WORLD middleweight champion Daniel Geale said he wanted to prove during Wednesday night's crushing points win over Anthony Mundine that the notion of sportsmanship was sacred - even against an ''idiot''.
Despite a bitter build-up to the Sydney bout that included Mundine questioning Geale's Aboriginal heritage, his right to fly the Aboriginal flag and claiming the champion's wife Sheena and their kids were ''white'', Geale still offered Mundine his glove at the beginning of the 12th and final round.
The gesture is used by some fighters to acknowledge a good effort and to wish their opponent luck in the final round. When Mundine refused to tap Geale's out-stretched glove, it was interpreted as the same insult as a refusal to shake hands.
Geale, however, said the snub did not shock him.
''I expected it,'' he said. ''I do what is right. I do a lot of work with a lot of young amateur boxers around our gym and I wanted to show sportsmanship. I didn't care what he might or mightn't do. I was going to show sportsmanship [regardless], I was going to show my young fighters that whether you're in the ring with an idiot or not you show them respect.
''However, if they don't show you respect after that, well, you don't need to continue to show it to them … I just want to teach my young guys the right way to do it.''
As the IBF champion collected his children from school on Thursday, he said it would please him if the fight was used to prove nice guys don't always finish last.
''Forget the idea of nice guys coming last because sometimes you can definitely win if you're prepared to work hard and show discipline and I'll continue to pass that message on to anyone who listens to me.''
The ''too white'' slur offended 31-year-old Geale, who is proud of his heritage and his family. However, he said rather than engage in a war of words it was always his intention to silence Mundine in the brightest of lights - the boxing ring.
''I don't get caught up in the trash-talk,'' he said of his dignified silence. ''I saw all that as a sign of weakness on his behalf. Winning the fight, that's what it was about. As I said to him at the weigh-in, 'The talk is over, now it's time for action'.''
Geale, who lost his IBO title to Mundine in controversial circumstances in their first bout in 2009 (many critics believed he, and not Mundine, deserved the nod) described his latest victory as ''huge'' and that it compared favourably with his triumphs over German world champions Felix Sturm and Sebastian Sylvester.
He also admitted Mundine's post-bout claim that his conqueror ''knew'' he had really lost at a packed Sydney Entertainment Centre was music to his ears, considering the way Mundine treated him four years ago.
''It adds to it all, the sour grapes,'' he said. ''Deep down he'd know [I won]. This win is huge, especially when you consider the position I was in last time we fought. I was the champion, I lost the fight, I had to take it on the chin. We wanted the rematch but it wasn't going to happen; had to bide our time. We had to wait for him to come back to me and I knew if I ever got the opportunity I wouldn't let it slip.
''I learned from watching him that he couldn't handle pressure. In saying that he's been in a lot of fights, he's experienced and I knew I had to be prepared to work very hard to beat him and I was ready when the chance came.''
Geale said he was well aware of the expectation on him to defeat Mundine.
''I enjoyed it,'' he said. ''I didn't feel it as pressure, I saw it as support. I knew what people wanted for me to do, they wanted me to knock him out … they wanted me to win … I stuck to the plan me and my team devised and I did what I do best.''
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