Former world champion Danny Green says the naysayers and sceptics are going to have egg on their face when AFL great Barry Hall starts strutting his stuff in the ring tonight.
“He’s 45 years old and moves like a f—ing flyweight,” Green told Wide World of Sports ahead of Hall’s Turf War heavyweight clash with Sonny Bill Williams.
“He moves like a young man. He really is a phenomenal athlete. It’s very impressive.”
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
Green is now Hall’s promoter so he is hardly going to talk his man down.
But Hall, a former Victorian junior amateur champ, has already demonstrated his boxing ability in the controversial 2019 draw with Paul Gallen.
Many seasoned observers believe Hall should have won that fight, including Green.
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“I’ve seen Barry train many times so I’m aware of what he’s capable of doing,” he said.
“His skill for a big dude… if he had concentrated and put his life into boxing ahead of football, anything’s possible for the bloke. Don’t worry about age, the bloke’s got skill to burn. I watched him last night and he’s a f—ing boxer, he ain’t a footballer.
“This guy is a boxer now.”
Hall weighed in at a lean and mean 97.8kg, giving away more than 11kg to Williams (109.1kg).
He is also nine years older than Williams but Green said he is the full package.
“Everyone knows he’s a long, strong boxer, straight shots. He hooks well, he jabs beautifully, right hand, he f—ing uppercuts well. He’s got a good bag of tricks.”
Green said Williams was also unusually skilled for such a big man who was a footballer for most of his career.
He didn’t think either of them would be dancing around and frustrating the punters over eight three-minute rounds.
“They’re going to meet in the middle. There’s no two ways about it, they’re going to meet and it’s who gets in first and gets in the best shots and who can impose their will.
“Whoever can impose their will early is going to be the victor.”
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