Sonny Bill Williams has swatted off Paul Gallen's final attempts to get under his skin ahead of their boxing bout in Sydney.
The pre-fight press conference for Wednesday's fight eventually sparked into life, with Gallen accusing Williams of drug use and for charging large sums for his community work.
Sports journalist Elijah Fa'afiu joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dunsey Waldergrave
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be after a decade of verbal jabs, sunny Bill
Williams and Paul Gallan will finally get in the ring
on Wednesday night at Kudos Bank Arena Elijah Feet who
is in Sydney covering this fight for us. The pre
fight press conference Elijah took place this afternoon. Talk us
through how that played out.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Yeah, well, you'd think for two guys who haven't really
been in the same room, given the as you mentioned,
a decade of verbal jabs, they'd be a bit of
fireworks or I guess some explosiveness between the two. But
surprisingly there was a lot of restraint shown by both sides,
probably more so from sunny Bill giving what Paul Gallon's
dished out with his words over this whole entire build up.
(00:51):
But I will say Paul Gallon, former New South Wales skipper,
loves a good dog dog fight that his best near
the end of the press conference to get under his
opponents skin one last time with a bit of jabs.
But yeah, I think give us some of the strength there.
So I think part of me thinks that there is
a little bit of respect between these two. Here's been
talking about a lot of distrust, a lot of dislike,
(01:13):
But I do think at the end of the day,
there's gonna be a lot of respect and Yeah, but
the press conference probably not as explosive as you like
to think it is, but definitely a nice solid way
to build up to the fight.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Or I was going to ask you about the genuine
feeling between these two. Interesting that you use the word respect,
because from everything leading up to today and all the
stuff I've read and heard, and I've spoken to both
fighters on the radiohead of this one, they just seem
to genuinely hate one another, just sort of typical pre
fight hype.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I think part of it is I think at the
start of the build Sunny Bill said that there's no
actual hate. Hates a strong word, and Sonny Bill himself
said that it's hard for him to actually hate someone,
so you wouldn't go as far as to say hate.
But I think dislike or distrust is probably the best
way to describe this feud. Part of me thinks, yeah,
this is sort of the trash talk that we see
(02:07):
in the combat space, and I do think that when
it's all sit and done. We'll see on Wednesday night
after their fight that there is a little bit of respect,
a tiny speck. I want to say there's a whole
lot of respect, but I see that tiny little speck
that maybe when it's all sit and done, the two
will eventually shake hands, because I've even read that Paul
Gallon had no plan, has no plans to shake Soney
(02:28):
Bill's hand at the end of the fight. So we'll
all sort of see what happens there.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Who is favorite to win this fight.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
It's a tough one because both fighters have been a
bit I guess rusty that neither fighters fought since twenty
twenty two. Paul Gallon's forty three, Sunny Bill's approaching forty,
so it's a tough one to predict. I would lean
more towards sunny because it is one, here is the
younger fighter, and two there are eight two minute rounds,
(02:58):
which you think would favor the younger, fitter fighter like
Sunny Bill. So I would lean towards Sunny. But Paul Gallon, again,
as I mentioned before, he loves a dog fight, so
if he turns that turns into that type of contest,
then I think Gallan can definitely find a way to
get the win.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
What there has been the general reaction to the eight
two minute rounds Elijah, does that in any way water
down this fight?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yes and no. I think that was a big talking
point around the negotiations of was how long this fight
was actually going to be. Paul Gallan did push for
three minute rounds because that's what you usually see in
these big boxing contests. Sunny Bill pushed morph so for two.
I think part of it to do with for his
cardio to his fitness, which would lean more in his favor.
(03:46):
In terms of the general reaction to those rounds, I
wouldn't say it's had too much of an impact. At
the end of the day, we're seeing these two former
rugby league players turn the boxes, finally get into the ring.
It's on one another after a decade of distrust in
verbal jabs. So I don't think it's been a big
talking point, but I do think we'll see how it
(04:07):
affects either fighter come Wednesday night.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
All right, and part of the undercard feature another key
key we David Nika off the back of his first
career loss at the hands of Jai Opataire. He's going
to face another key we actually Nicholas Cheryl lamp Loos. Sorry, Cherul,
you're going to Cheryl Ampos. See. I'm glad you're here
to help me out. Nika should Winness one comfortably, should he?
Speaker 3 (04:30):
He? He should? There's a little bit of history between
the two, not so much bad blood, but the two
have sparred with each other in the past, particularly when
David was coming up in the rank, so there's a
little bit of history there. David did say I spoke
to him just after the press conference actually, and he
did say this was probably his tough as camp psychologically
because you come off a big world title fight loss
(04:54):
like you did against Giopataia, that can definitely do some
damage mentally and then psychologically. So David's really had to
find some resilience, really had to dig deep during this
training camp. And yeah, it will be a great way
for him to bounce act with the win over a
fellow compatriot and Nick cheryl Ampos.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
All right, we'll look forward to that on Wednesday night. Actually,
Wrexham are playing Sydney FC tomorrow night. Elijah, have you
got a ticket?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Well, now that you mentioned it, Parney, I might try
and sneak my way into I'll do some celebrity spot
and see you Fryan Reynolds, and in such an iron town,
so I can definitely do that for your pony.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
That's good. I'm pleased that you're working for me over
there in the in the harborst city of Sydney. Thanks
for joining us on sports Talk tonight. Look forward to
your coverage of this fight across the next few days. Pliny,
Thanks ljaj far Fitt, you were there in Sydney. The
fight's on Wednesday night. It's set to go as estimated.
They'll get in the ring about midnight New Zealand time.
All right, So I don't know. Maybe you buy the
(05:48):
fight and never look at it, or just wake up
on Thursday morning and find out who won.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dunsey Waldergrave
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be after a decade of verbal jabs, sunny Bill
Williams and Paul Gallan will finally get in the ring
on Wednesday night at Kudos Bank Arena Elijah Feet who
is in Sydney covering this fight for us. The pre
fight press conference Elijah took place this afternoon. Talk us
through how that played out.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Yeah, well, you'd think for two guys who haven't really
been in the same room, given the as you mentioned,
a decade of verbal jabs, they'd be a bit of
fireworks or I guess some explosiveness between the two. But
surprisingly there was a lot of restraint shown by both sides,
probably more so from sunny Bill giving what Paul Gallon's
dished out with his words over this whole entire build up.
(00:51):
But I will say Paul Gallon, former New South Wales skipper,
loves a good dog dog fight that his best near
the end of the press conference to get under his
opponents skin one last time with a bit of jabs.
But yeah, I think give us some of the strength there.
So I think part of me thinks that there is
a little bit of respect between these two. Here's been
talking about a lot of distrust, a lot of dislike,
(01:13):
But I do think at the end of the day,
there's gonna be a lot of respect and Yeah, but
the press conference probably not as explosive as you like
to think it is, but definitely a nice solid way
to build up to the fight.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Or I was going to ask you about the genuine
feeling between these two. Interesting that you use the word respect,
because from everything leading up to today and all the
stuff I've read and heard, and I've spoken to both
fighters on the radiohead of this one, they just seem
to genuinely hate one another, just sort of typical pre
fight hype.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
I think part of it is I think at the
start of the build Sunny Bill said that there's no
actual hate. Hates a strong word, and Sonny Bill himself
said that it's hard for him to actually hate someone,
so you wouldn't go as far as to say hate.
But I think dislike or distrust is probably the best
way to describe this feud. Part of me thinks, yeah,
this is sort of the trash talk that we see
(02:07):
in the combat space, and I do think that when
it's all sit and done. We'll see on Wednesday night
after their fight that there is a little bit of respect,
a tiny speck. I want to say there's a whole
lot of respect, but I see that tiny little speck
that maybe when it's all sit and done, the two
will eventually shake hands, because I've even read that Paul
Gallon had no plan, has no plans to shake Soney
(02:28):
Bill's hand at the end of the fight. So we'll
all sort of see what happens there.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Who is favorite to win this fight.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
It's a tough one because both fighters have been a
bit I guess rusty that neither fighters fought since twenty
twenty two. Paul Gallon's forty three, Sunny Bill's approaching forty,
so it's a tough one to predict. I would lean
more towards sunny because it is one, here is the
younger fighter, and two there are eight two minute rounds,
(02:58):
which you think would favor the younger, fitter fighter like
Sunny Bill. So I would lean towards Sunny. But Paul Gallon, again,
as I mentioned before, he loves a dog fight, so
if he turns that turns into that type of contest,
then I think Gallan can definitely find a way to
get the win.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
What there has been the general reaction to the eight
two minute rounds Elijah, does that in any way water
down this fight?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yes and no. I think that was a big talking
point around the negotiations of was how long this fight
was actually going to be. Paul Gallan did push for
three minute rounds because that's what you usually see in
these big boxing contests. Sunny Bill pushed morph so for two.
I think part of it to do with for his
cardio to his fitness, which would lean more in his favor.
(03:46):
In terms of the general reaction to those rounds, I
wouldn't say it's had too much of an impact. At
the end of the day, we're seeing these two former
rugby league players turn the boxes, finally get into the ring.
It's on one another after a decade of distrust in
verbal jabs. So I don't think it's been a big
talking point, but I do think we'll see how it
(04:07):
affects either fighter come Wednesday night.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
All right, and part of the undercard feature another key
key we David Nika off the back of his first
career loss at the hands of Jai Opataire. He's going
to face another key we actually Nicholas Cheryl lamp Loos. Sorry, Cherul,
you're going to Cheryl Ampos. See. I'm glad you're here
to help me out. Nika should Winness one comfortably, should he?
Speaker 3 (04:30):
He? He should? There's a little bit of history between
the two, not so much bad blood, but the two
have sparred with each other in the past, particularly when
David was coming up in the rank, so there's a
little bit of history there. David did say I spoke
to him just after the press conference actually, and he
did say this was probably his tough as camp psychologically
because you come off a big world title fight loss
(04:54):
like you did against Giopataia, that can definitely do some
damage mentally and then psychologically. So David's really had to
find some resilience, really had to dig deep during this
training camp. And yeah, it will be a great way
for him to bounce act with the win over a
fellow compatriot and Nick cheryl Ampos.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
All right, we'll look forward to that on Wednesday night. Actually,
Wrexham are playing Sydney FC tomorrow night. Elijah, have you
got a ticket?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Well, now that you mentioned it, Parney, I might try
and sneak my way into I'll do some celebrity spot
and see you Fryan Reynolds, and in such an iron town,
so I can definitely do that for your pony.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
That's good. I'm pleased that you're working for me over
there in the in the harborst city of Sydney. Thanks
for joining us on sports Talk tonight. Look forward to
your coverage of this fight across the next few days. Pliny,
Thanks ljaj far Fitt, you were there in Sydney. The
fight's on Wednesday night. It's set to go as estimated.
They'll get in the ring about midnight New Zealand time.
All right, So I don't know. Maybe you buy the
(05:48):
fight and never look at it, or just wake up
on Thursday morning and find out who won.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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