Justis Huni v Christian Tsoye: Paul Gallen set to commentate rival’s boxing match

Paul Gallen will have a front-row seat to Justis Huni’s next fight as the build-up to their grudge match takes another turn.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 19: Paul Gallen and Justis Huni face off during a media opportunity at Suncorp Stadium on May 19, 2021 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Justis Huni says rival Paul Gallen has made a huge mistake gaining clearance from Channel 9 to commentate on his fight against Christian Tsoye on Wednesday night, because he’ll be having second thoughts about their showdown in three weeks.

Gallen, contracted to Nine, has gained special dispensation to be a commentator for rival Fox Sports when Huni defends his Australian heavyweight title against Tsoye at the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour in front of 40 media VIPs.

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Huni (3-0, 3KO), who will head to Tokyo seeking Australia’s first boxing Olympic gold medal in July, plans to show Gallen what’s in store when he is ringside for the bout against Tsoye (5-3-2, 4KO).

“It’s going to be a shock for Gallen, I feel like he knows what I can do, but he really doesn’t know fully,” 22-year-old Huni said.

“He’s going off some videos, but it’s going to be different when he sees it live and in person, how fast my footwork will be, how sharp I am. He’s in for a treat.

Paul Gallen and Justis Huni will face off in three weeks.

“He wants to question my heart, we’ll have to wait and see on June 16, because I think he’ll be questioning what he’s doing in the boxing ring with me.

“A lot of my sparring opponents are saying to me, ‘I knew you were fast but being in front of it, I can’t even see the punches’.

“That’s what Gallen’s going to have trouble with, because he’s fought a lot of guys but they don’t have my speed or footwork.

“He’s trying to compare me to his fight against Mark Hunt and Lucas Browne, but I’m not one of them. This is a different level.”

Huni’s promoter Dean Lonergan said Gallen (11-0-1, 6KO) would have been better off avoiding Wednesday’s fight.

Paul Gallen is set to commentate on Justis Huni’s fight with Christian Tsoye.

“Gallen had to get authority from Channel 9, and he’s available so he’ll be on the commentary team, but he will walk away with a lot more fear after this fight than he had before it, because he’s going to see what this kid can do,” Lonergan said.

“I have to say, Gal’s got balls the size of watermelons, but when he is sitting ringside and he hears how hard this guy hits, and sees how fast he is against Tsoye who has had more than 200 amateur fights, he’s going to realise he’s bitten off way more than he can chew.

“He’ll be thinking ‘Why am I doing this?’

Paul Gallen has been cleared to commentate Justis Huni’s fight on Wednesday.

“And I know money is a big incentive and Gal loves an addition to his bank account, but at the end of the day he’s putting his health on the line against this guy because last week I watched him spar for the first time in about a year and I couldn’t believe what I was watching.”

Lonergan believes the gifted Huni is a better prospect than Joseph Parker, who became the first New Zealander to win a world heavyweight title in 2016.

“I was fortunate enough to take Joseph Parker from amateur to pro to the WBO world title, the zenith of what we did was to fight Anthony Joshua in front of 75,000 people at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff,” Lonergan said.

“Justis, at the same age, is way better than Joe. And my matchmaker Stuart Duncan would put him in with Joe now.

“Parker (29-2, 21KO) has fought all over the world on the biggest stages, only lost twice, he just fought Derek Chisora, he’s been in with Joshua, he won the world title against Andy Ruiz who beat Joshua, and Stu Duncan is that aggressive with where Justis is that he’d put him in with Joe right now, and that tells me something.”