Posted by Unknown |

Super Middleweight Champions of the Blue Gum and Beyond!

How good was the pub? Most good.

Well I had fun. We arrived tonight and the pub was pretty full. We realised it was because of the Mundine/Siaca fight that was on tonight. We went and found ourselves a table in the bistro. There was less people there as the TV wasn't on, so we could relax among the non-sporting, steak eating crowd.

We sat and discussed life, love and Russian music downloads, Ryan, Chris, Jem, David and I. We all ate beautiful wedges. Helen joined us after about an hour.

There was a kid called Ben running around the bistro. He was 3. He would run along the railing next to our table and growl at Jem and Ryan. He made friends with us. He told us that he was going to be a boxer (the tv had gone on by this stage) and that he was going to punch his dad. He said he was going to do that because Dad had punched his mum, but it was ok now because Mum had gone out. That was a little disconcerting. What do you do with stories of domestic violence from a 3 year old in a pub?

He showed us his dad who was sitting up the back, drinking beer, and watching the TV. He paid little attention to his son. Lucky everyone else in the pub did. He was the most popular person there.

Over the course of the night we watched the pre-match hype on the silent TV, and continued our discussion. I was starting to get excited because I've always wanted to watch a boxing match. I don't know how excited everyone else was, but the masculine side of me was getting pumped. Wahoo, a sport, boxing, strong men hitting each other. That's a good nights entertainment.

They turned up the sound on the TV when the match was close to starting. We picked our fighters and I became the self-proclaimed boxing expert at the table because I have read The Power of One and Tandia.

At some stage in all this a lady collapsed at the bar. There was a bit of fuss with the bartenders and Ben and his dad but her friends didn't notice for a while. When they did, they took her back to her seat, gave her a glass of water and continued their fun.

Once the fight started I was into it. I was gunning for Mundine. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because he's Australian.

It was a good fight. Nothing spectacular, but I had fun. By the end I was making all the right noises. I groaned when everyone else did, and I was very tense by the 10th round.

At some stage during the fight Ben's Dad wanted to drive home. The bartender wouldn't let him because he thought he was too drunk. There was a table of men who had made friends with Ben and when they noticed they jumped up and ran over, ready to start a fight. "He's only 3 years old!" they said. The Dad didn't seem too impressed and looked willing to take 5 guys on for the right to drive himself and his son home. It was a worry.

The bartender managed to keep the peace and Ben and his dad left, I'm hoping for a taxi.

Manny Siaca won. After watching the match I decided that Manny was the better fighter on the night. I got told off for not being loyal. But I was right. And I still wanter Mundine to win, he just didn't. I enjoyed it anyway. I might be a boxing fan now.

I walked home afterwards. I listened to my new music.

I had three drinks tonight. That's a new record. Soon I'll be an alcoholic.

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