Paul Gallen has mocked Sonny Bill Williams for his decision to train with the Jai Opetaia camp to prepare for their July 16 fight in Sydney.
Gallen opened the doors to his Cronulla gym on Monday as he went about his gruelling work with long-time trainer Graham Shaw.
Williams also lives in Sydney but has decided to leave his young family and embed himself with the Opetaia crew on the Gold Coast.
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 for $70
Paul Gallen during a training session at 43 Kingsway. Getty
Wide World of Sports asked Gallen if he thought he was in Williams’ head with his constant media sledges, in keeping with the 43-year-old’s relentless, keep coming forward style in the ring.
“I think I’m in his head, yeah, for sure,” Gallen responded.
“We were supposed to do another press conference this week or next, and he wouldn’t do it because he feels that I disrespected him for not turning up with the first one. Like, this is boxing.
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Sonny Bill Williams during a training session at Opetaia Boxing. Getty
“You’ve got to sell a fight, that’s the way you sell a fight, create hype, create publicity, create tension. And by me not turning up that day, it’s created more hype than him telling lies that day has.
“Yeah, I’m shocked that he’s so precious, and I’ve got no doubt I’m in his head. He’s a precious person. I look at him, he’s got to go into camp with a world champion, a 6’2 southpaw (Opetaia).
“What relevance has that got to me? A 5’10 orthodox bloke who keeps coming forward. He’s a really insecure person. Part of me actually feels sorry for him.”
Jai Opetaia knocks down David Nyika. Getty
Gallen told WWOS he did respect Williams as an “amazing athlete” but his departure from the Bulldogs would always haunt him.
“What he did at the Bulldogs many years ago stuck with me,” he said.
“And stuck with everyone for a long time. You don’t let your mates down, you don’t leave your mates overnight, you know… that goes to show the person who he is right there.”
Gallen said he had experienced a couple of minor niggles that had set him back “maybe a week” in his fight preparation but he still backed himself to knock out the New Zealander.
WWOS asked Gallen about why the bookmakers had installed Williams as favourite despite his last fight loss to Mark Hunt – the ex-UFC star that Gallen has beaten.
“I’m obviously four years older than him, so I can understand that, but I’m not too concerned. I have fought way better fighters than him,” Gallen replied.
Mark Hunt throws a punch as Sonny Bill Williams goes down. Getty
“I have been tested more than him.”
Gallen reluctantly agreed to two minute rounds against Williams, rather than the standard professional length of three.
“The first four or five rounds are going to be hard with his length and his ability as an athlete to move, that’ll be hard for me, no doubt,” he said.
“But by six, seven, eight – I’ll be able to knock him out. I laughed, I thought it was a joke. And then for them to be serious and they only want to fight two minute rounds, that’s a huge mental win, you know.
“For him to be four years younger than me, we’re talking about Sonny Bill Williams, not talking about some bloke out of a pub, we’re talking about an amazing cross code boxing superstar athlete wants to fight two minute rounds.
“It’s embarrassing, but as I’ve said, I’ve accepted it.”
