Code War: Paul Gallen and Barry Hall weigh-in for boxing fight

Barry Hall’s murderous gaze stayed on Paul Gallen as they were separated following their weigh-ins. Gallen openly scoffed in response.

Barry Hall and Paul Gallen. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Aussie punters are jumping on Paul Gallen ahead of Friday night’s Code War heavyweight boxing fight against Barry Hall.

The undefeated ex-NRL star has shortened from $1.80 to $1.68 since the TAB opened its market on the fight on October 26, with Gallen receiving 73 per cent of bets. Hall has drifted from $2.20 to $2.

Despite the much-talked about shorter two-minute rounds, punters aren’t expecting the fight to go the distance with a Gallen TKO/KO at $2.70 and a Hall finish at $3.50 the two most popular outcomes.

One punter is so confident in Gallen’s chances he plonked $7000 on the former NSW skipper on Thursday morning.

After Wednesday’s press conference saw a few sparks fly, the two men had little to say as they squared off at today’s weigh-in.

Despite being much taller Hall (102kg) was only slightly heavier than Gallen (101.6kg).

Barry Hall’s staredown tickled Paul Gallen’s funny bone.

The traditional staredown in front of the cameras also came and went without sparks flying.

Gallen was spotted smirking as Danny Green pushed himself between the two fighters following the locking of eyes.

For just a hint of a second, Hall held his steely gaze on Gallen as Green moved in between them.

Hall’s brief moment of intimidation was met with an open grin from the former NSW State of Origin captain.

Gallen said after the staredown that he could sense Hall was “nervous” during the staredown.

“I saw yesterday at the press conference and I saw there again at the weigh-in, he’s nervous,” Gallen told SEN.

Barry Hall came in at 102kg.

“He hasn’t done this before. He snaps. You can’t do that in boxing. I’m in his head already.”

Hall insisted “there are no nerves” for him one day out from the fight.

Gallen said in another radio interview on Wednesday that he had no interest in getting physical with Hall during the weigh-ins, saying: “We’re not paid to push and shove at the weigh-ins”.

His comment proved correct as the weigh-ins reached a conclusion without any fur flying.

It was very different at the press conference on Wednesday when Hall accused Gallen of trying to come up with excuses while Gallen repeatedly needled his opponent with two-minute noodle taunts.

Gallen has given Hall the nickname “noodles” after the AFL great demanded the fight be contested through six two-minute rounds.

“I will turn it back on him in saying all these excuses he’s been coming up with, there’s a little seed of doubt there in his mind that if he loses to someone 42 years of age, in their pro debut, where does that leave him?” Hall said.

Barry Hall has a huge reach advantage.

“I think he’s looking for excuses now, in case he does lose. I’ve got no doubt that he thinks he can win the fight but I think he’s just looking for a few excuses now, that if he does, he can fall back on them. And from my point of view, mentally, that’s a weakness.”

Hall took issue when Gallen interrupted while he was speaking to chide him for not doing more to spruik the fight.

“Shut up, mate. I’m sick of hearing the bulls***,” Hall said.

Gallen insisted he wasn’t feeling the pressure and mocked Hall for sparring with cruiserweights, saying he wouldn’t be able to handle the power of heavyweight boxing.

Hall (194cm) responded with a decent jab of his own about the former Cronulla captain’s height (180cm).

“We had to get cruiserweights because there was no one that short,” Hall said.

Code War: Hall vs Gallen

Friday, November 15 from 7pm (AEDT)

To order the fight through Foxtel’s Main Event channel 521, visit mainevent.com.au