MF: You’ve recently received
government funding to support
the Coward’s Punch campaign
for another three years. Why
did you feel this message should
come from you?
DG: My initial reason was that
young blokes see me boxing in
the ring and they might listen to
what I’m trying to say. In 2012, we
changed the vernacular in society,
now we see magistrates and
judges handing down sentences
referencing the “coward’s punch”
and all the newspapers and TV
channels have used it in lead
stories countless times.
It’s been very powerful and it’s
really resonated because the terms
“king hit” and “one punch” were
glorifying the action. If someone’s
down at the pub and they’ve done
a six-month stretch for assaulting
some bloke, they’re going to
brag about it. But if they’ve been
sentenced because of a coward’s
punch, they’re going to be ashamed
to say it. The Coward’s Punch
campaign is about shaming and
belittling someone who does it and
using that label to say, “Hey, if you
do this, you’ll be branded for life.”MF: Fighting seems like a rite of
passage for many young men.
Were you picking fights when
you were younger?
DG: Not really. I’ve always been
pretty happy and open. I got into
conflicts when I was younger and
that’s life, but I’m proud to say I’ve
never picked a fight. My old man
taught me not to pick a fight and
to walk away if you can, but if
you’ve gotta fight, you’ve gotta
fight. I don’t want someone to take
advantage of me or get on top of
me for no reason or do me harm.
Every person has the right to
defend themselves and there’s
always going to be violence outThe four-time world champion boxer from Perth has an impressive record of
36 professional wins and has been fighting for belts, pride, purses, family and
country for nearly 20 years.
Living up to the hard man image inside the ring, Green has weighed in on public
conversations commonly associated with the sport, particularly when it comes
to young male aggression and senseless violence. How? By putting money where
his mouth is and funding the Coward’s Punch campaign that has since changed
the vernacular on street violence, boiling down the impact of striking someone
unaware to its base level – a coward’s act.
But Green’s streetwise nature means he knows that violence and conflict in
society will never be eradicated completely. Here, he says, is where the art of
boxing can empower people to defend themselves and take back confidence.
68 MEN’S FITNESS SEPTEMBER 2019
DANNY GREEN IS PROUD TO
SAY HE’S NEVER STARTED
A FIGHT, BUT WE ALL KNOW
HE CAN FINISH THEM.