n Tony Mundine, one of the greatest fighters Australia has produced, died at the age of 75 after suffering a heart attack.<\/p>\n Anthony had been overseas when the news broke and immediately began making his way home, writing on social media that he was \u201cbroken\u201d by the loss.<\/p>\n Anthony Mundine and father Tony MundineSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n Back in Australia on Tuesday afternoon, Mundine spoke with enormous pride about the man he had idolised from childhood.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to be like him growing up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw the admiration and respect he used to get from people. I was like, \u2018This guy must be special\u2019, you know what I mean? And I wanted to be like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Tony would eventually play a central role in his son\u2019s transformation from rugby league star to boxing world champion.<\/p>\n But the lessons began long before Anthony launched his pro career, with his father teaching him the foundations of the sport as a young boy.<\/p>\n \u201cHe taught me as a kid the fundamentals of the game \u2013 jab and footwork and things like that,\u201d Mundine said.<\/p>\n Anthony Mundine pictured with dad TonySource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n Yet Anthony believes his dad\u2019s achievements have never been afforded the recognition they deserve.<\/p>\n Tony grew up in the small Indigenous community of Baryulgil in northern New South Wales, living without running water or electricity before fighting in Jimmy Sharman\u2019s travelling boxing tents as a teenager.<\/p>\n From there, he moved to Sydney and became Australia\u2019s leading middleweight contender and travelled the world, eventually challenging boxing superstar Carlos Monzon for the world title in Argentina in 1974.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think he gets enough credit for what he did, for what he achieved as a black fella who came from the mission out at Baryulgil to reach the heights that he did,\u201d Mundine said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe travelled the world. He is the epitome of: it doesn\u2019t matter where you come from, it doesn\u2019t matter where you are, you can make it.<\/p>\n \u201cLiving on dirt floors, to come out of that poverty and become number one in the world.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd remember, back then there was only one belt, WBA, and so out of the best of the best fighters he was number one in the world and gave Carlos Monzon a scare in Argentina.<\/p>\n \u201cMan, I\u2019m so proud of him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a pleasure to be his son.\u201d<\/p>\n Aussie boxing legend Tony MundineSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n Tony retired in 1984 with 80 victories, including 64 knockouts, from a remarkable 96-fight career.<\/p>\n He won Australian titles across four weight divisions \u2013 middleweight, light-heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight \u2013 and remained unbeaten against Aussie opposition throughout his 16 years as a pro.<\/p>\n After retiring, Mundine opened a gym in Redfern and became an enormously respected mentor within the local community. <\/p>\n \u201cHe helped so many kids in Redfern,\u201d boxing legend Jeff Fenech told Ten News.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cNot just Redfern but kids from all around the area.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018The Marrickville Mauler\u2019 believes a state funeral would be a fitting farewell for a man who made such an enormous contribution to Australian sport and the wider community. <\/p>\n \u201cIt would be massive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cA state funeral for somebody like that would be amazing\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think about his greatness as a fighter but as a human, unbelievable, spoke to everybody, had time for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE BOXING<\/p>\n \u2018There were soldiers everywhere\u2019: Inside the greatest Aussie boxing upset that never was<\/a><\/p>\n