Paul Gallen issues ballsy knockout prediction for Barry Hall fight

Paul Gallen and Barry Hall have squared off on live radio with the NRL legend making a huge prediction for the their “Code Wars” showdown.

Paul Gallen has predicted he will put Barry Hall down in the fifth or sixth round of their highly anticipated “Code Wars” boxing fight.

The two former footballers will get in the ring for a heavyweight stoush at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena on November 15.

Gallen, who has nine professional fights under his belt, retired from the NRL last month after Cronulla’s semi-final loss to Manly.

The rugby league hardman hung up his boots wafter 19 seasons and in February knocked out controversial NRL figure John Hopoate — his most recent professional fight.

Hall hasn’t fought for 26 years.

Despite his obvious disadvantages of having retired from the AFL in 2011 and having not fought since he was 16, Hall has predicted he can score a stoppage win over Gallen by using his superior reach and size.

Gallen, however, says he already has a game plan prepared to fight Hall and will simply look to tire him out in the opening rounds.

The Sharks legend says he will pressure Hall into exhaustion before knocking him out in the fifth or sixth round.

“I underestimated how big he was until I saw him in real life yesterday, but I’m confident with the pressure I’m going to put him under, I can knock him out,” Gallen said in an interview with Nova 969 on Wednesday.

Gallen said he has no fear about proving to AFL supporters that rugby league is the “tougher” sport.

Barry Hall says the fight is the real deal.

“They’re going to hate me more when I knock Barry out,” he said.

“I don’t care what they say because I’ll beat Barry regardless, but NRL is a tougher game. I’m not taking anything away from AFL, but NRL is the toughest game.”

Hall has taken leave from work and shifted his young family north to train daily with renowned cornerman Angelo Hyder, who previously trained Danny Green.

Green is the promoter of the event and says he’s undecided who will win but he thinks it will come in a knock-out.

Aged 42, Hall hasn’t fought since he was 16 — a year after he won the Victorian age title.

He dropped boxing for football and went on to play with St Kilda, Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs.

A noted hardman on the AFL field, Hall was famously suspended for seven weeks for knocking out West Coast Eagles defender Brent Staker with a vicious blow to the head.

His decision to train with Hyder in his Kingscliff gym, shows how serious the star goal-kicker is taking the fight.

Despite his time out of the ring, Hall said he felt confident about his chances. He said he weighed about the same as his playing days, despite retiring in 2011,and had kept up his fitness.

“A lot of people will say I’m too old but I know my body and I know what I’m capable of,” Hall said.

(Barry Hall is back in the ring for the first time in 26 years.

“It’s a long time between drinks but I’m training twice a day and I’m enjoying it so far.

“I’m very comfortable in the ring.”

He said he’d been sparring regularly with boxers of Gallen’s burly build, given he holds a 14cm height advantage over the rugby league great.

Gallen said Hall was a formidable opponent, who he’d long been warned off by players he knew at the Swans.

“He’s already had 16 amateur fights which is more than me so he’s going to know what he’s doing,” Gallen said.

“Guys who fight as amateurs get taught the basics of boxing and that’s the most important thing and that will all come back to him.

“But I don’t think he’s going to be able to keep up with the pace I’m going to go at, he won’t be able to cop it so once we get in there it’s going to be a shock for him.”

Gallen has won all nine of his professional fights, including wins over rugby league players Anthony Watts, Junior Paulo and Bodene Thompson.

— with AAP