Haters eat their words as Paul Gallen stuns Australia

Paul Gallen was mercilessly booed as he stepped into the ring with Justis Huni but the NRL legend had the boxing world in awe minutes later.

Paul Gallen is one tough man. Picture: Richard Dobson

Justis Huni knocked out Paul Gallen in the 10th round, but the former rugby league star turned prize fighter has turned Australia’s opinion around with his gutsiest effort yet.

From the walk out, the vocal crowd rained down boos but after almost withstanding 10 rounds of punishment from the Australian heavyweight titleholder, Gallen won his haters over, earning the cheers and respect of fans at the end of the fight.

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While the conventional wisdom coming into the fight was the loser’s boxing career would be over, Gallen’s performance showed he deserves every ounce of respect as a fighter.

After building a 10-0-1 record but without facing anyone nearing the class of Huni, it was always going to be an uphill battle for the 39-year-old.

He copped some serious punishment but Gallen stood strong, until the weight of punches finally took its toll and he was knocked down in the final round, forcing the referee to call the contest off.

Gallen said he thought Huni broke his rib in the second round, but still he fought on. After being wobbled in the third round, Gallen persevered.

A massive shot in the fifth clearly stunned him, but Gallen bounced back.

In the later rounds as he was just hanging on, Gallen needed every ounce of strength he developed over 19 years of first grade footy.

Paul Gallen copped a hiding.

The one thing that was never in doubt in this fight was Gallen’s engine — it was never going to be a walkover for Huni and the Aussie champ paid respect to his vanquished foe.

“He’s very tough, he’s certainly build different,” Huni conceded after the fight.

Social media was awash with comments about it being a “horrendous mismatch” but it was the fight that Gallen wanted.

Others demanded the referee stop the fight early such was the punishment Gallen copped. But not even a broken rib was going to stop the former NSW Origin captain.

“I did hear him grunting when I was hitting the body,” Huni told media after the fight. “But he’s a tough competitor, he didn’t show it at all so props to him.”

Gallen told the crowd at the end of the fight he just wanted to make it to the finish. 

“I really wanted to win that tonight,” Gallen said. “By about the sixth or seventh round, I knew I wasn’t going to win it, so I just wanted to finish it. While he knocked me down fair and square, I thought the referee stopped it early.

“I was never going to win the fight, I just wanted to make the end. I think he broke my rib in the second round … I wish him the best … I hope he wins the gold medal. I did want to win this title.”

Paul Gallen you are one tough man. Congratulations 👏

— Billy Dib (@BillyDib) June 16, 2021

Paul Gallen is made of something else. I've never seen an athlete tougher than him. Expected result but honestly, I thought Huni would have been way more dominate. Not sure if Huni is overhyped, or Gallen wayyyy underestimated #GallenHuni

— Shannon McCann (@Shannon_McCann) June 16, 2021

Woweeee Respect Gallen.
Justis Huni you have a kiwi fan brother. What a fight. Now off to bed. Goodnight Twitter world.

— issac luke (@issacluke_14) June 16, 2021

Big respect Paul Gallen easily one of toughest athletes of all time. Level above in 2 of toughest sports in the world. The people who talk shit about him wouldn’t last a minute in his world.

— Darcy Lussick (@D_LUSSICK) June 16, 2021

@PaulGallen13 did unreal! How tough is he?#GallenHuni

— Bryson Goodwin (@Bryson_Goodwin) June 16, 2021

In Main Event commentary, Barry Michael was blown away by Gallen’s performance.

“One of the toughest, gutsiest efforts I’ve ever seen by any fighter,” Michael said.

“Justis Huni is extremely talented … but Paul Gallen went beyond the call of duty, he did a great job. He doesn’t have to prove anything.”

It’s impossible to say he is done.

Gallen’s lion-hearted effort won him many more fans than he seemed to have going into the fight, while it’s just the beginning for Huni, who at 22 is chasing Olympic gold in Tokyo and then future world titles.

While Gallen is nearly 40, he’s not done in the boxing game, at least until he says he is.

Originally published as Haters eat their words as Paul Gallen stuns Australia