HANNANT FOLLOWS WIFE’S ORDERS INTO BATTLE

BEN Hannant said “no’’ three times to a fight with Paul Gallen before giving in to someone he had no chance of defeating … his wife.

“I kept on saying no but we are building a new house and my wife (Emma) kept saying if I took this fight we could put a pool in,’’ Hannant said.

“You know what they say – happy wife, happy life – so here we go.’’

That yet-to-be-constructed pool – let’s call it the Paul Gallen Aquatic Centre – is set for a major workout.

Hannant is a father of eight and while the new house gets built on his Gold Coast acreage, Hannant, Emma and their eight children have squeezed into a three bedroom, one bathroom cottage at the back of their property.

Hannant is expected to fight warrior Gallen in the first of Gallen’s two fights at the Nissan Arena before former fellow Bronco Justin Hodges takes the 41-year-old on an hour or so later.

The night has become to boxing what the Big Bash is to cricket – an unusual spectacle which some (Hannant) rate as an entertainment event while others (Gallen) treat deadly seriously.

“I definitely think what I am doing is all about entertainment,’’ Hannant said at Wednesday’s weigh-in.

“I would be kidding myself – and this is the mistake I made when I fought Hodgo – if I thought I could do in four weeks what boxers take 10 to 20 years to learn. You cannot do that.

“I’m a dumb front-rower. We can absorb one or two key points, that’s all. We are going to be throwing sledgehammers. All you need is one or two to connect …’’

Hannant, who really should change his nickname from the Polar Bear to the Grizzly Bear if he is to be treated seriously by the boxing world, was flashing his ready smile on fight eve but this is a dangerous night.

Prize-fighter Gallen is no-one’s idea of Australia’s Tyson Fury but he is tough, experienced and ruthless.

It will be in his best interests to try and finish off Hannant as quickly as possible to conserve energy for Hodges.