Barry Hall wants rematch with Paul Gallen or Sonny Bill Williams
Sydney Swans legend Barry Hall has declared he still has more in the tank, and the 47-year-old is gunning for rematches with two rugby league legends.
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Sydney Swans legend Barry Hall has declared he still has more in the tank, and is gunning for rematches with rugby league legends Paul Gallen and Sonny Bill Williams.
After a rollercoaster boxing career, Hall claims he has found his form in the ring with a new trainer after his first round knockout against Williams in 2022.
“If they give me either rematch I will take it straight away,” said Hall, who was in undercard fighter Troy Pilcher’s corner on Wednesday.
“I know I have ability, I just have to get everything else right. I fancy myself with my hands, but boxing’s not all about hitting pads, you get hit back as well.
“Last time I fought I got hit back and it didn’t end well. It’s put a little thing in me that says I need to show I am better than that.
“That’s certainly not what I'm about.”
The 47-year-old also told this masthead he would like to settle the score with bitter rival Gallen after their draw in 2019.
“There is a storyline, we have history and it hasn’t been finished,” he said. “I thought I won, he thought he won.
“To sell fights you need a storyline and you need history. I’d fight any of these guys and I consider myself one of the best.”
Last week Hall, who is scheduled to do rounds with Tevita Pangai Junior next week, was called out by rugby league player turned influencer Jordan Simi.
When asked, Hall was not fazed by the challenge but welcomed it if the “numbers were right”.
“I don’t really know him but I’m willing to fight anyone,” Hall said.
“If he wants it he can get it.”
Meanwhile, the search for Nikita Tszyu’s next opponent continues after Sydneysider Anton ‘The Axe Murderer’ Markovic upset Viliami Liavaa in Wednesday’s main event.
A win for Liavaa would have seen the Victorian-based Kiwi lock in a pay-per-view showdown with Tszyu in April, but Markovic caused a boilover with a devastating second round body shot knockout.
Markovic, who was at the bus stop after getting a fresh haircut on Tuesday when he found out his fight had been bumped up to the main event following Bilal Akkawy pulling out, said he should now get the shot against Tszyu.
“Yeah, one hundred per cent, I welcome the opportunity for that fight if he’s up for it,” he said.
Markovic said the fact that Liavaa was heading towards a shot at Tszyu was a motivating factor.
“I’d love to get a fight with Nikita. Getting that fight would bring the very best out of me,” he told this masthead.
“Up until now, his whole career he’s fought good opposition on the Australian scene. He had a good test against Dylan Biggs.
“It’s not out of the realm of possibility a fight between me and him.”
Earlier on, Queensland’s Troy Pilcher capped off a wild 24 hours with a one-sided decision win over Renold Quinlan.
Pilcher was at work on Tuesday afternoon when he received a call from his manager and trainer, Fidel Tukel to step in and fight Quinlan.
“I was walking out of work and got the message from Fids to step in,” he said. “We talked it through for about 15 minutes and it was the right decision.
“It all happened pretty quickly. (My bosses) were gracious enough to give me a few days off.”
Having previously fought at heavyweight, Pilcher is making the move down to bridgerweight, and had spent the summer shedding excess pounds.
Still, he hadn’t sparred and had barely even hit a pad in three weeks after a run-in with Tevita Pangai Junior.
“He caught me with one of those big left hooks to the ear and blew the eardrum, so I’ve been out for the last three weeks,” he said. “He’s an athlete, he’s in the gym every day putting the work in.
“He’s putting some hard work in, it’s just that athlete’s mentality.”
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