Origin 2020: Josh Papalii and Junior Paulo to fight for charity
They played plenty of footy together in Canberra, now Origin rivals Josh Papalii and Junior Paulo have pledged to punch on.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Josh Papalii and Junior Paulo squared off in Origin I on Wednesday night. Now the 113kg Queensland hardman and the 123kg Blues enforcer are ready for a ding-dong heavyweight battle in the boxing ring.
The Sunday Mail can reveal talks are underway for Origin big boppers Papalii and Paulo to spearhead a charity fight night featuring a number of current and former NRL stars.
Dubbed All Stars Boxing, the event is scheduled to be held in January or February with NRL hulks Papalii and Paulo set to trade blows in the headline bout of the night.
Several current and former NRL stars are also in negotiations with promoters but their names are a closely-guarded secret at this stage.
Kayo is your ticket to the best sport streaming Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
It’s understood the main event on the card will be a heavyweight blockbuster between Paulo and Papalii, whose cousin Alex ‘The Lionheart’ Leapai fought for a world title in 2014.
Both Parramatta and Canberra have given verbal approval for Paulo and Papalii - who were former teammates at the Raiders - to go toe-to-toe in the ring.
Papalii has been keen to test himself in boxing for the past year and has previously raised it with Canberra coach Ricky Stuart.
Paulo is no mug in the ring, showing impressive speed and punching power in his charity clash with Sharks legend Paul Gallen in 2016. Gallen won that fight but Paulo more than held his own.
MORE NRL NEWS
Where are they now: Jason Hetherington goes from mighty Maroons player to QLD women’s coach
State of Origin 2020: Andrew Johns calls for Nathan Cleary to be dropped for Origin II
Maroons prop Papalii has long been regarded as one of the hardest hitters in the NRL and he would be a fearsome sight in the boxing ring.
Papalii confirmed he is keen to jump in the ring once he completes his Origin commitments with the Maroons, although he admits facing his good mate Paulo would be tough.
“I have said yes to a charity fight,” he said.
“Junior is a good friend of mine so I don’t know if I could fight a friend. But I am keen to have a fight at some stage. Once this Origin camp is over, I’d like to give it a shot.”
Originally published as Origin 2020: Josh Papalii and Junior Paulo to fight for charity