‘First flight home’: Darcy Lussick accepts Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s boxing challenge
After knocking out Justin Hodges in 39 seconds, former NRL player Darcy Lussick is set to take on the man who possesses rugby league’s most brutal uppercut.
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Melbourne enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona looks set to debut rugby league’s most brutal uppercut in boxing, with Darcy Lussick offering to “take the first flight home” from Canada to face him.
While the 2020 NRL season is yet to be finalised, The Daily Telegraph can reveal talks are already underway to follow it with a heavyweight bout between 115kg Asofa-Solomona and Toronto Wolfpack prop Lussick.
Promoter Matt Rose confirmed discussions had been ignited over the past 48 hours after the giant Storm prop, whose fistic prowess went viral late last year, surprisingly challenged Lussick via Instagram at the weekend.
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Back in December, Lussick kayoed Queensland Origin great Justin Hodges in a fight which lasted just 39 seconds.
Afterwards, the former Parramatta and Manly Sea Eagles forward talked up a potential showdown with AFL great Barry Hall, who a month earlier had drawn his own professional debut against Paul Gallen.
Yet on Sunday, Asofa-Solomona thrust himself into the equation when, on Instagram, he posted a TV still of Lussick screaming with delight after the Hodges win with a caption reading: “When you fight a retired back … Darcy Lussick if you want a real fight, I’d happily jab your face off for easy money.”
Wonderfully, some 15,000km north, the message was received.
“And Darcy has told me he’ll be on the first plane home for that fight,” Rose revealed.
“He doesn’t care who the opponent is.
“Darcy will fight anyone.
“He’s really proud of the performance he delivered against Justin Hodges and is keen to get back into the ring as soon as possible.
“So we’ve already had some chats with Nelson and he is definitely keen to make this fight happen.”
Undoubtedly, any bout involving Asofa-Solomona would be an Australian TV ratings winner after his brawl last October on an end of season trip to Bali – which included some wonderfully brutal uppercuts – went viral.
Despite the negative headlines, support for the 24-year-old from past and present players was overwhelming given he was going to the aid of Storm teammate Suliasi Vunivalu, who had been coward punched and set upon in a bar.
“So that fight is now definitely on the radar,” Rose said of the Lussick challenge. “Obviously we’re still waiting to see where everything goes with the NRL season and all the ongoing restrictions around coronavirus.
“But Nelson, he’s a giant who plays really physical.
“And I’m sure that footage of him in Bali could make its way into a promotional video somewhere too.”
After the Bali incident, the NRL revealed it had factored evidence “which showed a degree of provocation” into its sanction — which included the New Zealand international being banned for three Tests and fined $15,000, which was suspended.
Quizzed afterwards on the attack, the Storm star said: “I was worried about Suli, who had earlier been coward-punched in an unprovoked attack.
“Suli is one of my closest friends and obviously I would never have reacted that way had he not been assaulted earlier inside the bar.”
While the Melbourne enforcer has surprised many with his challenge to Lussick, Rose said the bout could easily be organised after the culmination of this year’s NRL season.
The heavyweight showdown would be a welcome addition to several big events Rose has on the cards, including the Australian blockbuster between Jeff Horn and Tim Tszyu plus a likely showdown between retired NSW Origin skipper Gallen and UFC great Mark Hunt.