Paul Gallen wins points verdict in hyped fight with SBW
Two judges scored it 77-74 and 76-75 in favour of Gallen while a third had New Zealander Williams winning 77-74 in Wednesday's relatively tame affair at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena.
After all the spite and verbal barbs landed over the previous decade, the fight simply didn't hit the heights as both men laboured, working to their traditional strengths.
Former Australian and Origin league player Gallen (15-3-1, 8 KOs) attempted to put pressure on from the start, while Williams, who is 12 centimetres taller, utilised his jab and movement.
The 39-year-old dual rugby code international Williams tried to thwart Gallen's charges by holding and clinching, and was deducted a point by referee Les Fear In the seventh round.
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Paul Gallen is declared winner by split decision following his main event boxing match against Sonny Bill Williams. (Source: Photosport)
Williams wasn't interviewed in the ring after the fight and declined to attend the post-fight media conference.
"I definitely lost one round, I think the second round and there was one other pretty close one and he got a point taken off, so how the hell is he winning (on one judge's card)?" Gallen said.
"I got the win. That's all that matters and it will be there forever.
"I'm 44 years old in less than a month's time.
"Sonny just came upon to me and said he wants to have a coffee man-to-man and I'm on for that.
"I've finished my fights, I'm getting with my life.
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"I'm not going to gloat, it's been a long time coming. I got the job done and that's all that matters," added Gallen, while also revealing he had come down with COVID two weeks before the fight.
On the undercard, world-ranked Victorian Kris Terzievski moved closer to a bridgerweight world title shot by retaining his two regional titles with a sixth-round stoppage of Gold Coast-based New Zealander Troy Pilcher.
After 10 years of trash talk, Sonny Bill Williams and Paul Gallen will finally settle things in the ring. (Source: Stan Sport) (Source: Other)
Terzievski (14-1-2, 11 KOs) put Pilcher (10-2-1, 8 KOs) down with a body shot In the fifth and referee Fear stopped the fight after two more knockdowns in the sixth.
Earlier, two sons of famous fathers each had a quick win on the undercard.
With his father and former world champion Antony Mundine in his corner, 25-year-old super middleweight Rahim Mundine (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Fijian opponent Joe Vatusaqata (1-5-1, 1 KO) in the second round.
Heavyweight Alex Leapai Jr, improved to 5-0-1 (4 KOs), with a first round knock out of Herve Silu Mata 3-4 (2 KOs)
Leapai's father, also named Alex, unsuccessfully challenged former IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2014.
Another winner on the undercard was New Zealander David Nyika, who bounced back from his loss to IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia with a fifth-round stoppage of fellow Kiwi Nik Charalampous.
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