Paul Gallen says he’ll hang up the gloves at the end of this year, with plans of staging three more fights before calling time on a fruitful boxing career.
The ex-Sharks premiership-winning captain revealed the roadmap to the end of his athletic career at the No Limit launch in Sydney last night, with 2022 set to be his last as a professional athlete since making his NRL debut for the Sharks in 2001.
“I’m looking forward to finishing off my career as an athlete altogether in 2022,” Gallen said.
“I’m 40 years of age now so I haven’t got a lot left in me but a couple of fights this year will be good.”
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Gallen said he has three names on his wish-list that he’d like to fight before year’s end but understands that the chips may not fall his way.
“Sam Burgess keeps getting spoken about… that’s one,” Gallen said.
“Rob Whitaker is another one, he was beaten recently in the UFC so that’s one we’ve been talking about, there has been a conversation there.
“The big one, the only fight anyone wants to see is Sonny Bill – but he’s been running for 10 years and I think he’s going to keep running.
“Nothing in the pipeline at this stage but I’m sure as soon as the NRL season finishes a couple of boys will put their hands up, so that’ll be good.
“But I wouldn’t mind having one before then, possibly two.
“But 2022 will probably see the end of me as an athlete.”
Burgess, who has never fought professionally, is one fight seen as a likely match up to take place.
Whittaker’s situation is interesting since he lost to Israel Adesanya for a second time. There has been talk of possibly going down a weight division, since the New Zealand-based fighter is the only one to beat him since 2014.
Sonny Bill Williams takes on Barry Hall on March 23. Stan subscribers can purchase the ‘Turf War’ fight for $50. Register your interest here!
A fight with Gallen was a pipedream once upon a time but now could build steam after the defeat.
A clash with Williams has been floating around for the last eight years, but with the former New Zealand heavyweight champion fighting Barry Hall on Stan in March, there’s every chance both men will want to capitalise on the interest before it gets too late.
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