Anthony Mundine's extraordinary apology

Anthony Mundine has retired from boxing – for real, this time.

Mundine, 45, said that he was retired after being knocked out by Michael Zerafa inside round one on March 13. However, he had made such announcements before, only to launch 'comebacks'.

'The Man' on Wednesday announced that no more comebacks would occur and he was officially hanging up the gloves, with a record of 48-11 (28 KOs) and multiple world titles during his heyday.

The devout Muslim also offered an apology for the most infamous remark of his controversial career: when he said after the 9-11 attacks that "America's brought it upon themselves". He tried to clarify the remark over the years but had never entirely disowned it.

"A lot of the media portrayed me to be for the killings. I want to put that on record, that there was no way for the killings," Mundine said on Wednesday.

"Taking one human life is like taking the whole of humanity to me. I feel like I was crucified for that – probably rightly so. I said it raw and pretty dumb at the time.

Mundine later added: "If I offended anybody in my career, honestly, I'm sincerely sorry.

"Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I'm a changed man, I'm a different type of cat.

"As you get older, you get more mellow. God bless everybody. Thank you."

Mundine also addressed one of his most infamous sporting remarks at the event: when he claimed that rugby league rival Laurie Daley was "running on old legs". He said he had mellowed and was no longer that cocky upstart who used to shock his father, former champion boxer Tony Mundine.

"I'm not that sort of brash character that I was when I was younger," said Mundine, who had Daley as a guest at his send-off event at Sydney's Circular Quay

"I've sort of evolved and matured over the years. I"m not that fella that said that Laurie was running on old legs when he was only 26, when he was in his prime.

"My dad rung me and said, 'What are you doing, talking about Laurie like that?' I said, 'Well, I believe it myself, I'll take him on!' He goes, 'Take that remark back'. I said, 'Nah, I'm not going to take it back, no way in the world!'

"We clashed a bit, me and dad, he wanted me to toe the line. I was like, 'Nah, bra, I'm gonna go get mine, I'm going after it'. But I love Laurie and thanks for all the battles over the years. So good and so deadly."

Mundine's farewell press conference was remarkable interrupted by a phone call from surfing icon Kelly Slater, who first met Mundine two decades ago and wished him well. In true Mundine style, he threatened to switch to surfing.

"I think you need a third career!" Slater said. "You've been able to switch over pretty easily in the past."

Other tributes came from Australian cricket great Justin Langer, the current national team coach, and his family.

Mundine said that he'd always known boxing was his ultimate destiny despite starting his sporting career in rugby league.

"I just knew from a young age, from six-seven, I used to envision it to my family, to anyone that would listen that I was going to be champion one day," Mundine said.

"Football was my passion and my love at that time but I knew one day that I would leave and pursue my other dream.

"What a ride, man, what a ride."

Mundine has long been an outspoken voice on Indigenous issues and said that's where his future lay, having retired from sport.

Part of the reason that he moved on from rugby league was the earnest belief that as an Indigenous man, he was not afforded the same opportunities as white stars. He never played for Australia, a lifelong dream, and played just one series of State of Origin for NSW; albeit as a five-eighth in the era of Daley and Brad Fittler.

Mundine switched from rugby league to boxing in 2000, winning his first fight by fourth round knockout over Gerrard Zohs at the old Sydney Entertainment Centre. He quickly became a lucrative pay-per-view drawcard, polarising fight fans like few boxers before him; many paid to watch his fights in the hope of seeing Mundine knocked out and more often that not, he laughed all the way to the bank.

Mundine won the Australian super-middleweight from Marc Bargero in just his fifth fight, via sixth round TKO in Gosford.

He fought for the IBF super-middleweight title in just his 11th fight, travelling to Germany to face long-time champ Sven Ottke in 2001. He was well on top in the fight despite the vast experience gap, yet lost in the 10th round when knocked out cold.

Redemption came in 2003 when he fought Antwun Echols for the vacated WBA title at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was a lesser title, with Ottke dubiously upgraded to 'super champion' by the WBA, though the Australian claimed the belt nonetheless with a unanimous decision over Echols.

He lost the belt with a poor performance against Manny Siaca in Sydney in 2004, then lost another crack at the title against Mikkel Kessler in 2005.

Three bouts later, Mundine beat arch rival Danny Green in a Sydney Football Stadium superfight during 2006, though he controversially lost a 2017 rematch at Adelaide Oval.

Mundine regained a vacant WBA world title by beating Sam Soliman by ninth round KO in Sydney during 2007. He beat Daniel Geale for the IBO middleweight world title in 2009.

His career began to spiral with a 2010 KO loss to Garth Wood, though he won a rematch the following year by unanimous decision.

He lost a 2013 rematch against Geale yet claimed his biggest-name scalp against washed-up legend Shane Mosley the same year, a seventh round TKO.

Mundine never replicated his Australian fame overseas and began to lose regularly as age caught up with him. He was brutalised in a loss to Joshua Clottey in 2014 and lost to Charles Hatley by TKO the following year, which was followed by the ill-fagted rematch with Green.

Mundine lost his last three fights, against Jeff Horn (2018), John Wayne Parr (2019) and Michael Zerafa this month. He was clearly past it in the Zerafa mismatch, a first round knockout defeat, and his retirement has been widely welcomed.

Love or loathe 'The Man', Mundine will be remembered as a mighty athlete he was able to polarise opinion in Australia like few before him.

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