Sonny Bill Williams has launched a scathing attack on Paul Gallen over alleged use of performance enhancing drugs, as the long-awaited heavyweight showdown between the pair is finally locked in.
After years of back and forth, the former NRL stars have agreed to the super-fight which will be held at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on July 16.
Gallen, 43, was supposed to front a press conference on Tuesday, but instead snubbed the event, telling fans via social media that he ‘didn’t want to steal Sonny’s thunder’.
‘Hey guys, right about now, I’m supposed to be at the press conference for me vs Sonny Bill Williams, but clearly I’m not,’ Gallen said in an Instagram post.
‘You see, this whole negotiation process has been about Sonny, so I thought I’d leave it that way. You know, I wanted to fight early in the year. Sonny wanted to fight later in the year because it didn’t suit him, so we’re fighting later in the year.’
The former Blues skipper also teased Williams about wanting rounds less than three minutes, before signing off.
Sonny Bill Williams (pictured) slams Paul Gallen over alleged use of performance enhancing drugs in fiery press conference
SBW have finally agreed to square off at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on July 16.
‘I hope you feel like I’ve wasted your time, mate, because I feel like you’ve wasted my time the past 10 years,’ he said.
‘But finally, you built up the courage to jump in the ring with me. July 16, we’ll get it done.
‘But you, you keep being a good boy, you keep doing what you’re told and I’ll give you some attention very, very soon. And I hope you train hard, because while I’m past my best, we all know that I’ve still got enough left in me to beat you.
‘I’ll see you soon, champion.’
Williams, 39, did the press conference on his own and put down Gallen’s absence to his fear of being tested for illegal performance enhancing drugs.
‘I think he got word that the drug testers were going to be here today and ask him about the vitamins that he’s been on,’ Williams said.
When questioned on if he felt disrespected by Gallen’s no-show, Williams unleashed a withering spray.
‘I think when it comes to Paul – the last 10-15 years – he’s always attacked my character,’ he said.
Paul Gallen (pictured) was supposed to front a press conference on Tuesday, but instead snubbed the event
Williams has been training with world champion Jai Opetaia in preparation for the showdown
‘For someone that has been involved in probably one of the biggest drug sporting scandals in the NRL to date – for someone that charges his own players $10 a head to come to a barbecue at his house – this type of character having a go at mine, I see that as a compliment.’
When asked if there was a chance Gallen might not show up to the fight, Williams informed the press that he wasn’t worried about that.
‘He definitely wants his pay cheque,’ Williams said.
‘A lot of people around him haven’t seen his wallet for a long time so I know he will turn up for his pay cheque.’
Williams last fought in 2022, suffering a shock knockout loss to MMA star Mark Hunt.
The Kiwi star believes Gallen is using ‘heavy vitamins’ as he prepares for the bout
He told Daily Mail Australia that it was partly due to his training camp not being tough enough – something that he’s now addressing by training alongside boxing champion Jai Opetaia.
‘My downfall in my last fight was probably the softness – and the way I took that fight mentally – I knew that [training alongside Opetaia] will probably get the best out of me,’ Williams said.
The dual-code star was planning to stay in Queensland for the whole fight camp, but says it’s been hard with his young family.
‘I’ve been coming back and forth,’ he said.
‘I was going to try and stay up there the whole time but it’s tough. I’ve got five kids under ten.
‘We don’t have a fulltime nanny or anything like that, so it’s been pretty demanding on the wife. The last few weeks have been pretty tough on her.’
