On the footy field Paul Gallen never shied away from a confrontation so he’s not going to stop now.
The boots might be tucked under the bed, but the former Blues captain’s niggle remains.
Once upon a time it was anyone wearing maroon that used to irk him. Now it’s Lucas Browne, the former heavyweight WBA champion who stands in his way.
Not that the title means much to Gallen.
“And you’ve won a world title – a so-called ‘world title’. Let’s nut that out. You won a world title, I’m not trying to take that away from you. WBA regular title. You weren’t the super champion,” Gallen told Browne during a recent face off.
“It’s like a bloke winning a reserve grade comp and telling everyone he won the comp.”
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Paul Gallen & Lucas Browne FACE OFF
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Gallen will have to throw some punches when the duo takes on one another in Wollongong on Wednesday April 21, but for now he’s happy to deflect.
“He still thinks I am a footy player, he’s called himself the greatest Australian heavyweights of all time so all the pressure is on him,” Gallen told reporters on Friday after wrapping up a training session.
“I don’t have any pressure on me. He’s put all the pressure on him by calling himself the GOAT.
“I don’t know what’s going to be left for him when he gets beat by a ‘footy player’.
“He’s trying to plan fights. Once I beat him that’s going to take all the shine off him. His next fight against (Justis) Huni is going to be irrelevant after I beat him.”
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It’s been five years since Browne won by stoppage in the 10th round against Rusian Chagaev to claim his first heavyweight title.
He might be 41 now, but Gallen said he was wary of his power despite not believing he was a boxer.
“I’ve just got to box him, that’s all I’ve got to do,” Gallen said.
“He’s got big power, we know that – that’s how he’s won all his fights. I’m not a boxer, I don’t think he’s a boxer to be honest. I think he’s got good power. So I’m just going to box him, be smart, not get caught by anything too big hopefully and if I do that I’ll win the fight.”
