Paul Gallen has said he will “kill” Sonny Bill Williams if he tries to emulate the style of Aussie cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia in their highly-anticipated boxing bout.
The former Sharks captain and rugby league legend will take on his long-time rival next month in what looms as one of the biggest events in Australian boxing history.
The 43-year-old has made no secret of his legitimate feelings towards Williams and things reached fever-pitch when the dual-code international made suggestions that Gallen was using performance-enhancing drugs.
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Speaking on Nine’s Freddy and The Eighth, Gallen was asked whether he would knock out Williams and gave a trademark response, highlighting the bad blood.
Paul Gallen Nine
“I want to – I really want to hurt him to be honest,” Gallen said.
“I really want to knock him out, I don’t like him at all. I can’t say I hate him, because if I hated him I’d say some things that would offend his family and I’m not gonna do that.
“I don’t like the bloke, there’s nothing to like about him and I never have.”
Sonny Bill Willams vs Paul Gallen at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on July 16 is available to order live and Exclusive on Stan Pay-Per-View
Gallen (15-2-1) enjoyed a stellar career inside the ring, defeating the likes of Lucas Browne and Mark Hunt – but the clash with Williams is what has dragged Gallen out of retirement after almost three years of inactivity.
The former Bulldogs and Roosters premiership winner has been training alongside the aforementioned Opetaia on the Gold Coast to prepare for the fight, as he also looks for one last big pay day as a boxer against Gallen.
Jai Opetaia with his cruiserweight world titles. Getty
But according to Gallen, the suggestion that Williams could emulate the country’s best current boxer is a laughable one and would last “30 seconds” against him.
“Sonny’s long and he’s big, he is gonna try and use his jab,” he said.
“He’s gone and trained with Jai Opetaia – he’s a terrific guy, I had a lot to do with him coming through and he fought on a number of my undercards, I know (Opetaia) pretty well.
“I can see Sonny is gonna try and fight like Jai Opetaia – please. Jai Opetaia is the world’s best cruiserweight, one of the best fighters in the world.
“Please try to fight like Jai Opetaia, please – I will kill you.
“Seriously, how can he train like Jai Opetaia on six weeks’ training, no hope. He’s gonna do his best to be like Jai and it’s gonna last 30 seconds.”
Sonny Bill Williams during a training session at Opetaia Boxing. Getty
While the ever-confident Gallen knows he has what it takes to defeat SBW once the bell rings, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing during his own training camp.
But all it’s going to take is eight, two-minute rounds for Gallen to claim bragging rights.
“I’m going pretty good, things are going OK,” he said.
“It hasn’t been ideal, obviously when you get a bit older, you run into a few niggles along the way. I’m 43 … it’s tough at this age, to train at the intensity I used to train with.
“At the end of the day, I’ve got 16 minutes of work – that’s it.”
The fight between Gallen and Williams is scheduled for July 16 at Qudos Bank Arena.
