Paul Gallen v Barry Hall: Reduction to length of rounds favours former AFL ace but punters see it otherwise
The two-minute rounds will suit Barry Hall, but does that throw up question marks about his ability to go the distance against Paul Gallen in their highly anticipated Code War bout, writes Paul Kent.
Boxing/MMA
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Once there was a fighter named Greatest Crawford and no fighter ever entered the ring, or left it, with more dignity than Greatest did on a hot summer night at Shea Stadium in 1966.
The main event was for the light-heavyweight title between the champion Jose Torres and Wayne Thornton, a fight so uninspiring the promoters were drowning in red-ink by the time Torres gouged out a 15-round decision.
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Greatest Crawford was down as the stand-by fight that night. It was not unusual for promoters to have a fight on stand-by in case several early knockouts shortened the night and fans were left wanting.
Greatest Crawford climbed into the ring this summer night unaware the promoters had shortened his fight from six rounds to four to save on the lighting bill. The hot stadium lights were burning through the ticket sales.
Barely anybody was in the crowd.
As the fighters came to centre ring for instructions the referee told them the fight was being reduced to a four-rounder and … “What?” Greatest Crawford asked.
The fight was being reduced to four rounds …
At that, Greatest Crawford paused a small moment.
“F… it,” he said.
He looked at the referee. “F… it,” he said again. “Tell them to go to hell. I ain’t no four-round fighter.”
With a dignity that spoke to all he believed in he turned and left the ring.
Boxing is a basic and dangerous sport and the only reason that can be offered for its survival today is the dignity of the men in the ring and the worth they attach to it.
Without the dignity of the fighters, fuelled by the courage of what they are required to do, there is nothing.
The dignity Greatest Crawford attached to his rounds spoke to something few others understand.
In his own way, though, it meant everything.
Fighters and their managers have argued over rounds and minutes, the size of the ring, the suitability of certain gloves, since the sport was first regulated.
Three-minute rounds are standard but not mandatory. For a while amateur boxing was entirely two-minute rounds under the belief it was safer.
It is safer only for unfit fighters.
There is no doubt Barry Hall, who fights Paul Gallen across six rounds on Friday, has gained an advantage by negotiating the rounds to be dropped from three minutes to two.
Hall was a decorated amateur boxer as a junior and, despite this being his professional debut, he is believed to be the bigger puncher compared to Gallen, who is heavy handed rather than explosive.
Gallen has made no secret of his anger at the limitation and he has legitimate reason to be cautious.
Gallen has used the length of rounds at every opportunity to declare that Hall is the house fighter and prove every advantage has been afforded his way. He has nicknamed Hall “Noodles”, on account of him needing only two minute before he is done.
The two-minute rounds is the big irritant. In every promotional piece, though, it is Hall who leads the bill.
Hall’s name is above Gallen’s on the posters. Hall sits on the left of all advertising, the premier position on fighter posters.
This, despite both fighters rumoured to be collecting $600,000 each for the fight.
Gallen must wonder if the judges might be similarly influenced.
It is not all gloom for Gallen, though.
The reduction in minutes is designed to benefit Hall but, with Hall unsighted as a fighter, it has immediately firmed Gallen as favourite.
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Around the fight game they reason arguing for two-minute rounds suggests a lack of confidence in stamina, and suggests doubts in the Hall camp about his ability to go the distance.
Gallen will be pressing the action as is his style, which also comes into it.
Hall’s demand for two-minute rounds also goes against considered strategy on his part.
Generally, the bigger punchers in fights want the extra minutes. So long as they are fit enough, it gives them more time to wear down their opponent and more time to land the big punch that might finish it.
As the argument over rounds continues all this week, at times falling into pantomime, it is worth remembering what is at stake.
Hall and Gallen are novices in a sport that pays no attention to intention or reputation or background.
They are highly trained professional athletes, both past their best, with only a light exposure to a dangerous and deadly sport.
Six months after Shea Stadium, Greatest Crawford fought Marion Conner, a serious puncher who went by the name of Thunderbolt and who was fighting at home in Canton, Ohio.
It was a 10-rounder, so he would have been pleased.
Crawford made it as far as the ninth when he got knocked out. He never regained consciousness and was rushed to hospital to remove a blood clot on his brain.
He died two days later.