Barry Hall is bristling at being likened to a stepping stone for Sonny Bill Williams’ boxing career, vowing to take matters out of the judges hands and knock out the dual code star in Sydney on March 23.
Williams, who has been training with heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury and Kiwi guns Joseph Parker and David Nyika in the United Kingdom, described Hall as “nowhere near my class level” and stated “I will take this win and move onto bigger fights over the next 24-36 months.”
Hall, the retired AFL great and former junior boxing champ, claimed Williams’ hubris would come back to bite him.
Sonny Bill Williams takes on Barry Hall on March 23. Stan subscribers can purchase the ‘Turf War’ fight for $50. Register your interest here!
“I’ve heard some things about stepping stone and this is the start of something big, like they’re going to walk all over me,” Hall told Wide World of Sports.
“So although there’s respect there, that’s a bit of an insult from my point of view and that’s the way I’m taking it.”
Hall, 44, has just one professional fight on his CV, the controversial 2019 draw against Paul Gallen.
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Three years on he maintains he was dudded by the judges but says that experience has made his fight plan crystal clear against the 9-0 Williams, a man with similar physical dimensions but eight years younger.
“If it’s close and I’m ahead I’m not going to win,” Hall claimed.
“I’m not a conspiracy theorist or anything like that but I understand that and I signed up to this knowing that. I think everyone will agree with that. I get it, that’s what I signed up for so I need to knock him out.”
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Williams, meanwhile, told Wide World of Sports he “couldn’t give two s–ts” that Hall was upset by the stepping stone angle.
“He can take it whatever way that gives him motivation to get out of bed and run that extra mile because at the end of the day, for me, I said that statement knowing that there’s no journey if I don’t beat Barry, or I don’t put on a good performance,” Williams said.
“Just that comment, what you said, gives me motivation too. It’s the truth – if I don’t put on a good performance and beat Barry then there’s no boxing journey.”
Hall said he did respect Williams’ abilities as both a footballer and a boxer but had no doubt he had taken on a winnable fight.
“I’m just better. I’ve done this for a long time. I know people say it’s like riding a bike but things are just coming back now, from when I was a junior. I know it sounds a bit far-fetched because I’m 44 but things are just coming back and I’m starting to get a bit of a groove now. Very confident,” Hall said.
“Every fight they’ve had has been on their terms and they think this fight is on their terms but they’ve made a mistake.”