Paul Gallen and Josh Aloiai are set to clash in the boxing ring, with the pair verbally agreeing to a bout with eight two-minute rounds.
In a heated Instagram Live video last night, which was put in place by promotion company No Limit Boxing, NRL great turned boxer Gallen and Manly forward Aloiai finally came to an agreement after waves of insults.
The fight had been rumoured for several weeks after Aloiai, 25, made headlines this month by going public with his bid to get into the ring with Gallen, 40, who has a professional record of 11–1–1.
“I’ve agreed. Eight two-minute rounds. You’re a b—h,” Gallen said to Aloiai after 20 minutes of heated back and forth insults.
During the Instagram Live, the pair were locked in a fierce verbal battle with Aloiai claiming he had initially agreed to a six-by-three-minute-rounds bout before negotiations broke down with Gallen rumoured to be taking up a fight with former Tigers centre Joey Leilua.
“It was six (rounds) by three (minutes) and then you said ‘there’s someone else I want to fight… I’ve got someone that’s a bigger name than you, it’s going to be one of the biggest fights in Australia’,” Aloiai said during the discussion.
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“Then next minute you’re calling BJ (Leilua), who’s sitting right next to me, and say ‘BJ do you want to fight? We know you haven’t got boxing experience’.
“Paul, come on, you’re telling some porkies now.”
Gallen, who has long been against two-minute round bouts, said that the fight with Leilua was a decision made without his knowledge by promoter George Rose.
While denying the claims made by Aloiai, the former Sharks captain routinely criticised him, in which he mentioned the infamous gaffe by ARLC chairman Peter V’landys who mistakenly pronounced Aloiai’s name wrong at the NRL’s recent awards night.
“I’m just glad people are starting to see the real Josh Aloiai,” Gallen said.
“You know the only thing you’ve done in your whole life is get called Oshay Olay by the freakin’ (chairman) of the game. You’re a nothing who’s done nothing. You’ve done nothing mate, the only thing you’ve done is be called Oshay Olay.
“The only reason the Rose boys put it to BJ Leilua is because you’re an arrogant p—k.
“I don’t know why you’re arrogant for, you’ve got nothing to be arrogant about, you’ve done nothing.
“They put it to BJ Leilua to put it on you, that’s how dumb you are. You couldn’t even recognise that they were putting it on Leilua, giving him the opportunity to fight me, when I knew nothing about this.
“You can ask the Rose boys, I knew nothing about fighting BJ Leilua, I’ve never even considered it in my life.
“Six three-minute rounds, you got the agreement 10 weeks ago. Then all of a sudden, about a week ago, I hear you got sick.
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“When were you sick, mate? You weren’t sick last week because you were posting on social media and you were doing any radio interview that anyone would listen to.
“The week before you were posting on social media, but we’re still six weeks out from the fight.
“You’re a lazy sloth. Just like your football career.”
“You last 10-15 minutes, that’s all you last, the rest is s–t and I’m going to punch the p–s out of your boxing as well.”
While the verbal insults continued for a while, an agreement was finally reeched.
Aloiai: Eight two-minute rounds?
Let’s do it then. Paul, would you like to fight eight two-minute rounds?
Gallen: I’ll fight you (in) eight two-minute rounds, yeah… but I’m still saying you’re a dog.
Women fight two-minute rounds — I’m not being sexist here.
Aloiai: Just don’t come out on social media tomorrow and say ‘I’m not signing unless it’s three-minute rounds’… enough people have heard.
Gallen Listen here, b—-. I’ve agreed. Eight two-minute rounds. You’re a b—-.