Australia’s Kangaroo stars are divided when it comes to picking a winner in tonight’s crossover blockbuster between Paul Gallen and Nelson Asofa-Solomona – with players having even offered to walk both fighters to the ring. LIVE UPDATES BELOW!
Ahead of this Sunday’s World Cup semi-final against Samoa, a large group of Kangaroos have offered up their tips for tonight’s No Limit heavyweight showdown at TikTok Entertainment Centre.
Gallen v Asofa-Solomona | Friday November 6 from 7pm AEDT | Australian sporting icon and crossover boxing king Paul Gallen returns to the ring to face his biggest opponent yet, Nelson ‘Big Nasty’ Asofa-Solomona. | Order now on Kayo Sports.
It’s understood Latrell Mitchell also heads a small group of Aussies who are keen to attend the fights, while as late as Friday morning there were also whispers about players potentially joining in the ring walks.
Aussie boxing stars Tim Tszyu and Liam Paro will also be ringside for the event.
Elsewhere, Fox Sports Australia can also reveal Asofa-Solomona knocked out a sparring partner during camp with a thunderous straight right – and his team are now quietly tipping him to finish Gal with the exact same punch.
It comes as the NSW Origin great has himself taken one final dig at ‘Big Nasty’, accusing the almost 140kg athlete of trying to emulate the late, great Muhammad Ali.
FULL GUIDE: What time does Paul Gallen vs Nelson Asofa-Solomona start and who’s on the full card?
But first, the Roos’ picks.
Earlier this week inside their Cup camp, Mitchell took to Instagram asking players for their heavyweight picks – with Gal getting up nine votes to four.
Most notably, Reece Walsh and Cam Murray both backed the former Blues skipper to win what shapes as a $1 million bounty by finishing his monstrous rival in the fourth round.
Aussie forward Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, however, put himself in the opposite corner, saying: “Big Nasty, the uso, gonna smash him”.
Harry Grant and Cam Munster, unsurprisingly, are also backing the former Stormer, as is backrower Isaah Yeo.
Bradman Best, however, leads a group of players backing Gal, convinced the experience of a man who has faced the likes of Justis Huni, Mark Hunt and Lucas Browne will get him home.
MORE PRE-FIGHT COVERAGE
‘I’D BUY IT’: Gal’s huge praise as Aussie boxing’s next big thing eyes staggering 2026 feat
‘FIGHTING BOZOS’: Aussie great’s big KO call on ‘f***ing animal’… and why Gal can unlock $1m prize
‘BRO, PLEASE DO A JOB ON HIM’: NAS claims Gal’s teammates want him KO’d… it’s ‘to do with money’
‘EMBARRASSING’: Weight drama strikes Gallen v NAS card as legend takes aim, fight call made
Meanwhile, Gal accused NAS of trying to be like American boxing icon Ali when they were up close during several face offs in fight week.
“Every time we face off, he’s been coming up with some sort of rhyme,” Gallen told us.
“The other day it was something about beating me in three, it seems he’s really big on them at the moment.
“The guy thinks he’s Muhammad Ali.”
Big NAS v Gallen: Final Face-Off | 04:27
Gallen also remains unstressed about the size and reach difference in Friday’s headliner.
“I’ve survived at 5’10’’ for 25 years,” he shrugged of his famed sporting career. “And growing up in western Sydney, I’ve also seen guys like Nelson my whole life.
“Big guys who’ve been very tough for small amounts of time.
“That’s Nelson.
“Because while he may be big and strong, I know that when push comes to shove, and he really gets tested, he won’t be there. And that’s why I’m going to be constantly harassing him. On him like a rash.”
Elsewhere, Gallen’s fight team have stressed the 45-year-old will have no issue keeping up with the former New Zealand Test prop – and despite conceding 15 years to his rival.
In fact, Gal’s longtime trainer – Shire exercise physiologist Justin Lang – says the ageing Cronulla great still regularly competes, and betters, NRL players who enter his gym for sessions.
“Right now, Gal would be less than eight per cent off what was his mark at his peak,” Lang said. “He’s just unrelenting. He also has a mindset that his competitors don’t … it’s why he wins more often than not.”
Meanwhile, the anticipated undercard fight between Ahmad Reda and Jake Wyllie will be going ahead after both fighters made weight at a rescheduled fight day weigh-in.
There was plenty of drama Thursday, when Wyllie hit the scales at 63.18kg — almost 2kg overweight.
Reda branded the miss “embarrassing” before then promising to still knock him out.
No Limit boss George Rose later confirmed the fight would still go ahead, albeit with an agreement that both fighters would hit the scales again Friday morning, with Wyllie needing to be no heavier than 67.6kg.
That occurred, ensuring the bout was saved.
‘You know better!’ Weight drama chaos | 05:15
Back on the main event, meanwhile, and Gal undoubtedly has the majority of Australian players backing him.
When addressing media earlier this week however, Asofa-Solomona insisted that several of the Shire tough’s former team-mates had privately urged him to knock the now Channel Nine NRL analyst out.
“There’s been so many people jumping in my DMs,” NAS said. “People who’ve played with Gal, people who’ve played against him, even people who have worked with him in the past.
“They’ve been telling me all these stories about him. Saying ‘yeah, bro, like please do a job on him’ …”
Asked to expand on the stories, the former New Zealand Test prop continued: “I can’t say too much, (but) it’s stuff to do with money. Bits and pieces.
“He’s just grown up in a different area. Is a different cat. And now the new era is here.”
Pushed on the messages, and if they had actually come from former Cronulla and NSW Origin stars, and NAS grinned: “They’re the only two teams he’s played for…”
FULL FIGHT CARD
Prelims (from 5pm on Kayo Sports and Fox Sports)
Kya Sparks vs Zidane Tavares
Alex Naman vs Zain Adams
Jayden Fadel vs Rajesh Kumar
Main Card (from 7pm on Kayo Sports and Main Event)
Paul Gallen vs Nelson Asofa-Solomona: Heavyweight (5 rounds)
Callum Peters vs Juan Diego Ortiz: Middleweight (10 rounds)
Ahmad Reda vs Jake Wyllie: Lightweight (10 rounds)
Paulo Aokuso vs Mobin Khahrazeh: Light Heavyweight (10 rounds)
Blair Geraghty vs Peter Lee: Super Lightweight (6 rounds)
Follow live updates from tonight’s huge card, with a main event of Paul Gallen vs Nelson Asofa-Solomona, below!
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