Off the NRL field and into the ring

GRANTLEE KIEZA WHEN Maroons great Justin Hodges makes his boxing debut in Sydney on Friday night, he will tackle a centuryold tradition of footballers invading the fight game.

Hodges has followed boxing since he was a kid but admits his battle against Ipswich novice Rob Baron is still a case of taking baby steps in the sport.

Friday’s card at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion features Tim Tszyu (son of Kostya) fighting in his toughest test yet, but most public interest will focus on Hodges’ debut and the anticipated slugfest between Sharks skipper Paul Gallen and league ogre John Hopoate, a former Australian heavyweight boxing champion.

Footballers are a natural fit for boxing, according to Australia’s greatest fight trainer Johnny Lewis. He says boxing is a hurt business and that “more than any other athletes, footy players know what it’s like to play hurt”.

“They know what it’s like to go the distance after taking heavy knocks,’’ Lewis says. “What it’s like to suck up pain and fight back, to be there at the final bell when everything inside is screaming to quit.’’

As evidence – John Sattler winning a grand final with a broken jaw, Cooper Cronk carrying the Roosters’ hopes with a busted shoulder and Dermott Brereton making his mark with broken ribs.

Footballers have been tackling the fight game for more than a century, with Richmond Aussie rules fullback Bill Lang fighting for the world heavyweight championship in Melbourne in 1908 and winning the British Empire title five years later.

Footscray rover Ambrose Palmer followed in his footsteps, winning the Australian middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight belts.

Despite boxing’s brutality, his worst injuries came when he was sandwiched between two Essendon players in 1939 and suffered fractures to his jaw, cheekbone and skull.

More recently AFL hotshots Kayne Pettifer and Shane Tuck have come up short trying to make their mark with the gloves.

League players have fared much better.

Probably the best league player to fight was Herb Narvo, a star forward on the 1937 Kangaroo tour. He won the Australian heavyweight title in 1943, taking only 25 seconds to ice Billy Britt. After his final fight at Sydney Stadium in 1946, Narvo went on to captain-coach St George to the grand final.

Thirty-five years ago I promoted one of the biggest footballer versus boxer fights when I paid Bulldogs hooker Billy Johnstone $3000 to challenge Australian middleweight champion Ritchie Roberts on a broiling summer’s day at Sydney’s Belmore Sports Ground.

With my assistant – a young amateur fighter named Jeff Fenech – helping me, I sold more than 4000 tickets to what was a scorching battle in 1984.

Billy battered the champ for 11 rounds but was sensationally disqualified in the 12th and never fought again.

Most fighting footballers lace on the gloves to make some extra money as an offseason sidelight but some have turned the fight game into their field of dreams.

Anthony Mundine walked out of the Dragons after 134 first grade games and three Origin appearances and went on to make $32 million from boxing until his 18-year career ended at Jeff Horn’s feet.

Other league players have had varying degrees of success, from Sonny Bill Williams to Garth Wood, Paul Hayward to Monty Betham Jr, Lance Thompson, Jason Williams, Todd Carney and Chris Sandow.

Matt Rose, the promoter of Friday’s show, says while Hodges, Hopoate and Gallen are the big drawcards, he hopes they will lure more fans to ap- preciate the fulltime pugilists – Tszyu facing the biggest test of his career against England’s Denton Vassell and Jeff Horn’s cornerman Adam Copland battling Sydney super-middleweight Mateo Tapia.

Friday’s card will be televised on Main Event. editorial@