The pair will meet in the headline bout of the Mānuka Phuel SBW v Gallen card, looking to put their long feud to rest over the course of eight two-minute rounds.
While promoting the event last week, Williams suggested Gallen was doping and also said he believed the Australian looked down on Polynesian people.
Taking the opportunity to respond, Gallen said it was “a ridiculous thing to say”.
“I don’t think anything of him. I have no respect for him, I think he’s an idiot, I think he’s a dope, I think he’s a dumb ass, but to try and now bring other people into his argument, it is a disgraceful thing to do on his behalf, and there’s no truth in it whatsoever.
“It’s a ridiculous line to go down. Trying to bring other people into your argument is totally embarrassing and goes to show the poor excuse of a human being that bloke is.”
Gallen, who played more than 300 NRL games for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, said his disdain for Williams stems back to how the Kiwi code-hopper left the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 2008, walking out on the NRL club to pursue a rugby union opportunity in France. Williams did not inform the club of his decision to leave Australia, with the only confirmation of his exit coming when then-Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg phoned his manager.
While Williams ultimately returned to the NRL with the Sydney Roosters for the 2013 and 2014 NRL seasons – winning a premiership in the first of those two seasons – Gallen said his exit from the Bulldogs was telling of his character.
“I don’t respect the bloke,” Gallen said.
“There’s nothing about him I like and that started many, many years ago before boxing even came into it. When you leave a club the way he did, and you leave your mates overnight, that’s the person right there. That’s it, that’s where it ends. The bloke’s a scumbag. He thinks about no one but himself and that sums him up, the way he did the Dogs. You can never come back from that.
“Everything he ever did in that club should have been wiped from the history books, it shouldn’t even be recognised at that club. I don’t know how he is, but that’s the person he is.”
Gallen said the fight hadn’t happened before now because Williams was avoiding it, but he was looking forward to the opportunity now, with the fight ending a three-year hiatus for the Australian.
He comes into the bout with a record of 15 wins, two losses and a draw, while Williams’ record sits at 9-1. Both last fought in 2022; Gallen a win over fellow ex-NRL star Justin Hodges and Williams a TKO loss to combat sports legend Mark Hunt.
“I’ve called for the fight for a long time. Sonny didn’t want to do it. I told you all back in 2021 that he’d wait until I retire, which is exactly what he did. The bloke’s a coward,” Gallen said.
“At the end of the day, I’ve got to get in there for 16 minutes and find something for 16 minutes. That’s all I’ve got to do. That’s how I’m treating this one. That’s how I’m preparing for it. I’ll be well prepared on the night. I’ll be fit, I’ll be healthy and I’ll get in there and get the job done.”
Mānuka Phuel SBW v Gallen
July 16, Sydney.
Available via pay-per-view on Sky Arena and Sky Sport Now.
Featuring:
Sonny Bill Williams v Paul Gallen
David Nyika v Nik Charalampous
Tyson Pedro v Kris Terzievski
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
