What’s The Buzz: Sam Burgess tipped to fight Paul Gallen

Fresh from being crowned SAS Australia champion, Sam Burgess is poised to tackle an even bigger challenge – and payday – against Paul Gallen in the boxing ring.

Paul Gallen (L) would be giving away some weight to Sam Burgess (R) in the ring.

Retired South Sydney star Sam Burgess has been approached to fight Paul Gallen in a blockbuster heavyweight showdown in February.

The SAS Australia champion has been discussing his options with Tim Tszyu’s promoters No Limit boxing since winning the Channel 7 series earlier this year.

While Burgess has little boxing experience, he is among the most fearless and toughest NRL players in history and somehow played the entire 2014 grand final with a busted cheekbone and eye socket.

Burgess showed his fighting prowess on SAS Australia.

He took only a minute to leave his opponent AFL veteran Heath Shaw lying on the floor as part of a brutal ‘fight club challenge’

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Paul Gallen (L) would be giving away some weight to Sam Burgess (R) in the ring.

“I’ve been in a couple of fights. I grew up in the north of England and went through a couple of tough schools there,” he said.

The tough Englishman beat a crippling shoulder injury and mental health issues after a messy marriage split, to win the TV series.

The proposed fight with Gallen would be an even greater challenge — and a huge payday.

Your columnist actually put the idea of this fight to promoter Matt Rose and Gallen’s advisor Peter Mitrevski Jr in October.

It would be a huge selling event on Foxtel’s Main Event and at Qudos Bank Arena in Homebush.

Sam Burgess’ toughness was on display in the 2014 NRL Grand Final when he continued to play despite his cheekbone being bbbbbbroken in the first hitup. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Gallen is now an experienced heavyweight with only one loss — to champion boxer Justis Huni —– in an impressive 13-fight career.

He stopped former World champion Lucas Browne and beat UFC star Mark Hunt before going 10 rounds with Huni in his most courageous performance.

Burgess, 32, now weighs 110kg. That’s 10kg more than Gallen, 40.

Gallen would have to start favourite because of his ring experience. However Burgess is so tough he’d be hard to knock down.

Burgess was unwilling to chat when he returned a text message on Friday: “I’m busy Buzz — I have nothing to talk about anyway.”

No Limit boss George Rose was also reluctant to talk.

“Nothing has been signed and there is nothing to report,” Rose said.

Originally published as What’s The Buzz: Sam Burgess tipped to fight Paul Gallen