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Sonny Bill Williams steamrolls Barry Hall in less than two minutes
By AAP
Sonny Bill Williams has blasted Barry Hall out inside two minutes and says Paul Gallen could be his next opponent.
New Zealand's dual-code rugby star Williams demolished the AFL great in Sydney on Wednesday night, dominating from the opening seconds.
Williams jolted the Sydney Swans premiership winner in the first half-minute with some crisp accurate shots.
Hall was down after just 47 seconds, though referee Les Fear said he didn't see a punch.
It looked like Hall had been hit with a left hook and he appeared unsteady after standing up.
Within 40 seconds, the 45-year-old returned to the canvas after taking a couple of big shots,
A ruthless Williams ended the contest a few seconds later after he landed a big right hand that felled Hall, prompting Fear to end the one-sided contest after one minute 55 seconds.
The 36-year-old Williams, who weighed in 11 kilos heavier than Hall, improved his professional record to 9-0 while Hall dropped to 0-1-1.
"There's a reason why only one per cent of people do this type of stuff," Williams said. "So much respect for Barry and his team for coming in and doing this. Because I was nervous before the fight."
Asked about his next fight, Williams referred to the long-talked-about match-up against fellow former NRL great Gallen.
"There's talk of Gallen, so maybe Gallen," SBW said to rousing cheers from the crowd.
Paul Fleming (28-1) won five regional super featherweight belts with a unanimous 10-round points win over Jackson England (13-2) in an outstanding main event contest.
Fleming was knocked down by a right hand in the second round but recovered to jolt his opponent with a left in the same round.
Both men suffered a cut near an eye but pounded each other throughout the fight.
Another winner on the undercard was professional debutant Rahim Mundine, the third generation of the outstanding Australian boxing family.
With both father Anthony and grandfather Tony in his corner offering advice, light heavyweight Rahim scored a unanimous four-round points win over Fijian Lepani Levatia (1-5).
Mundine displayed some of the traits of his father, utilising slick feints and sometimes carrying his hands low and looked relaxed and composed and fired off some slick flurries of blows.
- Adrian Warren
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Latest Comments
Suaalii has without doubt the potential, skill and class to become a top player. No need to have him play 80 minutes every game early in his union career. The year end tests have always been used as a testing ground for potential and fringe players. If he avoids injury he'll be a great. Besides, Kerevi is no slouch, certainly up there in the top 3 No 12's and can also move to 13 if needed.
Go to commentsI mean overall talent, not that they will all play 20 years. That is impossible with rugby. The younger players like Elrigh is of course not world class yet. With more experience they will become world class. They are already exceptional players. Not even Eben and the current boys was world class when they started. They were exceptional yes, but not world class. Only experience brings that.
Generational players is very few and far inbetween who is world class from the off. The younger players can only become world class with the proper training and experience isn't something that can be bought. It's something they have to earn through their careers.
As for SRP being a good competition, I disagree. It's slanted in NZ favour and always has been. It's not what it used to be. The URC is now rated as the top club competition in the world next to the top 14 outside of the CC, and I didn't make up that rankings. You feel SRP is better because of our bias towards the NH, but it simply is not.
Yes, I don't know all the young Bucs of NZ coming through, but most of those you named I've seen and they are very good players but not exceptional nor world class. Just as with SA youngsters, that is something that will come with experience and they will become world class and is definitely the future for them.
NZ and Australia don't have the player pool depth that SA have. NZ's are bigger than most, but then most of their stars came from the Island nations like Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. If you count them, then maybe yes, they have as big a pool.
NZ will always be a top 3 team, as will SA. At least for the next 2 decades. That doesn't mean that other countries don't have some world class youngsters coming through either.
I don't claim that SA will win everything for the next 20 years. Nor that they will win the next 5 WC's. A lot depends on players, coaches, law changes and how the game keeps changing. There is too much variables. SA do have a bright future for the next 20 years , players who will hold the flag high. Same with NZ.
Nothing and no one can stop the Rivalry. I know the Irish is trying to replace the Boks with themselves as the main rivals. Everyone tunes in to watch the Boks vs AB's, all over the world. Every year. That is the most anticipated Tests by everyone every year.
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