‘My heart’s in boxing’: Tevita Pangai Jr. shuts down rumours after NRL exit

Exiting NRL star Tevita Pangai Jr. has wasted no time in shifting to boxing, just a matter of days after turning his back on league.

Pangai Jr. has won both his fights by KO. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Tevita Pangai Jr. will take his first steps into a full-time boxing career, announcing his next fight will be a week after the NRL grand final.

Pangai Jr. will be joined by his brother Jermaine on a card stacked with current NRL stars on the undercard of Tokyo Olympian and 5-0 light heavyweight Paulo Aukuso’s next fight.

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But it was Pangai Jr. who made waves when he quit the NRL and his $750,000 a year deal less than two weeks ago to pursue a career in boxing.

The 27-year-old debuted in Origin for NSW earlier this season but claimed the sport was pushed on him as a kid, adding he’d lost interest in the NRL.

“I knew I dropped below my standard as an NRL player, and I couldn’t live with myself if I was to go out again next season,” he told Nine News earlier in the week.

“I helped Penrith with their run to a grand final, I’ve played Origin and now I want to try my hand at boxing and if my hearts not in it, then it’s time to quit.

“The level of NRL, at the top level, it’s too hard to be fifty, fifty.”

However, speaking at the announcement of his next fight, Pangai Jr. said: “Any smart parent would lead their kid to play football instead of boxing, so I thank my parents for that and it’s given me the life that I have today but you come to an age where you want to do what you want to do and that’s boxing for me.”

Tevita Pangai Jr. wants to be a boxer. Photo: Fightr Promotions

Despite being firm in his convictions about taking up boxing, Pangai Jr. has already been linked to a move to the Dolphins.

Journalist Ben Dobbin said the “dots are connecting” and that “all the mail” is Pangai Jr will be playing for the Dolphins next season.

But Pangai Jr. was asked if he was considering a move back to rugby league in the future and quickly shut down the speculation.

“If I’m thinking like that, I’m going to fail,” he said. “My heart’s in boxing and I’m going to give it my all and we’ll see what that is.”

Pangai promised to play out the season and was named on the bench in the penultimate round of the season for the Bulldogs.

But he has already announced his first fight post-NRL career and the third of his career in the Battle on the Reef card in Townsville on October 7.

The card is also set to include NRL big-boppers Junior Paulo, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Jason Taumalolo.

Pangai Jr. debuted in Origin this season. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

But asked if there was any regrets about his decision, Pangai Jr. said: “No, there’s no regrets.

“You’ve got to think pretty hard to walk away from $750,000.

“Nah, there’s no regrets. I love my boxing and I’m going to take it seriously.”

Pangai Jr.’s opponent on the night has not yet been announced but will be closer to the fight night.

Pangai Jr has won his two professional boxing fights via knockouts — his most recent coming against Jeremiah Tupai-ui in the second round on the Sonny Bill Williams-Mark Hunt undercard in November.

Asked what excites him most about boxing, Pangai Jr. said: “Just that nothing is promised.

“You know, I come from a sport where talent has got me so far but this sport, if you don’t work hard, you’re going to sleep on the canvas so you’ve got to work hard. I ain’t going to sleep in front of my family.”

Pangai Jr. said he realised his attention was shifting from football to boxing when he began watching more old fights than footy.

“That’s when I knew that I had to make this decision,” Pangai Jr. said.

Pangai Jr. said that Anthony Mundine had been an inspiration for his decision.

And Mundine, who himself gave up rugby league to chase his boxing dream all the way to be a three-time world title winner, said he saw a similar passion in Pangai Jr. as he had.

Anthony Mundine believes in Tevita Pangai Jr. Photo: Fightr Promotions

Asked what Pangai Jr. needs to do to be successful in boxing, Mundine said: “Obviously you’ve got to have the dedication, the discipline and the sacrifice to make it — not be at the clubs with the women and drinking and whatnot.”

“If he wants to go full-time with this game, he can’t come in dreaming little, you’ve got to dream big man. Why can’t he fight (Anthony) Joshua? Why can’t he fight these guys once he’s got the experience and runs on the board? Getting those mega-fights, that’s what it’s about. You’re putting you life on the line.”

He said the Australian title should be the first step for the former NRL star and added both Pangai brothers had the talent to go far.

Originally published as ‘My heart’s in boxing’: Tevita Pangai Jr. shuts down rumours after NRL exit