Curtis Scott has declared himself the only fighter capable of bringing Paul Gallen back to Australia’s heavyweight boxing scene – stressing “everyone wants to see me fight” – and suggested a clash between the great mates could be made as soon as this year.
The revelation comes as the exiled NRL star also hit back at Barry Hall’s sledge about him being “no Latrell Mitchell” as the pair ready to throw down in Wednesday night’s hyped No Limit Pay-Per-View in Wollongong.
Only four months after signing on as a potential crossover boxing star, 26-year-old Scott is already gunning for his third straight win against AFL legend Hall, who is himself fighting for the first time in two years and eyeing off rematches with either Gallen or Sonny Bill Williams.
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So quickly is interest building around this latest Cross Code showdown, No Limit have promoted the bout to act as co-main for Australia’s unbeaten super bantamweight Sam Goodman.
In preparation for a December world title blockbuster against Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue, Goodman is rolling the dice on a guaranteed $1 million payday to take one more fight against unbeaten Thai puncher Chainoi ‘Rock Man’ Worawut.
Elsewhere on the card, Australia’s Liam Wilson is also making the move to lightweight against Sydney’s Youssef Dib as part of preparations for what he eventually hopes will be his own blockbuster with George ‘Ferocious’ Kambosos.
Yet at a press conference inside Wollongong Entertainment Centre on Monday, it was Scott and Hall who stole the show in several fiery exchanges – with the latter even taking aim at his rival’s recent comments about potentially being able to make the current NSW Origin side.
“He’s certainly no Latrell Mitchell,” Hall said in response to the claim, while also suggesting he had done much of the heavy lifting required to promote the bout.
Ever since publicly declaring his return to the fight game four months ago, all talk has surrounded Hall potentially punching his way back into a bout against either Gallen, with whom he previously drew, or Williams, who famously needed less than a round to knock him out in 2022.
However speaking with Fox Sports Australia after Monday’s press conference, Scott revealed the only fighter Gallen would come out of retirement for was him.
And while quickly adding that was not meant as a call out, the former Melbourne Storm centre also confirmed that a fight could be made between the two friends — with Gallen even in attendance for Scott’s last sparring session over the weekend.
Asked about Hall’s comments on stage, the former leaguie replied: “He’s talking about how he’s carried the weight of promoting this fight, but nobody wants to see him fight.
“Everyone wants to see me.
“People either love me or they love to hate me.
“And that’s fine.
“But all eyes are on me.
“Barry Hall? He’s on old legs.
“Everybody knows that he’s done.
“They want to see the young guy who is on the way up, and unbeaten.
“They want to see me because I’m entertaining.
“I’m the only person who could get Paul Gallen out of retirement.”
Asked if that was a call out, the fighter who has also been linked to a potential bout with SBW continued: “No, that doesn’t mean I’m calling him out … I respect Gal way too much for that.
“This week, he’s on my team.
“He’s helping me and I’m definitely not going to disrespect him by calling him out.”
FACE OFF: Barry Hall vs Curtis Scott | 15:56
Pushed on how a fight between the two could happen in 2024, Scott continued: “That would require a conversation between us and see if he wanted to do something around that.
“Obviously it would be an exciting fight.
“And Gal is a money man.
“He’s said openly many times that he doesn’t care who he fights, he only cares about the pay cheque.
“So if it makes dollars it makes sense.
“And I am the person who could get him back in there.”
Hall, meanwhile, said he made the Mitchell comment on stage in response to Scott’s recent podcast claims that, were he still playing rugby league, he would have been in the mix for the 2024 Blues Origin side.
“But he’s kidding himself, isn’t he?” Hall shrugged.
“You can’t do the whole ‘oh, I could’ve, should’ve, would’ve’.
“Pubs are full of blokes who tell you how they could’ve made it to the top but then they got injured, drank too much, couldn’t be bothered, all of it.
“There will always be people who do that.
“Put themselves into a false sense of reality …”
Asked if Scott was doing that, the former Sydney Swans hero continued: “A little bit, yeah.
“And he’s saying things I know he doesn’t mean.
“I know this week is all about trash talk, selling fights, and I also know he’s not intelligent.
“But some of the s*** he’s saying, it’s quite clear he hasn’t thought it through.
“Like when he says I gave up against Sonny Bill.
“I got knocked out.
“And every time the referee stopped things I got back up.
“Same as he talks about looking into my eyes and seeing doubt.
“He sees nothing.
“Things this guy is saying, they just aren’t coming from an educated space.”
To which Scott says what?
“I don’t really understand it,” he said when quizzed on the Mitchell sledge.
“It’s a bit like there was a thought in Barry’s head and he was just trying to get it out there somehow.
“I was sitting there (on stage) thinking ‘what did he just say?’.
“It was stupid.
“I don’t even know why he would be bringing up footy.
“It doesn’t make sense.
“We’re fighting.
“I think he just had this idea he wanted to get out but it was all so awkward, it definitely didn’t get many giggles.
“Most people sat there like ‘what’s this guy talking about?’.”