Mundine and Wood verbally spar before fight

Boxers Anthony Mundine and Garth Wood have clashed heatedly on Fox Sports News Long Lunch, the pair sparring verbally after Wood was rumoured to have used performance-enhancing drugs.

Appearing on the show to promote their December 8 bout at Acer Arena in Sydney, the pair progressed calmly through the interview until Wood confronted Mundine over rumours that Wood had used performance-enhancing drugs – rumours Wood alleged had emerged from Mundine’s camp.

With Anthony Mundine talking readily about his plans to move to the United States after the fight, Wood decided to light the first fire.

“I wasn’t going to say much and I like keeping my cards close to my chest, but it’s funny your camp’s not so top secret – someone in your camp has got back to me that you’ve been running your mouth saying I’m a drug cheat,” Wood said.

“Everything I’ve done in the last two years is purely me. I stand on my own two feet and you being ‘The Man’, I just want to say one thing, did you say (Wood used performance-enhancing drugs)?”

Taken aback by Wood’s sudden change in temperament, Mundine staunchly defended his camp.

“I’ll say it to your face, I don’t know who’s telling these stories,” Mundine said.

“I told my management that fighters will go to any extreme to try beat me. I’m not saying you’re a drug cheat, I’m not saying fighters I’ve fought in the past are drug cheats.

“I just want a clean sport.”

Garth Wood, who won the right to fight Mundine by winning The Contender television series, was clearly agitated by the rumours and will no doubt use the fiery exchange as motivation for the December 8 bout.

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