- Pair will square off on Tim Tszyu undercard on April 5 in Wollongong
NRL star turned heavyweight boxer Jarrod Wallace has his wife to thank after an honest ‘spray’ got his life back on track.
Wallace, 34, was struggling for purpose after retiring from footy in 2024, despite securing radio roles on SEN and Triple M.
At one stage, the forward who played six Origin games for Queensland saw his weight balloon past 130kg – and that was when Shannon stepped in.
‘I don’t know if it was depression, but it was definitely a dark spot,’ Wallace told Code Sports.
‘I remember my missus spraying me, saying, ‘You’re so much better than this’.
‘I kind of felt sorry for myself, like I was being picked on… I just turned into a shell of a person.’
NRL star turned heavyweight boxer Jarrod Wallace has his wife to thank after an honest ‘spray’ from his wife Shannon got his life back on track (pictured right, fighting Nick Timms)
The forward who played six Origin games for Queensland saw him weight balloon past 130kg – and that was when Shannon stepped in (pictured, after scoring a try for the Dolphins in 2023)
Wallace eventually reached out to trainer Fidel Tukel, who was initially apprehensive about the Gold Coast Titans junior’s chances in the ring in a rematch against Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
In late 2023, Wallace fought ‘Big Nasty’ on the Battle of the Reef card in Townsville, losing in the third round by TKO.
Come Easter Sunday on April 5, Wallace will look to square the ledger in Wollongong when the pair fight on the Tim Tszyu undercard.
In the lead-up to the bout at the WIN Entertainment Centre, Wallace declared he is living ‘rent-free’ in Asofa-Solomona’s head after referencing a try he scored against the Melbourne Storm in 2019.
Wallace caught Asofa-Solomona off guard close to the line – and he continues to dine out on the on-field moment.
Back in 2022, Wallace’s former wife broke her silence to reveal her torment after the prop allegedly cheated on her after she put on weight and suffered post-natal depression.
A one-time Miss World Australia, model and television presenter, Courtney Thorpe was living a life many envied.
When she crossed paths with Wallace for the first time in 2017 at South Bank in Brisbane, it was love at first sight.
Come Easter Sunday on April 5, Wallace will look to square the ledger in Wollongong when he fights Nelson Asofa-Solomona on the Tim Tszyu undercard (pictured, in their 2023 bout)
Wallace has credited his wife Shannon for making him ‘the happiest I have ever been’
The couple enjoyed a whirlwind relationship and were married two years later.
They welcomed their daughter, Kennedy Grace, in August of 2019. The birth was traumatic and Kennedy was premature.
The new mother gained 35kg and suffered from post-natal depression, with Wallace often on the road with the Titans.
Overcome with anxiety, Thorpe said she frequently apologised to her husband for being overweight, and even promised him she would ‘get skinny, just please don’t cheat on me.’
Wallace allegedly reassured her he wouldn’t stray, and only had eyes for her.
Thorpe’s life was then turned upside down when she confronted Wallace about other alleged women. A series of alleged text messages ended their marriage.
The retired footy star has never admitted to infidelity and denies any suggestion that he cheated on Thorpe.
