Paul Gallen has branded Justin Hodges’ fight team “a f***ing joke” for suggesting the Queenslander can only win over shortened rounds, while also labelling their push to make the final fight of his career a KO slugfest as “disgraceful”.
No stranger to taking on teams from north of the border, 41-year-old Gallen is suddenly locked in a new Origin battle on the eve of his hyped November 23 boxing farewell.
While the Cronulla premiership hero wants his last ever appearance over the usual three-minute rounds, Hodges and his crew are pushing promoters No Limit for two minutes.
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Apart from giving the retired Maroons favourite — who dropped Gallen in their first fight — a better chance of winning, Hodges’ trainer Adam Copeland argued this week it will also make for a more entertaining bout.
Copeland added that by pushing for longer minutes, Gallen was disrespecting Australian fight fans by looking to earn himself a “boring” win.
“Nobody is paying to see these guys box,” Copeland said. “They want to see them knock each other’s heads off.”
In an honest interview, the trainer also conceded Hodges’ only chance of victory was a KO – hence the push for shortened rounds – and suggested he wasn’t teaching his charge “the sweet science of boxing” but instead having him “set up that right hand and hit opponents hard.”
Yet speaking with Fox Sports Australia in response, Gallen not only slammed Copeland’s comments, but urged Hodges to be a “man of his word” and not renege on their handshake agreement after the first fight, which he won via TKO.
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Asked about Copeland’s reasoning for two-minute rounds, Gallen said: “It’s a f…ing joke.
“What he said, it was really, really wrong.
“The guy is supposed to be a boxing coach yet he’s saying he can’t get his fighter to go three minutes?
“If that’s the case you aren’t doing your job.
“Justin has had seven professional fights. Has fought three-minute rounds previously.
“So to say it shouldn’t happen now? It seems the guy (Copeland) is just there for a payday and five seconds of fame.”
Gallen also branded suggestions the pair should simply slug it out over shortened rounds – with somebody eventually getting iced – as “disgraceful”.
“(Copeland) says people want to see one of us knocked out,” he continued.
“And that’s true.
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“But will those same people be in the dressing room of Justin or I after we’ve been knocked out? Will they be there three days later when we’ve still got headaches from being kayoed?
“If I was Justin Hodges I would sack him over that.
“I think it’s disgraceful.
“It seems he’s more concerned about what he is getting paid (than his fighter).”
So what of the suggestion three-minute rounds advantage Gallen?
“I’m not looking for any advantage,” the heavyweight continued. “I just want to do things right.
“And professional boxing requires rounds to be three minutes.
“So I’d expect Justin to be a man of his word and honour the deal we shook hands on, six three-minute rounds.
“Because I didn’t need to give him this rematch.
“Give him another payday he wouldn’t get anywhere else.”
Gallen also queried Copeland’s claim that, because his client was a crossover fighter, and had no interest in making a career of boxing, that he couldn’t be taught “the sweet science”.
“I coach rugby league to kids who are nine, 10 and 11,” Gallen fired.
“And how many of them will play NRL? In all honesty, probably none.
“But does that mean I don’t teach them the right way to catch and pass? Don’t teach them the right way to tackle?
“Of course not.
“Yet this trainer says he can’t teach Justin the sweet science?
“I understand that you aren’t going to make the guy Floyd Mayweather, but surely you have to be able to teach him something.
“In fact, you have a responsibility to teach him.
“That’s your job.
“You have to help him do more than just try to knock somebody’s head off.”