Garth Wood
Encyclopedia
Garth Wood is an Australian professional boxer
and former professional rugby league
player. Wood won the 2009/2010 Contender Boxing Series
. He played rugby league for the South Sydney Rabbitohs
and the Balmain Tigers
in the NRL.
Garth is the brother of Sydney Roosters
and Warrington Wolves
utility Nathan Wood
and the son of Newtown
, Norths
and Souths
halfback Barry Wood.
junior Wood seemed destined to play the game as father, Barry Wood, was a halfback for the club and his brother, Nathan, also a Souths junior, signed and played for fellow foundation club Balmain Tigers
in 1993. Wood debuted for Souths at 17 years of age, but his rugby league career was fledging as he only played nine games for Souths and Balmain between 1997 and 1999, before four gap where he rejoined the Rabbitohs in 2004 and appeared in a further 16 games. After this Wood decided to make a career out of boxing like fellow league converts Anthony Mundine and Solomon Haumono
. Wood describes the area he grew up in was a factor in his career path "When I was growing up, it was a tough area: you either played footy or fought".
by defeating Kariz Kariuki by a split points decision after seven rounds. The win earned him $25,000 and a fight with "The Man" Mundine
. Wood overcame Victor Oganov
in the five round semi-final by a majority decision and stopped Israel Kani in the second round of the quarter-finals to reach the final against Kariuki. Throughout the filming of The Contender Australia Wood was rated a Super Middleweight
along with all the other contestants.
On December 8, 2010 Wood defeated Anthony Mundine
by knockout at the Acer Arena
. Wood was aggressive from round 1, attempting to rough up and lure Mundine into a brawl, in the fifth round it was a left hook to the jaw that dropped Mundine while he was bending his body sideways and considerably low. Wood had to drop weight to Middleweight
for the fight after the Mundine camp offered $100,000 as a sweetener. They originally wanted Wood to drop to a Junior Middleweight, but Wood refused. Wood lost to Mundine in a rematch via a points decision.
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Date
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Result
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Opponent
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Method
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Round
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Time
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Location
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Notes
|-
|13/04/2011
|Loss
| Anthony Mundine
| Decision (Unanimous)
| 10
|
| Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
|-
|08/12/2010
|Win
| Anthony Mundine
| KO
| 5
| 0:58
| Acer Arena, Sydney, NSW, Australia
|-
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and former professional rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player. Wood won the 2009/2010 Contender Boxing Series
The Contender Australia
The Contender Australia is a reality television show based on the sport of boxing, but with an added element of insight into the competitor's lives and relationships with each other within the show's living quarters. The series was filmed in Sydney, Australia and was first aired on Australian...
. He played rugby league for the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
and the Balmain Tigers
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
in the NRL.
Garth is the brother of Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
and Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
utility Nathan Wood
Nathan Wood
Nathan Wood is an Australian former professional rugby league player. Wood played in almost every position during his career, from fullback to second-row.-Playing career:...
and the son of Newtown
Newtown Jets
The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
, Norths
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
and Souths
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
halfback Barry Wood.
Rugby league career
A SouthsSouth Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
junior Wood seemed destined to play the game as father, Barry Wood, was a halfback for the club and his brother, Nathan, also a Souths junior, signed and played for fellow foundation club Balmain Tigers
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
in 1993. Wood debuted for Souths at 17 years of age, but his rugby league career was fledging as he only played nine games for Souths and Balmain between 1997 and 1999, before four gap where he rejoined the Rabbitohs in 2004 and appeared in a further 16 games. After this Wood decided to make a career out of boxing like fellow league converts Anthony Mundine and Solomon Haumono
Solomon Haumono
Solomon Haumono is a professional boxer and former rugby league player of Tongan descent. He attended Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham and represented them in the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges Australian Schoolboys team 1993.-League career:In rugby league, his preferred...
. Wood describes the area he grew up in was a factor in his career path "When I was growing up, it was a tough area: you either played footy or fought".
Boxing career
In only his eighth professional bout, on 11 January 2010 Wood became the first winner of The Contender AustraliaThe Contender Australia
The Contender Australia is a reality television show based on the sport of boxing, but with an added element of insight into the competitor's lives and relationships with each other within the show's living quarters. The series was filmed in Sydney, Australia and was first aired on Australian...
by defeating Kariz Kariuki by a split points decision after seven rounds. The win earned him $25,000 and a fight with "The Man" Mundine
Anthony Mundine
Anthony Mundine is an Australian professional boxer and former rugby league footballer.He is the current interim WBA Light Middleweight Champion boxer, former two-time WBA Super Middleweight Champion, former IBO Middleweight Champion and New South Wales State of Origin representative footballer....
. Wood overcame Victor Oganov
Victor Oganov
Victor Oganov is a Russian boxer of Armenian descent.-Career:Oganov was 64-16 as an amateur and turned pro as a Super Middleweight in Russia in 1998 year. Has a good start in Saint Petersburg Russia, Russia with management team Tundra...
in the five round semi-final by a majority decision and stopped Israel Kani in the second round of the quarter-finals to reach the final against Kariuki. Throughout the filming of The Contender Australia Wood was rated a Super Middleweight
Super middleweight
Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s...
along with all the other contestants.
On December 8, 2010 Wood defeated Anthony Mundine
Anthony Mundine
Anthony Mundine is an Australian professional boxer and former rugby league footballer.He is the current interim WBA Light Middleweight Champion boxer, former two-time WBA Super Middleweight Champion, former IBO Middleweight Champion and New South Wales State of Origin representative footballer....
by knockout at the Acer Arena
Acer Arena
The Allphones Arena is a large entertainment and sporting complex located in Sydney, Australia. It is situated in Sydney Olympic Park, and was completed in 1999 as part of the facilities for the 2000 Summer Olympics....
. Wood was aggressive from round 1, attempting to rough up and lure Mundine into a brawl, in the fifth round it was a left hook to the jaw that dropped Mundine while he was bending his body sideways and considerably low. Wood had to drop weight to Middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
for the fight after the Mundine camp offered $100,000 as a sweetener. They originally wanted Wood to drop to a Junior Middleweight, but Wood refused. Wood lost to Mundine in a rematch via a points decision.
Professional Boxing Record
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; font-size:85%;"|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Date
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Result
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Opponent
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Method
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Round
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Time
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Location
|align="center" style = "background: #f0f0f0"| Notes
|-
|13/04/2011
|Loss
| Anthony Mundine
Anthony Mundine
Anthony Mundine is an Australian professional boxer and former rugby league footballer.He is the current interim WBA Light Middleweight Champion boxer, former two-time WBA Super Middleweight Champion, former IBO Middleweight Champion and New South Wales State of Origin representative footballer....
| Decision (Unanimous)
| 10
|
| Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
|-
|08/12/2010
|Win
| Anthony Mundine
Anthony Mundine
Anthony Mundine is an Australian professional boxer and former rugby league footballer.He is the current interim WBA Light Middleweight Champion boxer, former two-time WBA Super Middleweight Champion, former IBO Middleweight Champion and New South Wales State of Origin representative footballer....
| KO
| 5
| 0:58
| Acer Arena, Sydney, NSW, Australia
|-