Boxing Kangaroos ready for frosty reception

By Wayne Cousins
NRL.com
10:57am Wed 11th December, 2013


League stars Paul Gallen and Sam Thaiday might be climbing into the boxing ring for charity in Auckland on Saturday night but they are well aware of the reception they will receive from the locals.

Fresh from starring in Australia's dominant win over New Zealand in the World Cup final, Gallen and Thaiday will face a different battle in the form of the annual Woodstock Fight for Life charity boxing night at Trusts Arena that sees rugby union stars take on their league opponents.

"I don't know how they are going to treat me over there now after we gave the Kiwis a hiding,'' Gallen said.

"And I'm fighting one of the All Blacks hardmen in Liam Messam. It will be interesting and a lot of fun too."

Gallen will be hoping to make it two wins from two attempts in the ring after beating former All Black Hika Elliott last year in the Fight for Life.

A keen boxing fan, Gallen is also interested in pursuing the sport further should he be victorious over Messam.

"It was bloody hard last year, really taxing fitness wise. I'm a lot fitter going into it this year,'' Gallen said after doing some light training at the Tyzu Aacdemy at St George PCYC yesterday.

"Liam is a lot taller than me and he is big and strong. The thing I love most about boxing is the chance to get into the ring and to test yourself one on one and hopefully come out with a win."

Unlike Gallen, Thaiday says the lure of raising money for charity is the main reason why he has agreed to step in against Ben Tameifuna, who won a Super Rugby rugby title with Messam earlier this year.

Tameifuna broke the jaw of a sparring partner last week and has a massive weight advantage over Thaiday. The Kiwi tips the scales at about 140kg compared to Thaiday's 115kg.

"Fight for Life is such a great cause and this is my way of being able to help some indigenous youth in New Zealand who may be going through some of the same things as the kids I work with in Australia,'' Thaiday said.

"I have some absolutely fantastic and brilliant Kiwi friends, some who I hold very dear to my heart, so I am more than happy to go over to Auckland and help my fellow 'cross the ditch' country men.

"I am not being fooled by claims of Ben's weight. I am sure he is a very powerful, fast and strong guy like all the Polynesian league players are in the NRL."

Irrespective of the result on Saturday night, Thaiday is happy to put the gloves away.

"I try to even steer away from an argument with my wife. I'm not a fighter at all. I'm a lover, not a fighter,'' Thaiday said with a smile.

"Hopefully for me, Ben is a lover too and we will go out there and have a bit of fun for charity."

I know Gallen can fight but Sammy may be taking on a bit too much 140kg :surprise:

As we all know Thaiday is much better when he can come in as 3rd man … maybe he should send Brett White in first? Good on him though for taking a few for a good charity.

Paul Gallen, Sam Thaiday beat Liam Messam, Ben Tameifuna in charity bouts
Date
December 14, 2013 - 9:05PM



Australian rugby league hardman Paul Gallen showed again he may have a future in the ring after his playing days are over as he defeated All Blacks loose forward Liam Messam in a charity boxing bout in Auckland.

Gallen, who four-time world champion Danny Green believes could make the grade as a professional boxer, won a split decision against Messam over three two-minute rounds.

Rugby league also won the second battle of the codes bout with Gallen's international teammate Sam Thaiday beating Chiefs prop Ben Tameifuna.

Last year 32-year-old Gallen easily dispatched former All Black Hika Elliot at the Fight for Life event, but found things tougher going against Messam who had beaten Wendell Sailor in 2011.


The 29-year-old All Black found it hard to tag the Australian until the final round when a right hand found its mark to rock the Cronulla captain.

But Gallen steered clear of the knockout punch Messam needed to win the bout after the flanker was outpointed in the opening two rounds.

"He keeps coming forward ... I couldn't really hit him," Messam said.

The fight was the showcase of the event, raising funds for children's charity KidsCan, but earlier Kangaroos international Thaiday gave away more than 31kg and six years to Tameifuna who had broken the jaw of a sparring partner in training.

The 28-year-old Broncos forward avoided that fate and the judges ruled unanimously in his favour despite being caught by some stinging shots from the 144kg Tameifuna.

"It's the toughest thing I've ever done and I have a new-found respect for boxers," the Rugby League World Cup-winner said.

In the battle between former international cricketers, Chris Cairns put the controversy of being the subject of an investigation into alleged match-fixing by the International Cricket Council to one side to beat Simon Doull in a unanimous decision.

Cairns, who lost 20kg in shaping up for the fight, alluded to the probe after the bout but it was Doull who made specific mention of the allegation that came to light last week.

"Innocent until proven," he said.

Sky television presenter Stephen McIvor and Fairfax journalist Steve Kilgallon drew the opening bout of the evening.

AAP