Sonny Bill Williams - Rugby Superstar Turned Boxer (Well, Sort Of.....)

This chap will be familiar to all the rugby followers on here, he's a Kiwi in his mid-20's who was earmarked as a superstar and potential ATG league player when he first broke into the Canterbury side around 2003/4..... and then decided to play a bit of union in France before returning to NZ to play for the All Blacks, and has already made a name for himself with a MOTM showing against England.

As part of his deal with the NZ rugby union, an agreement was made to allow him to box professionally..... and here is some footage......

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqwtBAvSf04[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oJak7Su5iY&feature=related[/ame]


Obviously it's unlikely that he'll ever become a contender for a spot on the P4P lists, he's far from the worst novice HW I've seen. He'd give Tye Fields a bit of a kicking. Probably better at Basketball too

:good

 

I can remember when he gave Marcus Bai that big hit in World Club Challenge and Bai didn't know where he was lol.

 

very strong, very fast but fights fat men dragged out of pubs. carrying a lot of muscle mass, as per all rugger buggers so would likely gas if in against a decent operator over anything more than 4 rounds.

hes a great athlete but these fights prove FA

 

I've heard stories of his fights being fixed, and people not allowed to hit him in sparring. That he is only fighting to repay Mundine for buying him out of his League contract.

When rugby fans call him a 'boxer' I look at them with disdain to be honest.

So with that in mind, I hope this thread takes off and either confirms what I've heard or corrects me :good

 

This accusation can be levelled at lots of novice boxers..... including several Olympic medallists!

 

i have said it many times and ill say it again -

Australian boxing fans and those who watch boxing in australia (not necessarily fans, just "blokes") are some of the most duped in boxing. This is just another example

 

Didnt the last lad he beat have a bit of history in beating pro rugby players turned boxers or something? Think 2 of his 3 wins had been against rugby players.

 

I was at that game..... Williams nearly beat Leeds on his own that day.

:nut

 

hes obviously strong but look how upright he is! and he doesnt move his head at all. Amazing rugby player though, his off loads are something else.

 

Let's hope his career pans out better than Mark Gastineau and Alonzo Highsmith, who both took up boxing in the 90's coming from an American Football background. They failed to do anything significant and actually resulted in casting boxing in a dark light.

Still, this Williams looks pretty decent. Isn't there an American football player who's boxing in the States right now? Think he struggled in his last fight?

 

he takes fighting cans to a whole new level

 

There was another rugby player from Austrailia called Monty Betham (played for Wakey Wildcats) who took Boxing up after coming from Rugby League, right dirty ******* on the field aswell.

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=386335&cat=boxer

EDIT: He was from New Zealand not Austrailia.

 

theres loads of rugby players who take up boxing in australia, garth wood who KO'd mundane is a good example

 

My mates that play rugby won't STFU about him. One of them said "He'll just be much lighter on his feet than the other boxers".

I'm an amateur middleweight and I honestly thing I could take him.

 

We were at his debut on the undercard of Geale-Mundine. What a bizarre fight, all the Aussies were mad for him but his opponent Gary Gurr, who was making his debut and hasn't fought since, was the worst boxer I've ever seen in the flesh.