Paul Gallen’s wife is reportedly fuming that the former NRL star is returning to the boxing ring to face elson Asofa-Solomona in a heavyweight showdown in Sydney on Friday.
The 45-year-old will return to the ring next week for his 20th professional bout, 16 months after coming out of retirement for the third time to settle a decade-long score with Sonny Bill Williams.
After winning that bout in a highly controversial decision, the former Sharks premiership winner declared nothing would get him back in the ring.
“I’m just so happy it’s over. That’s it, that’s my sporting career done,” Gallen told news.com.au and fellow reporters in the post-fight media scrum.
“I’m really relieved it’s over and have come away with a victory, which is what we intended to do.”
Yet not even two years later, Gallen again has come out of retirement, much to the dismay of his wife Anne, who he said is “not happy” about it.
Gallen has again insisted this will be the final time he steps into the ring and said the “sole motivation” behind his return is one final payday to set his family up for life.
“Nah, she’s not happy. She’s not happy at all,” Gallen told AAP about his wife’s thoughts on him fighting again.
“But it’s my job as a bloke. It’s my role in the relationship. I provide for my family.
“I’m going to give my family a life I never had, and that’s my sole motivation. That’s what I’m here for: to look after them, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
But as more and more retired league stars learn they are suffering from serious brain damage accumulated from repeated head knocks, Anne understandably doesn’t want her husband to risk any more damage.
After a bruising 19-year NRL career and 19 boxing fights, Gallen has taken plenty of damage.
But Gallen says he’s done numerous brain scans and consulted with medical specialists before deciding to fight again.
“I’ve done everything I can to ensure I’m in a good spot,” he said.
“People talk about CTE. I’ve heard former footy players talk about it. But you do not know you’ve got CTE until you’re dead.”
And he’s promised his Mrs, he will be done for good after taking on Big Nelson.
“This is the third time I’m coming out of retirement now. Hopefully I get through this one and hope no one else calls me out,” Gallen said.
“I’ve been tested, I’ve been scanned. There’s no way a doctor’s going to say, ‘yeah, you can still fight’.
“I’ve been told I’m in a good spot and after this fight I’ll get tested again.”
As for the fight, Gallen says he has a score to settle with the Melbourne premiership winner, who he says he helped get a start in the fight game with No Limit Boxing.
Gallen says he’d told him he was retired on numerous occasions and was angered by the fact he kept calling him out.
“I told him I was done. I told him I was finished,” Gallen continued.
“He wasn’t calling out Curtis Scott. He’s not calling out Junior Paulo. They’re footy players. They’re younger. I’m 45.
“He keeps bringing up my name after the fact because he knows I didn’t want to do this anymore. I’m going to smash his face in.”
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