Dojo
08-11-2007, 11:11 AM
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ANTHONY Mundine has turned to Allah in preparation for the distinct possibility that his boxing career is finished because of a serious eye infection.
Despite speculation his injury is a publicity stunt, the WBA super-middleweight world champion was told by specialists on Friday night that it could be up to six months before he knows if he will fight again.
A devout Muslim, Mundine has prayed diligently since Sunday, when he was told he may lose his left eye because of an infection suffered after licking a displaced contact lens at a New Zealand restaurant last weekend. When The Sun-Herald visited him on Friday night, the former Dragons five-eighth was deep in prayer.
"I am prepared for the fact I might never fight again - it's that serious," said Mundine, who is expected to leave the Sydney Eye Hospital tonight. "I have to be, man. My career is the furthest thing from my mind. Of course, I want to fight again. I feel like I'm just getting on top of my game - I can match it with any fighter in the world.
"But it comes down to Allah and what He wants me to do. At the end of the day, it's God's will.
"I just pray every day and ask God to give me a sign about what He wants. If it's to come back, and I have the sight and be in the ring, so be it. If it's not, so be it.
"If He blesses me with 20-20 vision, that's what I've got to live with. It's His will. He's the one who created me in the first place.
"I'm praying to Him to heal me but ultimately it's His decision. All my faith is in Him. I pray all the time, but it has been more intense and more passionate this week."
At the heart of Mundine's problem is a bizarre fungus that formed on his eye during the week. A team of specialists working on the world champion boxer will not know until this week what the bug is and how best to treat it.
Adding to his anguish is the fact it could be months before he knows how seriously his vision is going to be impaired and what that means to his sporting career.
Mundine revealed he has been boxing with inferior vision for more than five years. He had surgery on his eye 10 days ago and was wearing a precautionary contact lens while visiting Auckland, where he was watching former Warrior Monty Betham fight.
"We went to this restaurant and it was real smoky and it stared to irritate my eye," he said.
"I must have pushed the contact lens and messed it up and it was really hurting me.
"I went to the bathroom and I was in hysterics. I saw this woman and she said, 'I've worn contacts before. The best way to clean it is with the mouth.' So I just licked it … But I don't blame her at all for what's happened."
Mundine was scheduled to fly out for Panama today with his manager, Khoder Nasser, for WBA conference to line up prospective fights.
"Boxing is the furthest thing from my mind," Mundine said.
Apart from facing the possibility of never fighting again, sleep deprivation is seriously worrying Mundine.
Nurses have been giving him eye drops every 30 minutes since Sunday. He did not get a proper night's sleep until Friday, when he was given sleeping tablets.
"It's just been catnaps, man," he said. "That's all I've been able to get in."
Asked what he thought of talk that the injury was a mere publicity stunt, Mundine scoffed: "On Sunday, they thought I was going to lose my eye. You don't make that up."
ANTHONY Mundine has turned to Allah in preparation for the distinct possibility that his boxing career is finished because of a serious eye infection.
Despite speculation his injury is a publicity stunt, the WBA super-middleweight world champion was told by specialists on Friday night that it could be up to six months before he knows if he will fight again.
A devout Muslim, Mundine has prayed diligently since Sunday, when he was told he may lose his left eye because of an infection suffered after licking a displaced contact lens at a New Zealand restaurant last weekend. When The Sun-Herald visited him on Friday night, the former Dragons five-eighth was deep in prayer.
"I am prepared for the fact I might never fight again - it's that serious," said Mundine, who is expected to leave the Sydney Eye Hospital tonight. "I have to be, man. My career is the furthest thing from my mind. Of course, I want to fight again. I feel like I'm just getting on top of my game - I can match it with any fighter in the world.
"But it comes down to Allah and what He wants me to do. At the end of the day, it's God's will.
"I just pray every day and ask God to give me a sign about what He wants. If it's to come back, and I have the sight and be in the ring, so be it. If it's not, so be it.
"If He blesses me with 20-20 vision, that's what I've got to live with. It's His will. He's the one who created me in the first place.
"I'm praying to Him to heal me but ultimately it's His decision. All my faith is in Him. I pray all the time, but it has been more intense and more passionate this week."
At the heart of Mundine's problem is a bizarre fungus that formed on his eye during the week. A team of specialists working on the world champion boxer will not know until this week what the bug is and how best to treat it.
Adding to his anguish is the fact it could be months before he knows how seriously his vision is going to be impaired and what that means to his sporting career.
Mundine revealed he has been boxing with inferior vision for more than five years. He had surgery on his eye 10 days ago and was wearing a precautionary contact lens while visiting Auckland, where he was watching former Warrior Monty Betham fight.
"We went to this restaurant and it was real smoky and it stared to irritate my eye," he said.
"I must have pushed the contact lens and messed it up and it was really hurting me.
"I went to the bathroom and I was in hysterics. I saw this woman and she said, 'I've worn contacts before. The best way to clean it is with the mouth.' So I just licked it … But I don't blame her at all for what's happened."
Mundine was scheduled to fly out for Panama today with his manager, Khoder Nasser, for WBA conference to line up prospective fights.
"Boxing is the furthest thing from my mind," Mundine said.
Apart from facing the possibility of never fighting again, sleep deprivation is seriously worrying Mundine.
Nurses have been giving him eye drops every 30 minutes since Sunday. He did not get a proper night's sleep until Friday, when he was given sleeping tablets.
"It's just been catnaps, man," he said. "That's all I've been able to get in."
Asked what he thought of talk that the injury was a mere publicity stunt, Mundine scoffed: "On Sunday, they thought I was going to lose my eye. You don't make that up."