By Jim Dower: Two-time WBA super middleweight champion Anthony Mundine (38-3, 23 KO’s) will be fighting on Wednesday against Argentinean Carlos Adan Jerez (30-12-3, 16 KO’s) for the vacant WBA International light middleweight title at the Entertainment Centre, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Mundine, 35, is moving down in weight to the light middleweight division in hopes of having a better chance at winning a world title. It seems like a usual move given that Mundine vacated his WBA super middleweight title in late 2008.

And then Mundine fought four times at middleweight without taking on any serious contenders. Now, Mundine plans on fighting at light middleweight where feels he can win a title. In an in article at the ninemsn.com.au, Mundine says “I want to do what I do to be the best pound for pound. That’s my goal. Wipe the best out of this division. There are a lot of good names – [Antonio] Margarito, [Miguel] Cotto – in this division, so hopefully I can mix it with them and beat them all.”

What seems rather bizarre is why Mundine, at the age 35, is wasting yet even more time by fighting a guy like Jerez on Wednesday. Jerez has lost three out of his last six fights, and not a top tier fighter. Mundine needs to take on top level guys if he wants to challenge for a title and do well. It’s been four years since Mundine last took on a tough top tier fighter when he beat Danny Green in 2006.

Mundine won the vacant WBA super middleweight title against Sam Soliman in 2007. But instead of taking on tough super middleweights like Joe Calzaghe, Carl Froch or Mikkel Kessler, Mundine focused on defending his title against the likes of Pablo Daniel Zamora Nievas, Jose Alberto Clavero, and Nadar Hamdan before giving it up in 2008. Those would have been great fights for Mundine to make.

You have to hope that Mundine will get a sense of urgency about him and will start taking on the big names in the light middleweight division once he gets past Jerez tomorrow. It would be great if Mundine did take on Margarito and Cotto, but I’m not holding my breath on it happening. Mundine says he wants to “wipe out” the best fighters in the light middleweight division. Well, hopefully he’s not talking about the best 2nd tier fighters or the best bottom dwelling fighters. Mundine says “It’s now or ever for me. I have only got four or five years left.” Mundine may not even have that much time. He could start showing his age really quick. This is why he needs to go after the best fighters immediately and quit wasting time on obscure opponents.

You have to wonder whether Mundine will have much strength at light middleweight. Normally older fighters move up in weight, not down in weight like Mundine. In his case, Mundine has moved down two divisions in the past two years. It may not bother him against a fighter like Jerez, since this is someone that Mundine should get by without too many problems no matter how weakened he might be from weight loss. But if Mundine takes on someone good, like Cotto or Margarito, he could have problems with his strength in the later rounds.