After a lengthy feud, Paul Gallen has claimed bragging rights over Sonny Bill Williams, with the NRL great defeating the cross-code legend in a bout that almost lived up to the hype.
After momentum swings galore across eight two-minute rounds – a source of controversy leading up to the fight – Gallen edged the contest via split decision, with a 76-75 scoreline from the deciding judge enough to claim victory, despite commentator and boxing great Danny Green maintaining on Stan Sport Williams was the likelier victor.
In the end, a crucial point penalty for Williams in the seventh round for clinging to Gallen after a brutal right hook to the midriff proved decisive.
The veteran pair, who had engaged in a series of verbal stoushes in the lead-up to the fight to intensify an enmity that has steadily grown over the last decade, slugged it out from start to finish in a fight that packed as much drama as it did controversy.
Much of it centred on 39-year old Williams, the younger man and slight favourite heading in, repeatedly holding onto Gallen for lengthy periods of the fight, while the 43-year old former Shark landed a series of heavy body blows that echoed around the Qudos Bank Arena.
The fight erupted in the second round, with Gallen initially pushing Williams right up to the ropes, before the two-time Rugby World Cup champion responded with a flurry of heavy jabs that rocked his opponent.
By the third round, Gallen had landed 52 punches to 28, but many of Williams’ had been at the head, with Gallen primarily focusing on the body – Green joking on commentary that the cross-code icon would have ‘ribs like a bag of chips’.
Perhaps the crucial moment came midway through the seventh round, with a brutal Gallen right hook to the midriff knocking the stuffing out of Williams, who responded by desperately clinging to Gallen as he propped himself up on the former NRL hard man, infuriating him.
As a result, Williams was given a one-point penalty by referee Les Fear and warned he would risk disqualification if he continued to hold.
However, on Stan Sport, Green remained adamant Williams had landed the more significant blows.
“Are the judges going to score those great body shots that Gal scored, or are they going to score the head shots more?” Green wondered.
“Because if they’re going to score the body shots, Gallen’s landed a ton.”
Gallen raised a fist in triumph as the final bell sounded, though Green maintained Williams was the likelier winner.
“Sonny Bill clearly landed the cleaner, crisper shots to the head. That’s what professional boxing’s about,” he said.
“He nearly dropped Paul Gallen, had him stuffed in Round 2. To his credit, the warhorse came back, but he landed so many body shots. Are the judges going to score those?”
While Gallen and Williams shook hands post-fight, they also engaged in a heated argument while awaiting the verdict, putting paid to hopes the bout would bury their long-standing hatchet.
The result, too, would spark controversy on both sides, Gallen furious and repeatedly mouthing ‘f–k off’ as a judge awarded the fight 77-74 in favour of Williams.
However, the two other judges would give Gallen the fight 77-74 and 76-75, though the 43-year old remained unimpressed by the verdict – though not as unimpressed as Williams, who left the ring immediately.
Adding to the drama, Williams’ manager Khoder Nasser, who engaged in a heated verbal stoush with Gallen post-fight, was reportedly seen raising a middle finger to the sky after the result was announced, with Williams not engaging in any post-fight interviews.
“Seriously, how’d they score that?” Gallen wondered in a post-fight interview with Stan Sport.
“I definitely lost one round, I think the second round. I think there was one other pretty close one. Then he got a point taken off. How the hell’s he win?”
Debate erupted across social media, with many adamant Gallen was the worthy victor and criticising both Green’s commentary and Williams’ quick exit…
… while others, including Green and former women’s professional boxer Rebecca Gartner on Stan Sport and leading NRL journalist Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield, maintained Williams was unlucky.
“It’s very difficult to score a fight when you’re calling it – but for me, Sonny landed the cleaner, harder, crisper shots that were more eye-catching,” Green said on Stan Sport.
“Professional boxing is scored on the cleaner, harder punches.”
“I was steering more towards Sonny – even with a point off, I thought he was still in front,” Gartner added.
“I thought he was a lot more tactical, a lot more evasive, as we saw particularly in the last minutes of the round. I thought he landed more, he was cleaner more – yes, there were body shots from Gallen, but I just didn’t think there was enough. I didn’t think the work rate was there, and I don’t think his defence was there either.”
“I do love Gal, he’s one of my favourites … but I just thought it was more steered towards Sonny.”
Aside from his frustration over the points, Gallen was gracious in defeat, revealing Williams had approached him to ‘have a coffee man to man’ to end their feud.
“At the end of the day, I’m 44 years old in less than a month’s time,” he said.
“I had my fights, I finished my fights, I moved on with life. I’m not going to bring this up or talk about it or carry on … I’m not going to gloat.
“It’s been a long time coming, I got the job done, and that’s all that matters. Life goes on now.
“Me and Sonny had a decent chat just then, I sincerely wish the best to him and his family.
“Me and him are like oil and water, we’re never going to break bread, but I’m willing to have a coffee with him and catch up, man to man.
“I’ve seen him with his kids at the footy, he’s a terrific dad, and I can tell he loves his kid, as do I.
“I just can’t wait to go back to being a dad, to be honest. The last two or three months have been so consuming.”
In a late twist, Gallen revealed he had had COVID in the lead-up to the bout, while thanking employer Channel 9 for giving him sufficient time off to prepare for the fight.
Gallen also paid tribute to the Sharks, in particular stars Nicho Hynes and Ronaldo Mulitalo.
“I got COVID two and a half weeks ago, needed a couple of days off, and they gave it to me,” he said.
“Last week, I wasn’t quite over it, and they gave me Friday-Saturday off to prepare for this, and thankfully I’ve come good, so can’t thank them enough.
“I look forward to just going back and talking about footy. I’m a footy player at heart.
“The Cronulla Sharks, can’t thank them enough, I wouldn’t be here right now without the Cronulla Sharks, they’ve been so wonderful to me for 25-plus years.
“I want to thank a couple of current players, Nicho Hynes in particular and Ronaldo Mulitalo. Sonny said something a few weeks ago that was a little bit out there, and Ronaldo Mulitalo, when he saw me, came straight up to me and calmed my nerves. For a young kid that debuted when I was still playing, he showed a lot of wisdom and aged and really helped me. Love you brother.
“And the Cronulla Sharks as a whole – come on boys, I want to see nothing more than a premiership. Let’s go you good things!”
It’s Gallen’s first victory since defeating Justin Hodges in November 2022.
