Rugby league great Justin Hodges didn’t mince his words after copping an “old, unfit and slow” jibe on the cusp of his heavyweight boxing fight with Justin Simi on Wednesday night.
Simi, an Instagram influencer set to make his professional boxing debut against Hodges at Sydney’s Horden Pavilion, wasn’t afraid to shoot barbs at the former Bronco and Rooster in a press conference on Monday.
But Hodges scoffed at Simi’s Instagram stardom, comparing him to American sensation Jake Paul, and vowed to knock him out.
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“He’s just a bit slow, to be fair. It just comes with age, respectfully. I think the youth is just going to step up,” Simi said.
“I’ll be much faster than him, maybe a bit fitter.
“I’m going to go out there and try to knock him out, get that $15,000.”
Presenter Ben Damon fuelled the intensity.
“You’ve been called old, unfit and slow,” Damon said.
“Response?”
Hodges, born and bred in Cairns, spared a moment to complain about Sydney’s cold weather.
The Queensland State of Origin icon then lashed back at Simi.
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“I’ve been hearing that in the last fights I’ve had, I’ve heard that my whole footy career,” Hodges said.
“A guy self-named Jake Paul — is that your name? Come on, man. Who follows Instagram?
“I’m just going to take my time.
“Then if he thinks I’m old, slow, it’s going to look pretty bad for him when a 40-year-old knocks him out at some stage.
“If he wants to go back on Instagram after an old man who’s slow, 40 years of age … OK, cool, we’ll see.”
Hodges will take a 4-1-0 professional boxing record into his bout with the 30-year-old Simi.
The two-time NRL premiership winner, who played his last first-grade game in 2015, has defeated Rob Baron, Troy McMahon, Nathan Ross and Ben Hannant in the ring, and has only lost to Darcy Lussick.
His most recent fight, against former Broncos teammate Hannant in Brisbane in June, was decided via unanimous decision.
“It’s a fight,” Hodges said of the Simi clash.
“I’m going to jump in — that’s all I know. I just know how to fight. I don’t give a shit what he does. If he wants to jab, (I’ll) jab. I’ll just take my time.
“He’s talking about he’s going to be fitter. Well, he hasn’t been in there, and the last two guys who’ve said that, they’re going to take me to deep water … they’re the ones that went to deep water themselves.”
Hodges plans to conquer Simi and then overcome rugby league legend Paul Gallen.
“Then I’m out of here,” he said.
“I’m done.”
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