Paul Gallen has delivered a brutal warning to Nelson Asofa-Solomona – and suggested Australia’s new crossover star is “kidding himself” – after finally signing off on a huge November bout in Sydney.
The declaration comes as ‘Big Nasty’ has promised to become the first man to ever knock Gallen unconscious in a boxing ring, telling the NSW Origin great: “Come fight night there’ll be a new memory for everyone … sadly, you won’t remember it”.
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Less than a month after Fox Sports Australia revealed a showdown between Gallen and NAS was “inevitable”, the NRL premiership heroes have confirmed a bout for Friday, November 6 in Sydney.
Already, Gallen boasts an incredible crossover career with wins against the likes of Sonny Bill Williams, UFC great Mark Hunt, even former WBA heavyweight champ Lucas Browne.
In 2021, the Cronulla premiership hero also went 10 rounds with Australia’s now heavyweight title contender Justis Huni, before eventually being stopped.
Asofa-Solomona, meanwhile, is undefeated ever since walking out on Melbourne Storm late last year, and has earned all three of his wins via KO — against Jeremy Latimore, Jarrod Wallace and George Burgess.
He has also opened a favourite with bookies, with Sportsbet last week revealing Gallen as a $2.25 outsider for the then proposed bout, with NAS the $1.60 favourite.
Yet after confirming the bout on Tuesday morning, Gallen immediately sent the 130kg slugger a warning.
“I said months ago his test would come later on,” he started. “Well, later on is November 6, Nelson. Wake up.
“Five years ago you wouldn’t have laid a glove on me and now you think you can get me? You’re kidding yourself, mate.”
Gallen also took aim at his rival’s resume.
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“He’s smashed a couple of blokes who’d never had a real fight in their life,” the former Shark continued. “And good luck to him for that.
“But I’ve shared a ring with a world champion. I’ve out-classed guys a hundred times better than Nelson.
“Plus, I don’t go in there with anything to lose. He’s got everything to lose … and it’s not going the way he thinks.”
Unsurprisingly, NAS sees it differently, declaring: “Everyone wants to talk about my boxing IQ and experience … let’s see how much that matters when I land one on his jaw”.
The former New Zealand Test prop also said he wasn’t concerned about the list of names Gallen has challenged, and in many cases beaten.
“I’m happy for him to keep living in the past,” NAS continued. “Talking about blokes he beat years ago.
“I don’t care what he did five years ago. I care about November 6.
“So enjoy the build up and all the memories, old boy. Come fight night, there’ll be a new memory for everyone … sadly, you won’t remember it though.”
No Limit promoter George Rose also heaped praise on a bout which is being supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
“This is the fight the whole country’s been waiting for,” Rose said.
“Gal walked away from boxing on his terms after beating Sonny Bill. Now he’s walking back in against the one of the most dangerous and destructive punchers we’ve ever put into a ring in this country.
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“Nelson knocks guys out. Gal knows that, but he’s stepping in anyway.
“That tells you everything you need to know about who Paul Gallen is. Crazy, committed and unmistakingly unmissable. He’s long reigned as the king of crossover boxing for a reason.”
It was way back in January that Rose first confirmed the idea of a NAS-Gallen bout with Fox Sports Australia.
Speaking on the eve of what was then Big Nasty’s professional debut, the promoter also suggested his new client would be the winner of said bout, adding: “I don’t think it’s something Gal could handle”.
“Because in my eyes,” Rose said, “anyone stepping in front of big Nelson is getting knocked out cold.”
It seems the bookies agree.
Speaking with Fighting Words only last week, Sportsbet’s Joel Caine confirmed NAS would open as favourite for the bout.
However, Caine quickly added that Gallen had also been the outsider in four of his biggest career showdowns already – and won three of them against Hunt, Browne and SBW.
“So Gal has been the roughie four times in his boxing career,” Caine said. “And three times now, he’s proven the market wrong. He’s the ultimate defier.
“Even that one time the market got him right — and Gal was a $5 outsider against Huni — it still took 10 rounds for Justis to stop him. So while it’s a brave man to take on Nelson, it’s also a brave person to bet against Gal”.
Apart from standing 20cm taller than Gallen, or being 15 years younger, Asofa-Solomona will also potentially outweigh him by as much as 30kg in their November heavyweight showdown.
Pushed on a potential showdown with Gallen back in January, Rose continued: “Look, we’ve enjoyed some great years with Gal. And I can tell you that as an athlete, Paul Gallen fears absolutely no one.
“But in a boxing ring these days, I just don’t think he could keep up with Nelson.
“I think Nelson is too big, too fit. I just don’t think it’s something Gal could handle.”
He also spoke about the size difference between the two.
“Gal’s size was always his biggest detriment,” he said.
“He had the ticker, the power, the fitness, everything else.
“But Nelson? He’s 6’7’’ and 130 kilos.
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“Plus he’s also got the footwork, the fitness, and that rugby league agility. So if he can find the right way to unleash all that power his body possesses, good luck to anyone on the end of his punches.”
Back in August, NAS revealed a fight between himself and Gallen had become “inevitable”, so far along in negotiations were the two camps.
The following day in an interview with nine.com.au however, Gallen suggested nothing had been finalised before hitting out at the former Stormer.
“I’ll tell you why they want me to come back,” he said of promoters No Limit. “They want me to come back and beat him [NAS] because they know he’s shit.
“All due respect to Nelson, but No Limit have realised … he can’t fight. He’s not a good boxer.
“Don’t get me wrong, he’s very dangerous. He can punch. And most footy players they put in front of him, he’ll probably knock them out.
“But as far as boxing goes, he’s absolutely no chance of going anywhere, and they [No Limit] know that. That’s why they want me to come back and beat him and finish him.”
Gallen also took aim at Asofa-Solomona’s most recent win against Burgess.
“They want me to come back and finish this whole shemozzle,” he said.
“The last guy he fought [Burgess], he’s never had a fight in his life and was blowing up after 30 seconds. He was gone. Cooked. He fell and beat himself.
“Nelson wants to be a professional boxer now and they’re trying to bring a 45-year-old out of retirement to fight him. Like, where’s he going?
“When you’re 140kg and you land a punch, that’s gonna hurt most people. He can hurt almost everyone.
“But as far as his boxing ability goes, when he gets down to somebody and actually fights, he’s gonna be in trouble.”