Riled over shortcut claim

Anthony Mundine has slammed Jeff Horn’s camp for claiming the former boxing champion may be tempted to take prohibited substances to make weight for the November 30 fight.

Mundine admitted it would be a challenge to drop weight for the 71 kg catchweight bout on November 30 in Brisbane, supposedly the 43-year-old’s final fight.

But he was angered by Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton’s comments this week which claimed the former three-time world champion may take ‘‘shortcuts’’.

Rushton revealed under the contract Mundine could be blood and urine tested up to five times before the fight to make sure the former NRL star was losing weight ‘‘properly’’ and not using diuretics or prohibited substances.

But a riled Mundine yesterday said: ‘‘I am the most elite athlete Australia has ever had — I don’t take shortcuts.

‘‘I have never drunk (alcohol) or taken any type of drug in my life.

‘‘I am not going to take diuretics, that is going to make me even weaker.

‘‘I don’t want to come into the fight drained’’.

Mundine, who fought Danny Green last year at almost 91 kg in cruiserweight, is believed to be trying to come down from 80 kg.

Horn, 30, has fought most of his career at the 66.68 kg welterweight limit.

Also under the contract, Mundine will have to pay a fine of $20 000 each 100 grams for the first kilogram he is above the 71 kg limit and then $500 000 for every kilogram after that at the weigh-in held on the day before the fight.

Mundine (48-8-0 record) and Horn (18-1-1) will be weighed again two hours before the fight where both must be 75 kg or less.

Mundine agreed to the stipulations to get the Suncorp Stadium fight done because he believed it was what the fans wanted to see.

‘‘It is going to be hard (losing weight). They have brought in all these stipulations but I am a cool cat, I just wanted to get the fight done,’’ he said.

‘‘They (Horn camp) want to try and limit me the best they can to make me as vulnerable as I can be.

‘‘They want to put all these stipulations in to make it even harder.

‘‘I just said ‘let’s do it, sign the contract, and then we will see what’s up with your boy’.

‘‘I am making sure I do everything in my power to be as physically strong as I can be — I will come in fresh.’’