Paul Gallen wins points verdict over Sonny Bill Williams in heavyweight bout

Australia Broadcast Center

16-07-2025

Paul Gallen has scored a split-points win over Sonny Bill Williams in their long-awaited heavyweight boxing bout in Sydney.
Two judges scored the bout 77-74 and 76-75 in favour of Gallen, while a third had Williams winning 77-74 in Wednesday evening's relatively tame affair.
After all the spite and verbal barbs landed over the previous decade, the fight simply did not hit the heights as both Gallen and Williams laboured, working to their traditional strengths.
NRL premiership-winning captain Gallen (15-3-1, 8 KOs) attempted to put pressure on from the start, while dual international Williams, who is 12 centimetres taller than his opponent, utilised his jab and movement.
Williams tried to thwart Gallen's charges by holding and clinching, and was deducted a point by referee Les Fear In the seventh round.
He was not interviewed in the ring after the fight and declined to attend the post-fight media conference.
"I got the win. That's all that matters and it will be there forever," said Gallen, who revealed he had come down with COVID-19 two weeks before the bout.
"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.
"I'm not going to gloat. It's been a long time coming. I got the job done and that's all that matters," he added.
With his father and former world champion Anthony 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 of their bout on the undercard.
Heavyweight Alex Leapai Jr improved to 5-0-1 (4 KOs) with a first-round knockout 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.
AAP