Paul Gallen slams Lucas Browne ahead of their heavyweight bout in Wollongong
Paul Gallen is supremely confident of producing one of the biggest upsets in Australian boxing history. Let’s hope his punching is better than his trash talk.
Boxing/MMA
Don't miss out on the headlines from Boxing/MMA. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Paul Gallen’s verbal barrage against heavyweight rival Lucas Browne hit nasty new heights on Monday when he declared the former champion “a quitter”, “a softc—k” and “a p---y”.
Browne vowed to leave the former NRL star unconscious when they clash in the ring on Wednesday night in Wollongong, but Gallen is supremely confident of producing one of the biggest upsets in Australian boxing history.
“When I beat him, it ends him,” Gallen said.“He’s not going to handle the pace I’m going at.
“I’m not scared of him. There’s a big difference between having respect for someone’s power and being scared, and I’m not scared of him.
“He’s going to run into a different animal on Wednesday night.”
During the press conference at The Star Casino, the undefeated Gallen (10-0-1, 5KO) turned to Browne and said: “You’re such a softc—k in real life, for a bloke who is six foot four, you’re such a p---y, you’re going to sh-t yourself on Wednesday night.”
Gallen later told News Corp that Browne lacks heart because he was thankful for the referee stopping a mixed martial arts fight in 2010 between he and Daniel Cormier, who would later go on to become a two-time UFC champion.
“I know he’s quit before, he admittedly has quit before,” Gallen said.
“He said recently about the Daniel Cormier fight ‘I just wanted it over, thank God it was over’.
“That’s not the attitude you’ve got to have, because if someone is trying to take something from you, you’ve got to want to kill him. Outside of it you’re a different person but at that point in time this is the attitude you’ve got to have.
“He’s quit before and he’ll quit again.”
Browne (29-2, 25KO), who claimed the WBA heavyweight title in 2016 by knocking out Ruslan Chagaev and whose only defeats have come to Dillian Whyte and David Allen, rejected the idea he is a quitter.
“Against Cormier, I was getting outwrestled by a wrestler, I was flat on my back like a turtle and the referee called it, I was glad, but I was never going to tap out, it’s not in me, so to say I quit isn’t accurate,” Browne said.
“Dillian Whyte knocked me out, I went out on my sword, and David Allen hit me with a body shot, so I’ve never quit.”
Browne promised to make light work of Gallen in their six-round bout.
“I’m going to bash him, I’m going to punish him, he’s just got that head you want to punch,” Browne said.
“I’m going to bully him, knock him out and celebrate and go to McDonalds afterwards.
“A lot of the things he said today [about me] is exactly what I feel he’s going through, so I think that’s quite funny.
“There’s a difference when you’ve got someone of my size and with my power coming at you. I think he’s going to feel it, and I think he’s going to be out on his back.”
‘I WILL NEVER GET OVER IT’: GAL REVEALS DRIVING FORCE
By Peter Badel
Paul Gallen has unloaded on Lucas Browne, labelling him a “pea-heart” as the former NRL enforcer revealed he is still motivated by the ASADA drugs scandal that shattered his reputation as an athlete.
Gallen and Browne will trade blows in Wednesday night‘s heavyweight showdown in Wollongong but the bitter rivals share the unique bond of having their names dragged through the mud by doping accusations.
Browne conquered the world with his shock defeat of WBA champion Ruslan Chagaev in March 2016, only to be stripped of the belt after testing positive to the banned substance clenbuterol, before a second violation eight months later. Browne maintains he was clean when he beat Chagaev
Watch Paul Gallen v Lucas Browne only on Main Event on Wednesday 21 April at 7pm AEST. ORDER NOW >
Gallen’s battle was more public. He was installed as the poster boy of the Cronulla supplements saga in 2011 that saw Gallen and 15 of his teammates plead guilty to unwittingly taking banned substances, triggering backdated 12-month bans.
Being viewed as a drug cheat is the ultimate kick in the guts for an elite athlete and, a decade on, Gallen (10-0-1, 5KO) is determined to legitimately bludgeon Browne (29-2, 25KO), driven by the demons within.
“He (Browne) tested positive in Australia, but it‘s not ideal for me to be throwing barbs at him about that (doping violations) because of what happened at Cronulla,” Gallen said.
“To be honest, I won’t ever get over what happened to me at Cronulla.
“People showed no responsibility for what happened, which annoys me, because me and Shane Flanagan (former Cronulla coach) are the only ones who ever copped anything for it.
“People who read the stories know what happened.
“I was one of 17 people charged, yet I’m the one who cops the heat publicly for that ASADA stuff.
“Flanagan is the other guy and he is copping his punishment for that.
“Other people have denied, denied, denied and gotten away with it.
“It undermined everything I did in the game to a certain degree.”
Which is why, four months shy of his 40th birthday, Gallen still retains his competitive athletic spirit as he plots the biggest win of his fight career, a scenario that would leave Browne’s hopes of a world-title resurrection in tatters.
Watch footage of Browne’s knockouts and it is scary. He has an 80 per cent knockout record. His rocket-fuelled right-hand could bend steel.
But after conjuring a stunning upset of UFC legend Mark Hunt in December, Gallen believes Browne is missing something crucial — his ticker.
“I consider him to be a pea-heart to be honest,” Gallen said.
“He has never faced Alex Leapai. Leapai has called him out for years and he wouldn’t face him.
“He pulled out of a fight against Demsey McKean (unbeaten Australian heavyweight at 18-0) a year or so ago.
“Browne is only taking this fight because he thinks he is going to walk through me and get another good pay day against Justis Huni.
“Lucas Browne is not a boxer at all.
“He has some power in his right hand for sure and that‘s all he hangs himself on.
“If you look at most of the guys he has beaten, they aren’t that impressive. There is no-one on his record that I wouldn’t fight. He’s not a talented boxer, he won’t be playing with me like he thinks he will.
“He has done nothing but ridicule Australian boxing, so I don’t know why anyone in this country would support him.
“Once a rugby league player beats him, he will be nothing overseas.
“If I beat him, what options would he have? He loses all prestige.”
Why Gal will be hoping the real Big Daddy doesn't turn up
- Nick Walshaw
Jeff Fenech says Paul Gallen will be knocked out for the first time in his storied sporting career next Wednesday night, but only if “the right Lucas Browne shows up”.
Undefeated in 11 appearances as a heavyweight, Gallen faces the biggest test of his hyped boxing career when he takes on Australia’s first world heavyweight champion at Wollongong Entertainment Centre.
Previously trained by Fenech, the Sydneysider dubbed ‘Big Daddy’ once went undefeated in 25 fights, with a staggering 80 per cent of those wins via KO.
As part of his stunning run, the tattooed knockout artist also caused one of the nation’s greatest boxing upsets when in 2016 he beat Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA (Regular) crown.
Which is why despite being stripped of the title soon after for a failed drug test, and having been twice knocked cold himself since, Fenech insists the 41-year-old should still send Gallen into unconsciousness for the first time as either a boxer or rugby league star in Wollongong.
“No doubt Lucas Browne has the power to knock Gal out,” Fenech said on Tuesday.
“If he comes into this fight and is on, it’s over within a round.
“I really believe that.
“Because I’ve held pads for the guy — he’s a real puncher.”
But then, a kicker from Australia’s greatest ever fighter.
“Of course, it also depends on which Big Daddy shows up,” Fenech continued of Browne (29-2).
“That’s the bigger question.
“A bigger question than even Lucas Browne’s right hand.”
Since winning the WBA (Regular) title five years ago, Browne has endured two drug dramas, fought only seven times and been kayoed by British heavyweights David Allen and Dillian Whyte.
His most recent performance was a second round TKO win over NRL bad boy John Hopoate in 2019.
Gallen, meanwhile, earned the biggest upset of his 11-fight career last start, when he scored a decision win over UFC legend Mark Hunt at Bankwest Stadium.
“So we know which Paul Gallen is turning up next week,” Fenech continued.
“It’s the same one for every fight.
“But with Lucas, we have no idea.
“When I was training the guy, he definitely had the skill set and boxing knowledge that I’d think would beat Gal.
“But he was also very hot and cold.
“You just can’t trust what you’re getting with Lucas Browne.”
While Gallen has never been kayoed as either a boxer or footballer, he came closest in the Hunt fight when seriously rocked by an overhand right in round two.
Yet rather than swarming on the clearly stunned NSW Origin great, the ‘Super Samoan’ simply spread his arms wide in celebration, as if to suggest there would be far more moments to finish it.
But there weren’t.
“When Mark Hunt landed on Gal in that last fight, he was gone,” Fenech said.
“But then Hunt did nothing about it.
“He walked around, paraded.
“And if you listen back to my commentary, I said ‘this is going to bite Mark on the arse’ because he’d given Gallen a chance.
“But if Lucas Browne is on, he doesn’t do that.
“If Lucas hits him he will jump on him and unload massive power punches, just like against Chagaev when he got the title.
“So if he’s on, he stops Gal.
“But if not, if Big Daddy is cold, then we’re going to see another Paul Gallen upset.
“And that won’t be good for boxing.
“Because Lucas Browne is a guy people think is genuinely world class.
“While Gal, he’s still a novice.
“A guy who is improving definitely. And has an amazing mindset.
“He works hard and really believes in himself.
“In fact, while Gal is getting better, Lucas has gone the other way.
“I mean, since winning that world title — wow — he really has gone down.
“So who knows?
“It all depends on whether the right Lucas Browne shows up.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Paul Gallen slams Lucas Browne ahead of their heavyweight bout in Wollongong
Gallen to consider shock boxing comeback
The man Paul Gallen once labelled a “dog and coward” is the bait to get the former NRL star out of boxing retirement – with the Cronulla and NSW legend eyeing unfinished business.
Grim warning for Tszyu ahead of toughest test of his career
More than a few experts say this will be the toughest fight of Tim Tszyu’s career, with Bakhram Murtazaliev unlike anyone the Australian has ever fought.