Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Sonny Bill Williams makes his boxing debut in Brisbane

Monday, June 01, 2009

Sonny Bill Williams makes his boxing debut in Brisbane

Toulon’s Sonny Bill Williams is never far from the limelight, especially of late as the former League superstar made his professional boxing debut in Brisbane last week. He also happens to be in Australia to play for the Barbarians against the Wallabies on Saturday.

Williams received a mixed response from the Australian media, who had the knives out for him not too long ago after he sensationally made the switch to Union.

Despite his season not being overly flash, Sonny Bill has gradually improved after injury problems, and has shown touches of class as Toulon avoided relegation from the Top 14.

Against the Wallabies in Sydney this weekend he’ll be looking to show glimpses of the brilliance that made him one of the most highly regarded players in the NRL.

Before that though, he had a slight venture into professional boxing as he provided the undercard fight ahead of his friend Anthony Mundine’s main event in Brisbane.

Williams’ opponent was a Kiwi rookie brawler nicknamed ‘The Baboon’, who did his best to hype up the event before hand, crashing Mundine’s press conference, and then pushing Williams at the weigh-in.

Williams did the business in the ring though, rocking Gary 'Baboon' Gurr with an uppercut late in the first round, then continuing the composed onslaught before the referee had seen enough.

While in Sydney Williams took time out to donate a hefty cheque to St Vincent Hospital's drug rehabilitation ward, which is part of the ‘KO to Drugs’ awareness campaign that apparently lured him into the once off boxing appearance.

The stage is now set for Sonny Bill to show his quality on the rugby field as he returns to the city that made him star, as he exchanges boxing gloves for the famous black & white kit of the Barbarians.

:: Related Posts ::
More of Sonny Bill Williams on RD

Time: 04:25
Thanks to: One News, NZ Herald, TVNZ.

boom, go on soony bill
that how he shows up on saturday to show the auzzie how good he is at rugby union.
p,s first comment

By Anonymous, at June 01, 2009 11:59 pm
must be all that french rugby, really prepares you for a fight!

F

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 12:11 am
damn what an athlete.

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 12:15 am
What a fucking superman

By Spuerman returns, at June 02, 2009 12:20 am
Go on sonny bill fair play true what an athlete!!!

i'm so happy he beat the crap out of that chap want an idiot don't blow yourself up like that if your going to get knocked out after 2 rounds. Mind you they where pretty kick ass punches!!

Nicknamed the baboon cause he has a red arse now he'll have a red face!!!

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 12:47 am
Brilliant athlete, he actually looks like a damn good boxer too.
Get him and mike phillips in a ring, i hear phillips was a boxer when he was younger ;)

By chank, at June 02, 2009 12:54 am
just shows his all around natural talent, looked like he was holding back the punches when his opponent was dazed, a little bit of class maybe?

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 1:25 am
shit son!

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 2:13 am
hahaha thats embarrassing...ill kick his ass and his friends ass...2 rounds hes done just shows its the guy who keeps his mouth shut and trains the hardest thats gonna come out on top good show williams

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 2:16 am
it sad when that baboon guy dedicated his whole life to boxing and got knocked out by someone who is not in that proffession lOl..

good on ya sonny!

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 3:25 am
superman he is...

By adrian, at June 02, 2009 3:31 am
Are you guys kidding me? Yeah, he looked pretty good, against a complete bum with the financial backing of the tip jar at a pub.

I'll be impressed when he fights someone who has had some training.

By Canadian Content, at June 02, 2009 4:15 am
yeah Sonny Bill is a beast allright... Sounds like a pretty humble good guy as well... But, I'm never gonna think of him the same knowing how he walked out on the Bulldogs and his contract half way through their NRL season... Not cool man.. But still, good on him for beating the crap outta that other douche.

By Ryan, at June 02, 2009 4:35 am
Thats what happens when you put an elite athlete against a..... is that "baboon" guy even pro?

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 5:49 am
Good on ya Sonny!!

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 6:51 am
"Baboon" is probably a professionnal of pub fighting, noway a boxer :-D SBW had to win because it was a charity fight. He is fresh as a lamb. I never saw him on a rugby mass brawl here in Toulon. :-P

By 4LC4TR4Z, at June 02, 2009 7:08 am
Guys please don't get upset or irritated that this is sooo off topic but.

Hi all,

I'm MC'ing a wedding this weekend. Alls going well but I need a joke to finish off with.

The audience will contain a large number of ex. B&I Lions, Barbarians, Irish National players, and Irish Premier div players.

Please gimme any suitable Jokes for the wedding (don't have to be about rugby, but it would be nice).

Clean Irish jokes may be acceptable (but not preferable).

Thanks for the help.

Andy

By AndyMo, at June 02, 2009 9:12 am
Really don't care about SBW hobbies
Really don't care about some commentaries

By Flooz, at June 02, 2009 10:14 am
"boom, go on soony bill
that how he shows up on saturday to show the auzzie how good he is at rugby union.
p,s first comment"

That didn't make any any sense at all, but if you're trying to say Gary Gurr was an aussie, he isn't. He's a fellow kiwi.

By Phil, at June 02, 2009 11:02 am
hahaha this is so lame. there is NO way his managers or whatever would let him verse someone who could actually beat him up! with a professional rugby match coming up soon, pity the bets were at $1.13 for sonny

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 11:31 am
one uppercut sinks a palooka, a couple of guys make some pin money, and once again boxing is the loser

By rocky jr, at June 02, 2009 11:32 am
Come on, all of this is a (kinda pathetic) show. baboon is not even scary. He pushes SBW before the match look just like WWF wrestlers do, so that there is a good guy and a bad guy.

Anyway this is funny, and I surely wouldn't fight SBW. But his manager would neeeever let him fight against a real opponent (you know how much this guy costs his team !! : )

By Ulf, at June 02, 2009 11:56 am
any chance of getting highlights of the bar bars v england plz!

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 12:11 pm
jeez wat a shit opponent for soony b lol he gets hit once and is out lol

By Joey, at June 02, 2009 12:24 pm
no wonder toulon bought him.....

By bD, at June 02, 2009 1:30 pm
You knew Sonny was going to win when the bloke he was fighting nicknames himself 'The Baboon'.

By Jennifer, at June 02, 2009 1:59 pm
Ah man, NH boxing is so much better than SH! haha
only messin.
Serious animal of a man,
"he was still looking for the sledge hammer Sonny Bill hit him with", quality commentary!!

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 2:48 pm
This oppenent was completely rubbish !!!

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 2:54 pm
what an athlete....congrats to him for punching the crap outta that clown....
that teaches only one thing..."Don't f'''k with SBW...neither on or off the pitch....:)"

By italianscrummy, at June 02, 2009 3:50 pm
dunne v cordoba thats a fight. Go on NH in evry sport awful dfence by southern hemisphere ladz there

By Canadian Content, at June 02, 2009 4:33 pm
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

By Chank, at June 02, 2009 4:33 pm
Only Jokin Mate relax

By Canadian Content, at June 02, 2009 4:34 pm
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 4:37 pm
I hate Sonny Bill. with that in mind, let me try to explain my feelings.
I havent heard anything quite similar to the conversion of SBW and granted his situation was very unique because of the controversial way it was done. Sonny sold out for money, he may have tried to claim there was some principle with the nature of salary caps but its not an issue hes pursued, so hes obviously content to get his and leave it at that. He wants to be an all black- but then he should have been looking to sign with a S14 franchise. He was even dumb enough to abandon the kiwis before their unexpected world cup glory.
Granted I'm not from Australia, but Ryan Cross converted and seems to have been producing actual results for Western Force and the Wallabies without the sensiontialism that surronds SBhW. Is he a great athelte? Without a doubt. A real league star? I suppose, I cant make a judgement since I dont follow league, but he clearly had a reputation as a talented player. While you may be able to apologize for his performance because of injuries adn being in a lackluster side since converting, hes given the rugby world no reason to respect him. Hes done enough to gain the attention of the barbarian selectors and has been rewarded as such. When he does enough to honestly gain the public attentions then go ahead and praise him.
I just feel there are roosters full of equally if not more talented, honest players that have been loyal to their clubs and unions, but have avoided making spectacles of themselves. This all reminds me of the fuss around henson/cipriani, which was bad for both of them. I would make a wager that if the NZRU has any sense SBW will never be an all black. I doubt he'll actually ever give up cushy european contracts and could easily see him crashing in the S14 so I dont know that it will ever be an issue.

By Miguel, at June 02, 2009 4:48 pm
"Yeah we'll see if the lions arew jokin when South Africa kick their ass u dumb shit"

Why are you bigging up the Southern Hemisphere and using Yanky(NH) slang?

Silly Yank beggar.

By Anonymous, at June 02, 2009 5:07 pm
WTF im the original chank!!
Some tool stole my name!

By FukkenChank, at June 02, 2009 5:30 pm
mutant. that man must get more ass...

By Anonymous, at June 03, 2009 12:15 am
I am Chankacus

By therealchank, at June 03, 2009 12:17 am
Doesn't mean muc, the guy he was fighting was a chump.
However, if Sonny Bill devoted himself exclusivley to boxing, he'd make a decent fighter. Not great, but decent.
He's an awesome athlete.

By Anonymous, at June 03, 2009 6:45 am
hello Im the real chank arite?

By Chank, at June 03, 2009 9:16 am
his name is Gary Girl

By Anonymous, at June 03, 2009 4:54 pm
sorry but...this has not a lot to do with professional boxing.
SBW is a great rugby player but is boxing skills are a joke...
and who the f*** is the other guy?
Can´t box at all lol...
Maybe a good street fighter but no idea about boxing...

By Anonymous, at June 03, 2009 11:26 pm
"it sad when that baboon guy dedicated his whole life to boxing and got knocked out by someone"

He seems the type who more likely dedicated his life to shit-talking and bullying drunks.

Probably a parasite, the one that picks fights with drunk guys and then tells his girlfriend how cool he is.

Good on SBW. I wasn't a fan when he went to Toulon. I'm a fan now.

By cheyanqui, at June 05, 2009 4:12 am
To Miguel, the SBW doubter and essay writer above.

Willing to eat your words on SBW now?

That's what I thought.

By Superstar10, at February 01, 2011 9:09 pm