Headline News:

Why Danny Green can stop Clinton Woods

By HOWARD LEIGH


The new streamline Green Machine, Danny Green is motoring down the boxing highway to a world light-heavyweight championship.
Green fights American Otis Griffin in Perth on July 18 and is then going hunting for a world title. He is fully confident he has the measure of IBF champ Clinton Woods, from England.
And Green has the power to do it, according to former IBF world super-featherweight champion Barry “Boy” Michael who took a ringside seat when Green unhinged Geelong’s Paul Murdoch inside two rounds at the Melbourne State Netball and Hockey Centre, Parkville on January 21.
The show, packaged by Danny’s management Green Machine Promotions, attracted more than 3000 people under the title “Lights Out.”
Michael said the way Green made short work of Murdoch would put fear into the hearts of IBF world champion Clinton Woods and WBA world title opponents Silvio Branco and Stipe Drews.
“I pity the world champion that has to face Danny Green,” he said.
``His move to light-heavyweight was long overdue which was surprising because he fought in that division as an amateur.”
Michael declared Green’s return to the ring in Melbourne for the first time since destroying Brad Mayo in January 2003 on the Kostya Tszyu-Jessie James Leija card as “awesome.”
``He looked explosive,’’ Michael said. ``He was back to his old self. His punches were pinpoint. He stopped Jason De Lisle in Perth after stepping up to light-heavyweight for the first time.
``He looked a bit rusty in that fight. Then he finally put it together to stop De Lisle. In the Murdoch fight he looked dangerous.
``At the super-middleweight limit he looked wasted and gaunt. He must have been killing himself, to make the weight.”
Michael said he doesn’t believe Green can the make light-heavyweight limit easily, but feels more comfortable.
``I think he looked awesome. His punching was very hard and his left jab had a lot of kick in it,’’ he said.
``The first knockdown was a left jab. It cracked off Paul’s chin and shook him up badly as it would to most fighters.
``Danny Green at that weight is dangerous and if he gets an opportunity to fight for a world title he can certainly bring it home.
``His punches were spot on and his timing was back to its best. I think he lost the timing after the Sean Sullivan meltdown. For a while he lost his timing. It looked like it all came together against Murdoch. The light-heavyweight division is more natural to him.”
Michael described Green as a “helluva of a super-middleweight.”
``But it must have been incredibly draining for him, and he needed to starve himself before the Mundine fight,’’ he said.
``He was robbed in the first Markus Beyer fight and unlucky in the second.”
Michael said he had watched Green spar with Daniel ‘Porky” Lovett twice in the buildup to the Murdoch fight. He said it had taken a learning period for Green to adapt to the style of his international trainer Ismael Salas.
“It took a while but they have clicked now and work together beautifully,’’ he said.
``Salas is very smart and very shrewd and he is working on angles with Danny and his uppercuts are pinpoint.”
In the lead up Green revealed his power in spars in Sydney with world title contender Glen Kelly and in Melbourne with Lovett and Jason Tramsek.
Kelly, who was stopped in the seventh round of his 2002 title fight against legendary US fighter Roy Jones, provided exacting preparation in heavy sessions before Green moved to Melbourne.
During his Melbourne stay, Green worked out with St Kilda AFL Aussie rules greats Lenny Hayes, Aaron Hamill, Matt Maguire, Max Hudghton and Fraser “G Train” Gehrig.
Former West Coast Eagles ruckman Michael Gardiner joined Gehrig and other Saints for dinner at the Green fight.
“When I was in Perth, Fraser used to come down to train with us. The G’Train’s got a lethal right hand.”


 

7 Jul 2007

Advert