Paul Gallen says he would be open to fighting rising Aussie heavyweight star Justis Huni
Paul Gallen’s team has drawn up a hit list of opponents for the rest of 2021 — with a surprise new name at the top. Plus get the latest on a potential Robert Whittaker battle.
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Paul Gallen has sensationally declared himself open to a fight with rising Australian heavyweight Justis Huni, convinced his hyped Sonny Bill Williams showdown will likely never eventuate.
While the NSW Origin great is refusing to look past Wednesday’s Wollongong showdown with Aussie KO king Lucas ‘Big Daddy’ Browne, his management have already drawn up a hit list of future opponents worthy of Main Event billing.
A list which for the longest time has been topped by SBW.
Yet with Gallen no longer sure the retired All Black wants to fight him, his management is looking at a potential showdown with 22-year-old Huni, the undisputed rising star of Australian boxing.
Only last week, the Tokyo Olympian continued his stellar rise with a savage first-round stoppage of 206cm slugger Jack Maris.
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The Gold Coast win took Huni’s undefeated record to three wins — all by knockout.
While the Brisbane puncher has himself been linked to a future fight with Browne, Gallen this week confirmed to The Sunday Telegraph he could potentially steal that fight for himself.
Elsewhere, the Cronulla favourite said he was also keen to rematch AFL great Barry Hall, and doubled down on his challenge to Australia’s first UFC champion, Robert Whittaker.
Quizzed on suggestions his team were looking into a potential bout with Huni, Gallen said: “I’m only focused on Lucas Browne”.
But would you take the fight?
“I’m not afraid to have a crack,” the 39-year-old continued when pushed.
“Justis Huni, he’s an elite fighter.
“And that would be an extremely tough fight for me, as they all have been.
“But if the money is right, I’m not afraid to have it.
“Obviously the Sonny Bill Williams fight has been spoken about forever. And I do want to fight Barry Hall again.
“But I’m also happy to look at others.
“And Justis Huni is one that’s being spoken about.”
While a fight between Gallen and Williams has been talked about for years, the Sharkies Old Boy fears his longtime rival may not be as willing to fight as he keeps suggesting.
“Sonny says on TV that it’s going to happen,” Gallen shrugged. “He also says that he wants to get in first and pay his dues.
“But I’m paying my dues against world class fighters, guys who have been in there and done it.
“He isn‘t paying dues to anyone.
“So I’m doubtful it’s going to happen.”
Asked if he wanted to win over hardcore boxing types, Gallen continued: “No, I don’t care.
“They can make their own opinions.
“And most probably have to be honest. I might’ve turned a couple of them, but a lot just think I’m a footy player who shouldn’t be here.
“But I say this all the time about Australian boxing, if every fighter just took hard fights and didn’t have hand-picked opponents — if they followed the model of the UFC — then boxing here would be more popular.
“But everyone is too concerned about keeping that zero (on your record).
“You lose in Australia, it’s like that’s the end of you.
“But you look at the greatest UFC fighters, they all have losses yet it doesn’t matter.
“So while right now I’m undefeated, and want to keep it that way, I also want to take on entertaining fights.
“People should be having challenging fights every time and that’s what I’m doing.”
While Browne looms as the toughest fight of Gallen’s career, the undefeated heavyweight revealed he was getting less to fight Australia’s first heavyweight world champion than he did NRL bad boy John Hopoate in 2019.
“I‘m getting less money for this fight than any of my past three,” he said. “And that’s because of my opponent.
“I’m bringing everything to the table for this one.
“He brings nothing.
“So this is my lowest payday in three or four fights.
“And I’m not bitter about that. I accepted the fight.
“But I just want to put things into perspective when Lucas talks about being bitter over the money I earn fighting.
“I’m fighting him and getting less because he brings nothing to the table.”
‘IF THEY CAN GET THE MONEY, I’LL FIGHT’: WHITTAKER
Robert Whittaker has branded Paul Gallen’s repeated attempts to call him out a publicity stunt, with the UFC superstar again confirming boxing promoters would need $1 million for him to switch sports.
Despite being on the cusp of a blockbuster UFC title rematch with Israel Adesanya, Whittaker has been named on a hit list of potential opponents for Gallen — joining the likes of AFL great Barry Hall, duel New Zealand international Sonny Bill Williams and rising Olympian Justis Huni.
However speaking with NewsCorp from Las Vegas, where he faces American Kelvin Gastelum in Sunday’s UFC main event, the 30-year-old Sydneysider suggested Gallen likely wanted no part of fighting a Mixed Martial Artist who has lost just once in his past 12 Octagon appearances.
“Paul Gallen likes using me for publicity,” Whittaker said.
“To get a plug in the media.
“And that’s OK.
“I’m certainly not salty about anything. It is what it is.”
A longtime fan of the UFC, Gallen called out Whittaker immediately after his most recent win against MMA veteran Mark Hunt.
While the challenge was quickly accepted, it is understood promoters were unable to get close to the $1 million figure demanded by Team Whittaker.
“But if they can get the money, I’ll fight,” he said when pushed on the likelihood of a Gallen showdown. “I’m in the fight game and will fight anyone if the money is right.
“But there’s zero chance of me boxing for less than what I earn in the UFC.
“I’m already employed.”
While Gallen is facing Lucas Browne in Wollongong on Wednesday night, he insists his desire to fight Whittaker is legitimate.
Asked about the claim he is only calling Bobby Knuckles out for publicity, he fired: “That’s ridiculous.
“I don’t need publicity.
“I’m on TV two, three times a week. On radio two, three times a week.
“So that’s a ridiculous line.
“But maybe that’s just him trying to pump up a fight between us. I dunno.”
Regardless, Gallen said there was no way he would be trash talking the first Aussie to win UFC gold.
“You look at Rob Whittaker’s record — he’s a beast,” Gallen said.
“He is one guy who has gone and fought all of the animals in his division.
“So I’m not going to trash talk Rob.
“I respect him immensely.
“I’ve also met the guy personally because we both train out of the same gym at Cronulla.
“But when asked about fighting me on a podcast once, he did laugh and say, yeah, but that I wouldn’t fight him.
“But that fight, I’m definitely not against it.”
Yet rather than fight Gallen, Whittaker is now looking at a far bigger payday, with UFC president Dana White revealing the Australian could fight his way into an Adesanya rematch with a win over Gastelum in Las Vegas.
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