No regrets for Green ahead of fight

Danny Green has a case of the nerves ahead of his first fight in almost 16 months,
but the former world champion has no regrets about coming out of retirement.
Green, lured back to the sport in February with the promise of a lucrative re-match
with Anthony Mundine, will take on 35-year-old South African Anthony van Niekerk in
a light-heavyweight bout in Perth.
But Green, knowing all too well that one solid punch could knock him out and end any
hopes he has of avenging his 2006 loss to Mundine, said a re-match with 'The Man'
was the last thing on his mind.
"If I don't win on Sunday night then potentially the biggest fight in Australian
boxing is scrapped and then this guy (van Niekerk) gets a crack at it," Green said
in Perth on Wednesday.
"That's what I don't want so I've really got to focus in on beating Anthony van
Niekerk and for me personally I want to do it impressively.
"First things first I've just got to get the victory, I've just got to come out on
top, so I'm not focusing on Anthony Mundine now.
"I'm just looking to do my job. I want to be impressive and I want to win
convincingly and I want to come out unscathed.
"Personally there'll be nerves.
"If any fighter said they didn't have nerves there would be something wrong.
"(But) not once (have I regretted returning to the sport) and that's solidified my
confidence in the decision I've made."
While Green won't let his mind wander towards Mundine, the same can't be said for
van Niekerk, who has a record of 21 wins, six losses and two draws.
"If I beat him on Sunday, then they must give me the opportunity to fight him
(Mundine)," van Niekerk said.
"Seeing as though they were going to give him the opportunity to do it, why can't
they give it to me?"
Green, who last fought when he beat Croatia's Stipe Drews in December 2007 to claim
the WBO light-heavyweight title, predicted his fight against van Niekerk would be a
"good old fashioned stink".
"He's got a head similar to mine, it's seen a bit of leather," Green quipped.
"He's a tough guy and he's not going to take a backward step.
"I know one thing for certain, this guy's not afraid.
"It's going to be an exciting clash, he goes forward and I go forward, one of us is
going to come out on top and I anticipate that bloke to be myself."