Tony Mundine, the Indigenous Australian boxing great and father of former world champion Anthony Mundine, has died aged 75 after suffering a heart attack.
Mundine’s death was confirmed by his son, who said he was travelling home from Saudi Arabia to attend the funeral.
“I don’t know what to say, I’m broken,” Anthony Mundine wrote on social media. “Dad I love you man, may Allah bless your soul.”
He added: “I’m on my way home to say goodbye one last time till we meet again. Thanks for doing all you did for me and supporting me in every moment, showing love and strength gonna miss you Tonza, there’s only one Tony Mundine.”
Tony Mundine’s historic boxing career
Born in Baryulgil, near Grafton in northern New South Wales, Mundine began boxing as a teenager at travelling tent shows before making his professional debut in 1969.
He became the first Australian boxer to compete across four weight divisions, winning titles at middleweight, light-heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight.
The defining bout of his career came in Buenos Aires in October 1974, when he challenged Argentina’s Carlos Monzon for the world middleweight title. Monzon retained the crown after stopping Mundine in the seventh round.
Mundine finished with a professional record of 80 victories, including 64 knockouts, alongside 15 defeats and one draw.
He retired from boxing in 1984 and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia two years later for his services to sport and Aboriginal youth.
His influence continued through his family. Anthony Mundine became an IBO middleweight and WBA super-middleweight champion, while his grandson Rahim Mundine won his fourth professional fight last week to remain unbeaten.
Tributes have also come from across Australian boxing. Former world champion Danny Green described Mundine as a gentleman for whom he had “a tonne of respect”, while Billy Dib called him one of the country’s greatest fighters and a “beautiful human being”.
