Paul Gallen vows to humiliate John Hopoate and wipe him out with a body shot
Paul Gallen has vowed to totally humiliate John Hopoate in their bout on Friday night, promising to wipe out his opponent with a body shot.
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Paul Gallen has vowed to humiliate John Hopoate by knocking him out with a body shot.
After the pair were forcibly separated after scuffling at their weigh-in on Thursday, Hopoate stormed out without speaking to reporters, while Gallen vowed to thump his rival’s midriff to add insult to injury.
“The sweetest part will be when I crack him with a shot, I feel that punch and I watch him go down,” Gallen told The Daily Telegraph.
“Just being able to crack him, I want to hit him to the body and drop him, that will be embarrassing for him.”
After trading barbs for months, Gallen (101.5kg) and Hopoate (112kg) hit the scales ahead of Friday night’s showdown at a sold-out Hordern Pavilion, and it wasn’t long before their stare down got physical.
After Hopoate pushed his head against Gallen’s, the Cronulla forward grabbed his rival by the neck before they pushed and shoved each other.
“I was expecting a headbutt, so thankfully everyone got out of it with not even a scratch which is good,” Gallen said.
“I was thinking about the headbutt, I remember the first press conference we did I stood with my hands behind my back on purpose, hoping that he would understand I’ve got my hands behind my back so I’m no threat.
“’As each one has gone on, he’s got closer and closer. I could hear his breathing, I could tell he was fired up, he took a deep breath and leant in.
“I was waiting for a deadest genuine headbutt but never got it, thankfully.”
Hopoate, who showed off his six-pack on the scales, again vowed to knock out Gallen before their face-off fracas.
But Gallen, who has vowed to retire from boxing if he loses, is embracing the enormous pressure of being a 5/1 favourite, along with the $50,000 personal bet he has made with Hopoate for the loser to pay.
“I’m fighting against a big puncher, on the big stage, there’s a lot of pressure on me on this one, a lot of pressure,” Gallen said.
“I’m confident in the training I’ve done, I’ve got to take that training into the fight and I’ll be right.
“The big punch doesn’t worry too much. But I do like the pressure.
“I say things in rugby league that people don’t agree with - that puts pressure on me. I’ve said I’m going to knock Hoppa out - that puts pressure on me. I’m fighting in front of thousands of people, I’m in there on my own - that puts pressure on me.
“I am who I am in rugby league and someone wants to stop me.
“There’s all sorts of pressure but I’m going to go out there and do what I’ve got to do.”
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Originally published as Paul Gallen vows to humiliate John Hopoate and wipe him out with a body shot
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