Justin Hodges signs contract to fight ‘no name’ NRL rival Darcy Lussick in boxing grudge match
Justin Hodges is headed back into the ring and while it took him a while to get acquainted with his next opponent, the former NRL star promised to unveil some never-before-seen power.
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Justin Hodges says he’d never heard of NRL rival Darcy Lussick before being challenged to a fight by him.
Now, Hodges has officially signed to trade blows with Lussick on the undercard of the Tim Tszyu vs Jack Brubaker fight in Darling Harbour on December 6.
“I’ve signed up to fight this Darcy bloke, to be honest I had no idea who he was,” Hodges said.
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“I have been hearing he’s tough and can fight which is exactly what I’m looking for.
“I have been told he’s been talking a lot so I can’t wait for him to jump in the ring. I’ve been enjoying the training and the thrill of getting into the ring.”
Lussick, the former Manly and Parramatta prop who now plays for the Toronto Wolfpack, has never had a professional fight but declared last month he would floor Queensland Origin villain Hodges (2-0, 2KO).
“I’m going to win,” Lussick said.
“We haven’t seen what Hodges can do as a boxer because his two opponents have been poor.
“There’s plenty of people who will want to see me knock him out, but there will also be plenty of people wanting to see me get knocked out.”
At that time, Hodges had not signed the contract to fight Lussick but has now finalised the deal.
It will be his third professional fight, but after easily disposing his overmatched opponents, the hard-hitting Lussick will present his toughest challenge.
Many who have observed Lussick sparring recently are tipping him to prevail, but Hodges warned him to expect much more than he’s shown previously.
“I’ve been working on my power and sitting down on my punches. It’s something that I’m looking to bring into the fight in December,” Hodges said.
“I would have loved to fight in Queensland but being on the undercard of Tim Tszyu, I’m happy to go wherever.
“I’m sure there’ll be a lot of NSW fans ready to boo me which I thrive on.”
Hodges, 37, is seven years older than his opponent.
He’s knocked out debutants Rob Baron and Troy McMahon in his first two fights.
Lussick is being trained by his father Jason, a notable security expert who has looked after royals and celebrities and trained his sons in boxing from a young age.
Originally published as Justin Hodges signs contract to fight ‘no name’ NRL rival Darcy Lussick in boxing grudge match
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