Paul Gallen calls out another UFC great after boxing win over Mark Hunt
Paul Gallen dismissed Sonny Bill Williams as “yesterday’s hero” after preserving his unbeaten boxing record with a courageous, against-the-odds points decision over MMA legend Mark Hunt.
Over wanting a showdown with Williams after defying his underdog status in an epic encounter, Gallen set his sights on UFC middleweight superstar Rob Whitaker after improving his record to 10 wins and one draw from 11 professional bouts.
Gallen v SBW is what most rugby league fans yearn for – but not Cronulla’s only ever premiership-winning captain.
“Sonny Bill’s yesterday’s hero. Where’s he? Where’s he?” Gallen said when asked if the sport-hopping Kiwi was in his sights. “I’ve said I’ll fight him for how many years now. You’ll have to go and ask him.
“Why not ask Sonny Bill if he wants to fight me? I’m always the one answering the question. Go and ask Sonny. Actually, go and ask Khoder [Nasser, his manager]. Khoder speaks for him. Sonny can’t talk.”
Gallen and Williams going toe to toe in the ring would generate millions on pay-per-view TV. But so too would Gallen squaring off against Whitaker who, at 29, is 10 years Gallen’s junior.
“I know how fit he is. I know I won’t be fitter than him, I won’t be stronger than him,” Gallen said. “Its going to be a challenge. That’s what I’m here to do.
I’m here to promote boxing and what bigger challenge than Rob Whitaker.”
Gallen was quick to call out Whitaker after Wednesday night’s triumph in front of 11,820 fans at Bankwest Stadium, saying he was riled by seeing an interview with the UFC hot-shot years ago.
“Someone asked if he’d fight me and he said, ‘Yeah, I’d fight him but he wouldn’t fight me’ and he laughed, like in a way that annoyed me,” said the former Sharks and NSW State of Origin captain.
“I felt, ‘stuff you, you condescending prick, I’ll fight you’. Like I had options for this fight, but Mark was the big name and the big drawcard. He was the biggest name, he was the biggest scalp.
“I’ve got that one done. If we can come with a deal with Rob Whitaker, we’ll sort that one next. I won’t be taking any less than 50-50.”
Anyone who thought Gallen’s showdown with 46-year-old Hunt was a boxing gimmick should have been ringside. The pair traded fierce blows for six epic rounds, with Gallen having to pull out all stops to keep Hunt at bay.
“He hit me in round two. I don’t know what with. It rocked me for a second,” Gallen said. “I was rattled, without a doubt. But I’m so fit at the moment. I have trained so hard.”
In the night’s main event, Tim Tszyu moved reach of a world title after extending his unbeaten record to 17 fights with a brutal first-round knockout of Bowyn Morgan.
The 26-year-old son of Australian great Kostya floored the New Zealander twice in the opening exchanges to retain his WBO Global and IBF Australasian Super Welterweight title bout.
The victory means Tszyu could now fight Brian Castano for a world title early next year if current champion Patrick Teixeira isn’t able to meet Castano before 6 January.