A still undefeated Rahim 'CJ' Mundine says he doesn't care if he's the 'villain' in the run after extending his start to professional boxing to 3-0 in Newcastle on Wednesday.
Son of former world champion Anthony 'The Man' Mundine, the 24-year-old's unanimous points decision over Queenslander Lance McDonald was peppered with boos from the crowd after the referees' judgement was announced.
The young fighter said the decision was correct, and the obvious one, during his post-fight interview, later telling reporters he's happy to embrace a villain role while the wins keep coming.
Mundine claimed the super welterweight bout 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 in his No Limit Boxing debut, headlined on the night by Nikita Tszyu's TKO win over Oscar Diaz for the WBO International Super Welterweight Title at the top of the card.
He'll fight whoever his team puts in front of him next, Mundine said later in the evening: "I'm gonna keep getting better"; declaring he's on his way to being the next 'bad boy' in boxing.
Any pressure of being 'The Man's' son comes as a privilege, the young Mundine said.
"My dad's the most hated athlete ever in this country...They'll probably do the same thing to me...But I've been around my whole life. I'm not worried about that," he said.
On the crowd's reaction, it was water off a duck's back.
"They don't know me," Rahim Mundine told media.
"If they want to look at me as a villain, I don't give a f*** ... they can do that. Doesn't matter.
"At the end of the day, I'm going to keep getting better with my coach, Lincoln (Hudson), and my old man, and I'm gonna keep winning fights and keep learning on the way."
His world champ dad was in his corner at Newcastle, and had no doubts about which way the contest went.
"I don't know what you're all booing for. The game is hit and don't get hit. McDonald, he's tough, man. He came forward, he threw a lot of punches. But CJ landed cleaner shots. It was his night," Anthony Mundine said in the ring post-fight.
Rahim Mundine added his thoughts: "I landed the cleaner shots, easily. He's a tough competitor. He threw a lot of punches, real tough dude. But I won easy."
In the main event of the night, Nikita Tszyu's win extended his record to 13-0, and bolstered his shot at a world title fight, in serious style with a sixth round stoppage.
His brother Tim, who last month claimed back-to-back wins for the first time since 2023, is set to face former unified champion and 28-1 (22 KO wins) American Errol Spence Jr in Australia on July 25.
The fight will end Spence's three-year hiatus from the ring.
The US superstar made a surprise announcement to advocate for First Nations Australians when arrives in two months, saying he may adorn the Aboriginal flag in solidarity with First Peoples in his walk out to the ring.
Spence noted there is "a lot of injustice going on in Australia right now", especially with Aboriginal people.
The former world champion's ring walks have been much-loved by fans.
"His standing in boxing, and what he's done, really shows the level of opponent that Tim wanted to fight ... Tim's the sort of fights that's turned up and always wanted to fight the best," No Limit Boxing's Matt Rose said at this week's fight announcement.
"We haven't had a fight of this magnitude (since Manny Pacquiao v Jeff Horn in Australia)."
