Trash talk might not come naturally but a cheeky Sonny Bill Williams lobbed a verbal grenade into the Barry Hall camp as the mind games cranked up today.
Williams sat patiently at a Sydney press conference listening to Hall’s promoter, Danny Green, explain why the AFL champion was going to knock him out on Wednesday.
Eventually, he had heard enough and interrupted Australia’s former world champion.
TURF WAR: Sonny Bill Williams vs Barry Hall, live and exclusive on Stan Event, March 23. Purchase the event now at stan.com.au/event
“That’s not what you told me on social media bro,” Williams told Green.
“A couple of weeks ago, come on bro. You didn’t say that when you messaged me.”
Green, of course, is not the type to back down from a blue.
READ MORE: Hall dismisses SBW’s star-studded training camp as sign of ‘weakness’
READ MORE: Sonny Bill reveals self belief struggles, slams ‘arrogant’ Barry Hall
READ MORE: Gun trainer Andy Lee backs star pupil Williams for world title fight
“I didn’t say it on social media? Well I just said it now so it’s real media.”
Bookmakers are finding it tough to split the former footballers on boxing ability but Williams (8-0) has now replaced Hall (one draw vs Paul Gallen) as a slight favourite.
The heavyweights will scrap over eight three minute rounds and Williams argued his advantage came from being younger yet more experienced as well as being hungrier.
“I think my mental capacity, I think I’m tougher and my boxing ability will shine through,” Hall responded when asked why he would win.
That line also got Williams going.
“I should have went on SAS,” he said, referring to the reality TV show.
“Show you I was tougher.”
But then Williams, 36, reverted to respectful mode.
“My last name’s not Gallen, I’m not going to stand up there and say ‘you’re two minutes this, noodles that.’ But what I am going to say is it’s going to be a great fight.”
Putting his more serious analytical hat on, Green predicted that fans would be pleasantly surprised by the quality of the fight.
“Both guys are supreme athletes, Andy Lee is a phenomenal trainer and he’s been training Sonny for quite a while now,” Green said.
“We expect an extremely hungry and skilful Sonny Bill Williams but Barry Hall is a beast. He’s a beast of a man.
“I’m in Barry’s camp and am confident he’s going to be victorious but I do think this fight will end in knockout. I don’t see this going to points.
“I don’t see these guys punching each other that hard for 24 minutes. If it goes the distance these guys are going to be busted right up.
“So I expect a knockout and I’m in Barry’s camp so I expect it to be Barry Hall, but it could go either way.”
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!