Paul Gallen launches searing attack at Sonny Bill Williams as barbs between pair take ugly turn
Paul Gallen was a no-show at a scheduled press conference promoting his fight with Sonny Bill Williams and the pair are throwing accusations back and forward.
A furious Paul Gallen has launched a searing attack on Sonny Bill Williams after ‘SBW’ baselessly claimed the former Sharks captain pulled a no-show at their scheduled press conference on Tuesday because “he thought the drug testers were going to be here”.
Gallen’s angry response comes as event organisers will contemplate keeping the two former footy players separated in the lead-up to their July 16 heavyweight clash at Qudos Bank Arena.
In Gallen’s absence at Tuesday’s presser, Williams zeroed in on the Cronulla supplements saga in 2011.
Former Sharks skipper Gallen remains the most high-profile figure involved in the supplements scandal, and has argued his innocence for 14 years.
Williams also claimed the pair were supposed to fight in 2022, before Gallen pulled out – a claim the State of Origin-winning captain vehemently denies.
“What needs to be spoken about is what happened three years ago, when the fight was done with a 50-50 split right down the middle,” Williams told Code Sports. “We were about to announce it and he reneged. He pulled out.
“What’s changed since then?
Williams also claimed he asked for drug testing in the contracts.
“I asked for two things, and one of them was drug testing in the contract,” he said.
“I got the contract and I still signed it, but there was no drug testing in the contract.
“That’s what I wanted to speak about here today.
“If Paul has any decency, and if the people that are putting on the fight, it’s gonna be in it.”
When asked about Williams’ comments, Gallen told Code Sports: “ASADA knows where I live, they can test me any time. I’m happy to be tested.”
He then fired back with drug accusations of his own, referencing Williams’ days as a young NRL player thrust into the spotlight.
In his 2021 book, ‘You Can’t Stop The Sun From Shining’, Williams wrote about how he turned to drugs as a way of dealing with the pressure of his newfound fame.
“That’s a bit rich coming from him, he’s an admitted drug user himself,” Gallen told Code Sports on Tuesday afternoon.
“He wrote it in his book, how he used to go on four-day benders.
“He wrote he had a doctor tell him that he’s lucky he’s not dead with the amount of drugs found in his system.
“It’s the pot calling the kettle black. It’s all fact, he wrote it in his own book. Google it. He had a doctor tell him he’s lucky he’s not dead.”
Gallen is still fired up that he has to answer questions about the Sharks’ supplement scandal too.
“I’m angrier than anyone about it, but it’s a part of my life,” he said. “Would I have the job I have if I had intentionally done anything wrong?
“If I had sourced drugs and did it intentionally, I would understand the criticism, one hundred percent.
“But what happened at Cronulla was brought to us and administered to us. It was a club program.
“It shits me.”
After calling for a fight with Williams for almost a decade, Gallen shut down SBW’s claims that they were close to signing a contract to fight in 2022.
“Find me one piece of correspondence between me and his manager – an email, a text, something,” he said. “Prove me a liar. Show me an email.
“My last fight was November 2022, and I can tell you that the last time I spoke to Khoder Nasser was in late 2021.
“I said, ‘I’m going to retire at the end of next year, so we need to make this happen’.
“That was in late 2021.
“I fought in September 2022 and November 2022, then I retired.
“Then – and I said this would happen – the first time there was talk of it was in May 2023, seven months after I retired.
“I told you then that that’s exactly what he’d do, that he’d wait until I retired to call me out.
“I told you he’d bring up the drugs as well. I told you that two weeks ago. I can read him like a book.
“I don’t think he’s a bad bloke, but he believes everything people around him tell him.”
Williams conducted a solo press conference, and labelled Gallen “insecure” for refusing to show up.
“At the end of the day, it’s still promoting the fight, and he knows he’s still going to get paid,” he said.
“The thing I see is an insecure man, a narcissistic man who can’t handle not being the A-side.
“It’s not about him. These type of guys, they don’t like it.
“That’s how I see it.”
‘Always about Sonny’: Gal baits Sonny Bill after presser no-show
- David Riccio and Brendan Bradford
Paul Gallen has failed to turn up to a scheduled press conference with boxing rival Sonny Bill Williams, breaking the news on his Instagram.
Gallen failed to inform the organisers of the press conference called to promote their long-awaited bout on July 16, leaving Williams sitting at the Sydney press conference alone.
The former NRL star said he brushed Williams because “Sonny has wasted the last 10-years” of his life.
“Right about now I’m supposed to be at the press conference for me versus Sonny Bill Williams, but clearly I’m not,’’ Gallen posted on his social media channel.
“This whole negotiation process has been about Sonny so I thought I would leave it that way.
“I wanted to fight earlier in the year, but Sonny wanted to fight later in the year, so I’m fighting later in the year.
“I wanted to fight over 10 three-minute rounds, he wanted eight. Then he wanted eight, two-minute rounds, so now we’re doing two-minute rounds.
“Everything is always about Sonny. Sonny gets what Sonny wants.
“I didn’t want to steal his thunder today. Sonny can go and say whatever he wants to say. He’s a big enough star to carry this fight all on his own.
“All of his other pay-per-view shows have been absolute blockbusters, haven’t they?
“They’ve been big haven’t they Sonny? All those big, big pay-per-view numbers you’ve done.
“You’re an absolute superstar. You’re a better athlete, you’re a better boxer than me, you’re younger than me, you’re fitter, what hope am I?
“I’m just going to turn up on the night and give it a good old crack
“I hope you feel like I’ve wasted your time mate.
“Because I feel like I’ve wasted my time the last 10-years, but finally you’ve built up the courage to jump in the ring with me, July 16, we’ll get it done.’’
Channel Nine and Stan Sport bosses are reportedly furious that he didn’t show up.
“It was certainly a late change to our plans, put it that way,” said Stan’s Director of Sport, Ben Kimber. “That’s a fantastic example of what we’ve been dealing with trying to get this fight up.
“This is not fake. These are two guys who distrust each other, have a genuine beef and genuinely have something to sort out in the ring.”
Gallen is due at a promotional shoot at Channel Nine studios on Tuesday afternoon, and Kimber had no concerns that the former Sharks captain wouldn’t fulfil his promotional duties as the fight approaches.
“He understands the need to get out there and push this fight, and he’s probably the best at it,”
“This is a very personal thing for him and that’s what today’s shown.
“I think the best thing is to keep them apart at the moment. They genuinely don’t like to be around each other. They don’t want to be in each others’ faces.”
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