Barry Hall says Australian fight fans will tonight see a completely different athlete to the one iced by Sonny Bill Williams, revealing preparations were such a “shambles” for his 2022 blockbuster he lost 5kg in fight week and couldn’t eat on fight day.
After almost two years out of the sport, Hall is set to make his hyped return in Wednesday night’s heavyweight bout against exiled NRL star Curtis Scott.
Apart from adding 10kg of muscle since his last fight appearance, the 47-year-old has also completely overhauled his preparations from the last outing, which saw him increasingly stressed as the headliner approached due to concerns about his camp having not been detailed enough.
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The former Sydney Swans star added that only Father Time is capable of beating him inside the Wollongong Entertainment Centre tonight, insisting “Curtis isn’t a better fighter than me … he’s just not”.
In a bid to earn himself a potential rematch with either Williams or NSW Origin legend Paul Gallen, who he fought to a contentious draw in 2019, Hall is squaring off against Scott — who is himself undefeated in two fights and touted as boasting some of the heaviest hands in Australia.
Hall hit the scales on Tuesday weighing 106kg, which is over eight kilos heavier than his last outing and a dozen more than his rugby league rival.
“Against Sonny, I was only days from the fight out when everything started unravelling,” Hall recounted on fight eve.
“I lost five kilos in fight week and didn’t even eat the day of the fight.
“It was crazy.
“I didn’t even have to make weight but I just couldn’t eat.
“I was gaunt.
“At the time, I just wasn’t in a great headspace.
“There’s actually so many little things I look back on now and go ‘f*** that was ridiculous.”
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In preparation for Scott, Hall has also demanded a far tougher camp, and with higher caliber sparring partners, than when he faced Williams in 2022.
“Because back then I was just punching the s*** out of everything,” he continued.
“But you can’t do things that way. You have spar against people who can keep you getting better.”
So as for what he expects of Scott, who is undefeated in two professional bouts – including a brutal finish of Joey Leilua earlier this year on debut?
“He’s strong and comes forward,” Hall said.
“So we know where he’s going to be.
“The guy has got no other tricks.
“He’s not going to get boxing IQ overnight.
“We know where he’s going to be so we just have to walk him onto something, that’s the plan.
“And then if I do lose, I can walk away saying Father Time has got me.
“Because Curtis isn’t a better fighter than me.
“He’s just not.
“He can say what he wants, people can think I’m being cocky or whatever, but he’s just not the better fighter so if I get beat then Father Time has got me … although right now, I don’t think he has.”
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Hall added he was also keen to show people that the Williams loss was not a valid representation of him as a fighter.
“And I have already dealt with it myself,” he said of the loss.
“It took a long time.
“But I have dealt with it.
“But you’re only as good as you’re last fight and I understand that.
“But I also know I’m better that.
“And I want to show that.
“I don’t need to do this.
“But I can do a lot better than that last fight and I want to show that.
“People probably think ‘he’s 47, f***ing crazy’.
“But if you watch me train, watch me spar then you’ll know I’m not.
“I’m a way better fighter than even when I fought Paul Gallen.
“I was green at that stage. Now things are very different.”