Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been slammed after demanding Jarrod Wallace remove his shirt during a crazy No Limit weigh in show, with the Queensland Origin retiree declaring afterwards: “F*** me, he tried to take it off the c***”.
The fiery heavyweight exchange came as Australia’s Tim Tszyu also failed to shake the hand of his undefeated Albanian rival – and right before promising to leave American megastar Errol Spence Jnr “shook” ahead of their $15 million showdown.
Tszyu vs Nurja | Sunday 5 April from 11am AEST | Tim Tszyu looks to continue his boxing resurgence as he takes on Albanian Denis Nurja | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports >
As part of a crazy Saturday inside the Wollongong Entertainment Centre, hometown hero Sam Goodman also had to be separated from his Argentinian rival by security, with the pair engaging in a physical altercation during their own fiery face off.
But undeniably the greatest chaos came when Asofa-Solomona – aka Australia’s new crossover star – squared off with Wallace, who has already admitted to losing 16kg for Sunday’s footy fight.
Asked initially for his thoughts by Main Event host Ben Damon, Wallace took aim at the former Melbourne Storm prop and his entourage for having travelled to both Sydney and Wollongong events this week by private aeroplane.
“But no private jets can save you now,” he declared.
To which, when given the microphone himself after weighing in, the Storm premiership winner replied: “We’ve landed the plane … now we land the punch on his f***ing chin”.
There was then further drama after Wallace initially failed to take his shirt off when hitting the scales for the ceremonial weigh-ins, with a shirtless Asofa-Solomona quickly demanding he do exactly that for the face offs.
When Wallace obliged, the fighter dubbed ‘Big Nasty’ then playfully whacked him several times in the stomach, as if to suggest the former Maroons prop was carrying a little extra padding around his middle.
For the record, Wallace weighed in at 119.56kg, while NAS was 134.46kg.
Jarrod Wallace and Nelson Asofa-Solomona. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Asked afterwards about what, specifically, Asofa-Solomona had said about his shirt during their exchange by the scales, Wallace said: “F*** me, he tried to take it off the c***.
“But he’s throwing stones in glass houses, I can tell you that much, bro.”
And as for what was said between the pair?
“There wasn’t actually much,” he grinned. “It probably looked a lot more aggressive, but it was just both of us going ‘we’re f***ing ready here’.
“That’s it.
“He said ‘I hope you’re ready’. And I said ‘I wouldn’t be f***ing standing here in front of you if I wasn’t’.
“I’m excited.
“The hype and excitement of that then, “I could’ve gone out there and f***ing jumped in the ring then. It was mad.”
Tszyu calm and ready for Denis Nurja | 03:44
Tszyu, meanwhile, looked incredibly relaxed after hitting the scales at 71.19kg, while rival Denis Nurja was 71kg.
Despite already being contracted to fight Spence Jnr in July or August, the Aussie has first agreed to roll the dice in a ‘warm up’ fight against undefeated Albanian Nurja – who tried to shake Tszyu’s hand during the weigh-in face off that was being beamed live into the US.
Tszyu, however, rejected it.
Speaking afterwards however, ‘The Phoenix’ insisted had no idea Nurja had even put out his hand – “I wasn’t looking at anything beneath the neck” — before also delivering a blunt message for the superstar he is slated to fight in July or August.
Asked if he expected Spence Jnr to be watching on from the US, Tszyu told Fox Sports Australia: “Oh, he’ll be watching, 100 per cent.
“It’s a big fight and there is a lot on the line. So of course he’ll be watching.”
And as for what the former champ will be thinking when it’s over?
“He’ll be saying ‘damn, I thought Tszyu only had one thing’,” the Australian grinned. “And that’s what I want to [show].”
So you want to send a message to Spence?
“That’s the plan,” Tszyu grinned. “Get the whole world talking. Get them all shook.”
Elsewhere, Goodman and his Argentinian rival also had to be separated by security after the Wollongong favourite, initially, flicked Rodrigo Ruiz’s hat from off his head during the face offs.
In response, Ruiz then shoved Goodman backwards, with ‘The Ghost’ then charging back across stage before No Limit security intervened.
Elsewhere, Tszyu also said he hadn’t meant to leave his own rival hanging on stage.
“What happened?” the fighter asked afterwards, genuinely confused when media asked about the brush off.
Told he had appeared to reject Nurja’s handshake, Tszyu said: “Oh, really? I wasn’t looking at anything beneath the neck.
“I didn’t even know.
“You guys are only telling me now.
“I was so locked in. I thought ‘I’m going to look at this guy deep through his eyes, into his soul …’.”
Asofa-Solomona, meanwhile, said he was ready to continue his rise and rise in the sport
“Everything I do is real,” he said. “It’s authentically me.
“I just went up there and went with the flow of it and hopefully people enjoyed it.”
Asked what was said between the two, he replied: “I can’t say, I’ve got to keep it PG.
“It was a bit of back n’ forth.
“I don’t like to disclose too much.”
And as for the t-shirt saga?
“I just felt underdressed,” he grinned. “I had my shirt off. He took it off … and he’s a big boy.
“But look, at the end of the day it doesn’t matter how you look.
“It’s how you turn up.
“You’re not going to be throwing with you’re stomach, he will be throwing with his fists.”
Asked what Nurja should expect, Tszyu continued: “This is a different level.
“This isn’t European boxing.
“We’re going to show him how the Aussies do it. He’s going to be shook.
“He’ll be ‘damn, this guy’s jab is quicker, this guy punches harder, I’m going to start moving back, moving back, I’ll try to catch him with the left hook … we’ll see.”
Tszyu ready to combat his ‘kryptonite’ | 02:11
Wallace, meanwhile, said he was “confident” after evening up the ledger against a rival who he has already fought in a 2023 exhibition, and was stopped in the third round.
He added that while NAS was so busy looking at his hitlist of future rivals – which includes George Burgess, Matt Lodge and Paul Gallen – he still hasn’t even proved himself inside the ring.
“He’s untested,” the Queenslander said.
“And that’s credit to him. He got a got uppercut against Latsy [Jeremy Latimore] in his first fight.
“But he’s been too worried about looking into the future.
“Big Georgie, Lodge, Paul Gallen.
“He’s worried about all that, committed to the jokes online.
“But I don’t I think he’s as zoned in as when we fought first time.
“He hasn’t had to go into the later rounds, either. And hasn’t been hit yet.
“I thought everyone will be shocked by the way it goes tomorrow.”