Inside Team Gallen: The colourful charaters helping transform Paul Gallen into a boxing star
There’s The Fixer. And The Minder. Don’t forget The Advisor and The Painter. There’s also Wild Cat and even Old Mate. And they have the utmost faith in the boxing abilities of Paul Gallen.
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There’s Pete the Greek.
“He fixes things. He’s called The Fixer.”
There’s The Minder, Caine Janakievski. If you see Paul Gallen on a night out, Janakievski will be close by, ensuring punters don’t get out of line.
If you see Gallen out during the day, shooting the breeze over coffee with a crew-cut in fancy sneakers, that’d be The Adviser. Also known as Peter Mitrevski Jr, a former boxing champion turned manoeuvre-maker.
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In the gym, and on fight night, there’s The Painter, trainer Graham Shaw, and Wild Cat, cutman Brian Wilmott.
And generally lurking around it all is Old Mate, Scott Hogan.
This is Team Gallen, a motley crew of identities and personalities that have helped turn the NRL legend into a pay-per-view boxing star.
You’ll see them all when Gallen steps into the ring on June 16 against Australia’s heavyweight champion Justis Huni, attempting to score one of boxing’s great upsets.
Sure, Gallen shocked the pundits when he out-punched Mark Hunt, and then made jaws drop when he knocked out former world champion Lucas Browne in just 115 seconds.
But this here is a hungry young lion compared to those two worn down rhinos. The 22-year-old Huni has amassed an amateur record unlike any seen by an Australian heavyweight – 30 wins from 31 international bouts – and is primed for an Olympic medal in Tokyo next month.
Such is his remarkable speed and movement, astute judges proclaim he will become our nation’s best heavyweight world champion.
Yet as the rain pelts Cronulla, those inside this hidden gym only hold sunny dispositions as their man pounds away against his sparring opponent for eight rounds. There are no doubters in Team Gallen.
“He’s the Jeff Fenech of heavyweights,” Wilmott said.
“He’s on your case for every minute of every round, he doesn’t fight like a normal heavyweight.
“We’ve got no right to think we can win this fight, but you know what? He’s a chance, because he’s Paul Gallen.
“He physically drains them and tears the soul out of them, that’s what Fenech used to do.”
Shaw, from a rough town just outside London, learned how to throw a proper punch at six years old, came to The Shire 40 years ago, and set up his painting business.
But his knowledge of the sweet science was broader than his brushstroke, so he put the can down and picked up the mitts, training Daniel Geale to become a world champion.
“Paul was a professional athlete, he was on top of his game for 20 years so it wasn’t like I had to make him work,” Shaw said.
“I just tried to let him understand boxing, how it works. At first it was a challenge, but the more he understands the more natural he gets. He is as hard a worker as anyone I’ve ever had, and the most professional without doubt.
“He’s got something I can’t give people. I can give people boxing skills if they want to learn, but I can’t give them what he’s got; that intestinal fortitude, that will to win.”
Mitrevski has been telling anyone who’ll listen these past few weeks that Gallen will “expose” Huni.
Having fought 34 professional bouts for a 24-9-1 record, including a loss in Germany to former world champion Sebastian Sylvester – who ironically lost his belt to Geale with Shaw and Wilmott in the corner in 2011 – Mitrevski knows his boxing.
“People don’t see what we see in the gym,” Mitrevski said.
“That’s why we’re confident. That’s why I told him to take the Lucas Browne fight, and I told him that he would knock Browne out.
“If Gallen makes Justis work for every second of every round, and he’s still there after six rounds, he will knock Justis out, trust me.”
Boxing is the loneliest sport.
Once the bell rings, it will just be Gallen and Huni facing each other, cracking leather on skull until one hits the canvas.
But the road to the ring is like the climb to an NRL premiership ring – you’re hobbled without a good team.
“I don’t like the big posse, so to speak,” Gallen said. “I keep it very simple. And basically it‘s me and Graham, and Pete Mitrevski who I just bounce ideas off – he organising sparring.
“Graham is the main man. I met him through mutual friends around 2013 and started driving out to The Grange Gym and training with him and Daniel Geale.
“And it just grew from there and he’s been my trainer ever since.
“Brian, they’ve always worked together as cut-man and hand-man, so he fitted in that way.
“Then Hoges, he’s been my best mate since I was six years old, so it’s his job to help me go to the toilet on the night.
“And Caine, we’ve been great mates for 20 years, ever since I moved to Cronulla.”
Pete the Greek – we don’t get his surname – is well connected with the top end of town and generally provides verbal penicillin for any headaches outside the ring.
“He’s known as the Mr Fix-it around Cronulla,” Gallen said. “Any relationship issues with people, you go see him.
“He’s a great bloke. Just don’t get him off-side.
“I’ve always enjoyed pushing myself, and Graham helps me do that. And just to bring the other along as part of the night and be involved is good for everyone.”
With 10 days remaining before the walkout at Sydney’s International Convention Centre, Shaw is finetuning a plan to topple Huni’s skill with Gallen’s spirit.
“Justis is faster, he’s the better boxer, there’s no doubt about that, but this is professional boxing, a 10-round fight, and sometimes it’s a war of attrition,” Shaw said.
“When it comes to getting in the trenches, I’d rather be in there with Paul Gallen than with anyone else.
“And Justis hasn’t come across that yet, so there will be a shock for him.”
GAL’S MOTLEY CREW
The Fixer – Pete the Greek
The Adviser – Peter Mitrevski Jr
The Painter – trainer Graham Shaw
The Boxer – Paul Gallen
Old Mate – Scott Hogan
Wild Cat – cutman Brian Wilmott
The Minder – Caine Janakievski
TERMINATION DAY
Paul Gallen v Justis Huni
7pm, Wednesday, June 16
Live on Main Event, Foxtel and Kayo
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Originally published as Inside Team Gallen: The colourful charaters helping transform Paul Gallen into a boxing star
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