After demolishing Darcy Lussick, inevitably the narrative for Paul Gallen swayed towards a fight with Sonny-Bill Williams.
Speaking after his TKO victory, Gallen suggested a fight with the All Blacks legend will probably never happen, although revealed both fighters had been offered big cheques by renowned promoter Eddie Hearn for two fights.
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The former Sharks skipper said he plans to retire from boxing after next year and believes Williams is waiting until he’s older.
“I’m 40 and well and truly at the end of my career,” he told Main Event post-fight.
“My daughters and wife don’t want me to fight much longer. I’ll see what happens.
“I’ve said I am going to retire next year without a doubt so unless it happens by the middle of next year, it won’t happen.
“The ball is in his court. I’ve said for years let’s do it but there’s going to come a time where I say no more and I bet you that’s when he says let’s do it.
“I’ve said that before and will say it again, that’s what he is doing [waiting until Gallen is older].”
Gallen went on to reveal Williams has been dodging a multimillion-dollar deal put forward by Hearn.
The proposed deal would see the pair fight twice next year, with each earning $4 million in total for both fights.
“You would have read in today’s paper, we were offered $4 million each to fight twice next year and it’s not happening,” Gallen said.
“Why? It’s unheard of money. That’s ridiculous.”
Earlier this month Williams said he wanted to commit to boxing for two years before facing Gallen.
The Sharks great will be long retired by then he said and won’t stick around too long.
“At some stage, someone who should have beat me is going to beat me,” Gallen said.
“I look at Mark Hunt. I beat Mark Hunt, in all seriousness if I versed Mark Hunt in his heyday, I’m not going near him. He would kill me.
“I got him in the back-end but I don’t consider myself a better fighter than Mark Hunt, no way. That’s probably going to happen to me, at some stage someone is going to step up [and beat me].
“I’m a little bit too old, a little bit slower and I’m going to get caught.”
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