World boxing icon Tyson Fury has delivered an unexpected compliment to Australia’s rugby league star turned pugilist Paul Gallen.
Gallen captained Cronulla to the 2016 NRL premiership and is regarded as one of the competition’s toughest competitors of the past two decades, but since retiring has turned his attention to the ring, alongside his work with Nine.
It’s a transition that has borne an 11-1-1 record with the gloves, his only professional loss coming against Australia’s new superstar heavyweight Justis Huni in June.
Before that, Gallen knocked out former Aussie champion Lucas Browne in a stunning first-round finish.
It was the Huni fight – in which Gallen copped a beating but stayed on his feet until the very last round – that made Fury sit up and take notice.
Fury is the undefeated WBC heavyweight champion of the world, and is one of boxing’s greatest characters.
The Englishman is impressed by Gallen.
“May I say, Paul Gallen’s very gutsy,” Fury told Main Event.
“He’s got some balls on him. Credit to him.”
Fury is fighting Deontay Wilder on Sunday (AEST) in what will be the third bout between the two heavyweight champions.
Gallen, who was advised by some to retire from boxing after the Huni bout, has signed a contract which commits him to three more fights over the next 18 months.
His next opponent is yet to be revealed.
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