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SBW v Hall
Williams wins by knockout 1m 55s into the first round, taking his pro record to 9-0
First round - SBW lands a left hook immediately and takes the front foot. He catches Hall off balance and he crumples to the floor.
Hall gets up, but is soon back on the canvas. Third time and it's over!
Williams catches Hall with a right to the head and then a straight left to the face, and then lands a right that finishes him against the ropes.
Many will call that a set-up, because it happened so quickly. Certainly, it was an anti-climax, after all the trash talk between these two.
Williams embraces Hall and whispers in his ear for several seconds, then hints he may go after Paul Gallen next. Gallen is ringside and the pair chat briefly, as SBW leaves the arena.
12:37am - Here we go, the main event. Barry Hall is already in the ring and Sonny Bill strolls out to join him - no real walkout music, just business.
Eight three-minute rounds. 'Big Bad' Barry Hall is wearing a black armband for this fight.
12:12am - Next up, the main event - Sonny Bill Williams v Barry Hall. If it's half as good as that last fight, it will be a cracker!
Fleming v England
Fleming overcomes his second-round knockdown to win by unanimous points decision and he's buried under a stack of belts
10th round - England throws an uppercut that connects and stuns Fleming, but he has an answer. "As good as it gets", declares commentator Andy Raymond and he's right.
Still anyone's fight...
Ninth round - Fleming checks the clock for how much time left, as these two continue to throw the kitchen sink at each other. Just one more round left and still anyone's fight - both have thrown more than 500 punches so far.
Eighth round - Ref stops the fight and calls the doctor to ringside to inspect Fleming's cut. He's passed fit to continue and it feels like he is starting to dictate this fight behind his jab.
England catches Fleming with a four-punch combination, but Fleming continues to move forward.
Seventh round - Nice combination to the head by England, but immediately matched by Fleming, who may just have shaded his rival in that round.
Sixth round - Both corners working furiously to stem the flow of blood from the cut eyes. Fleming loses his mouthguard early and buys a few more seconds' respite.
Impossible to separate these two guys - except for Fleming's knockdown in the second round. He throws a couple of punches after the bell and immediately apologises, claiming he didn't hear it.
Fifth round - Fleming now bleeding from the eye too and the pace has slowed a tad, with more jabs. Still punch for punch and big shots from both though.
Fourth round - Better round for Fleming, who traps England on the ropes a couple of times and pounds his combinations. You sense he may be slowly wearing England down, but incredible workrate from both.
Third round - BOth fighters still throwing big punches, but everytime Fleming lands something, England counters with two. Nothing in this fight so far, great fight.
Second round - Thirty seconds into the round, England connects with a right that knocks his opponent to the canvas. Both throwing plenty of punches and England has a cut over his left eye.
Fleming lands three heavy body shots near the end of the round and a swinging right in the final seconds. Ref says the cut is a head clash.
First round - Pretty even round, with England switching to southpaw stance to match his opponent. Both boxers landing some punches, but none doing much damage at this stage.
11:22pm - Co-main event of the night is Fleming v England at super-featherweight. Fleming is a former Olympian and a world junior bronze medallist, and has a 27-0-1 pro record, with 17 knockouts.
Mundine v Levatia
Mundine takes the unanimous decision in his pro debut
Fourth round - Mudine immediately tags Levatia with a swinging left and remains composed against a tricky opponent, who has fought extensively as an amateur. He throws a massive right that just misses Levatia's jaw, and looks exhausted and disappointed at the final bell, unable to achieve the knockout.
Anthony Mundine tells him: "It's just experience."
Third round - Levatia engaging Mundine more in this round and the debutant is shaken. That was a more even round, probably still Mundine's, but he's having to work for it.
Second round - Mundine continues to sit behind his left jab and avoid Levatia attempts to come forward. He's not landing much, but isn't taking anything, but he tags Levatia with another right with 10 seconds remaining.
First round - Mundine spends half a round just stepping his opponent around the ring, then connects with a big right hook that has Levatia back-pedalling. He wins his first pro round.
Light-heavyweight division. Fijian Levatia has fought five times for just one win, so maybe he's been lined up as an easy win for Mundine's pro debut.
10:51pm - Hall's wife, Lauren Brant - former Hi-5 performer - does not like boxing and thinks Sonny Bill ducked this fight because he was scared. Them's fighting words... you can see where Barry got his trash talk.
Next up, Rahim Mundine becomes the third generation of a great boxing name to take the ring. He's son of Anthony Mundine and grandson of Tony Mudine.
Hall v Stapleton
Hall wins a unanimous points decision and takes his record to 8-1-1
Sixth round - We did Hall a disservice, he's actually throwing five times more punches than Stapleton, who has just covered up and can't fight his style. Hall literally chases his opponent across the ring to land some more punches and will get a points win, despite those two he got docked.
Hall throws 500 punches during that fight - an incredible effort. "I hit him with some f***ing pearlers, but he took them."
Fifth round - Finally, some signs of life from Stapleton, who rips about three uppercuts in a row. He cops another low blow and buckles to the mat, but the ref tells him to get up and warns Hall that one more will see him disqualified.
Ref asks Stapleton if he wants to continue and Stapleton sounds disgusted that he has to. Hall finishes with a flurry.
Fourth round - Stapleton looks like he's had enough and cops a straight left that knocks his mouthguard out. Hall called for another low punch and Stapleton is bent double, so the ref takes another point - this is costing Hall.
Hall still flailing away and landing about three punches to one.
Third round - Hall has slowed down and Stapleton is creating some separation, but not throwing anything. Hall continues to throw punches, but they creep low and he's docked a point.
Hall is bleeding above the left eye from a head clash and the ref warns both for holding.
Second round - Hall continues to take the fight to Stapleton, rushing in after every break, but Stapleton catches him with an upper cut, when given space. Hall is warned for punching low, but immediately rushes his opponent and has him backpedalling.
First round - Classic, Mike Hall walks in to Wild Thing, complete with the Rick Vaughan glasses. Stapleton has two knockouts in two fights, but Hall is the early aggressor.
Both boxers are busy fighters, but Hall isn't giving his rival any time to launch anything, staying on the front foot throughout the round.
10:02pm - Barry Hall arrives in the building and insists he can knock Sonny Bill out.
Next up, Hall v Stapleton in the welterweight division.
Nickolas v Medawar
Nickolas takes the technical knockout and calls out Nkita Tszyu for his next fight.
Fourth round - Medawar is docked a point and then slips to the canvas, while exchanging abuse with someone outside the ring. Nickolas is achieving some success inside, but Menawar will have the last say, faking a kick-boxing kick, slipping to the canvas, hurling more abuse and then walking into a straight jab that ends the contest.
Menawar wants an eight-round rematch, but Nickolas won't want a bar of him going forward. He confirms: "I have no respect for him."
Third round - Nickolas has a good amateur record and is controlling the centre of the ring. Medawar praces two laps before Nickolas can engage him.
Nickolas is becoming increasingly frustrated at his rival's unconventional style, while Medawar is very quick to take a knee and cover up, when he gets behind.
Second round - Medawar is holding his opponent and Nickolas responds by punching to the back of the head. The ref is furious and gives them both another talking to, threatening to dock points from Medawar.
Nickolas starting to get inside Medawar's reach.
First round - At the weight-in, Medawar didn't want to engage with the staredown or any trash talk, actually turning his back on his rival on one point. He has a height and reach advantage over Nickolas, but they both get a talking to from the ref.
Medawar is a difficult customer to nail down, but slips at one point and has to cover up.
Super-welterweight division, so small guys. Medawar emerges wearing a Dumb and Dumber tee shirt... not sure what message that's sending.
Nickolas looks all business, but has a win and loss to his pro record.
9:24pm - Four more fights until SBW v Hall... next up, Nickolas v Medawar.
Sonny Bill is in the building and looks relaxed.
Akkawy v Singh
Akkaway wins by unanimous points decision, taking his record to 21-1-1
Sixth round - Singh has proved a tricky and durable customer, and goes the distance, showboating to the end. Akkawy will win a unanimous points decision here, landing twice as many punches with more power, but he'll be disappointed he couldn't finish early - a moral victory to Singh.
Fifth round - Singh continues to taunt Akkawy and touches him up with four or five punches without power. Akkawy is frustrated and responds with some heavy hits, again in the final seconds - he's well ahead on points, but hasn't been able to finish Singh.
Fourth round - Akkawy has taken a while break down the Singh's leftie stance, but rocks his opponent with a body-upper cut combination. More points for Akkawy, who has landed 26 body shots so far.
Third round - Singh hasn't really landed anything with power, but has survived the assault and is telling the crowd he's having fun. Akkawy plays along, but is quietly piling up the points.
Second round - Akkawy continues to pay dividends with the body shots, opening up the head to short rights. The last few seconds looks like heavy bag work for Akkawy and Singh barely survives to the bell - only a matter of time before this is over.
First round - Akkawy looking by far the better fighter already, hurting his rival with a couple of ripping left hands to the body... and there is a lot of body to aim for. He controls the centre of the ring and shows great patience, but his round, no doubt.
Akkawy is coming back from a horrible loss in his previous bout, but has a 20-1-1 record with 16 knockouts and an impressive pedigree. These two will fight in cruiserweight division.
Baker v Naliva
Baker wins by TKO 2m 46s into the third round and improves his record to 8-0.
Third round - Baker stumbles to his knee a minute into the round - he seems to slip on the canvas - but recovers with three consecutive left hooks that seem to sap the last resistance from Naliva, who has stopped throwing punches and has just covered up. The ref has seen enough and ends the contest...
Second round - Halfway through the round, Naliva rocks Baker with a big combination, that seems to wake his opponent up. Inside the last minute, Baker is warned for using his shoulder to create some space, but closes strongly.
First round - A feeling-out round, with Naliva landing some early shots, but things evening up, as the round progresses. Baker's corner are telling him Naliva only has two rounds in him, so be patient.
8:26pm - Some great stories on the card tonight, with Khalid Baker serving 13 years in prison for a crime he didn't do - doesn't that sound like a boxing movie - and now pursuing his dream in the ring. A real tale of redemption...
He's about to step into the ring with Fijian Filimoni Naliva Jr, who has a 6-3 record, with 3 knockouts. Baker has a 7-0 record, with five knockouts, and they're fighting as cruiserweights.
8:23pm - The eight-fight card has been dropped to seven, with Hunter Sam failing his medical today, leaving Willis Meehan without an opponent.
The card now looks like this...
Khalid Baker v Filimoni Naliva Jr
Bial Akkawy v Sebastian Singh
Terry Nickolas v Jason Medawar
Michael Hall v Mitchel Stapleton
Rahim Mundine v Lepani Levatia
Paul Fleming v Jackson England
Sonny Bill Williams v Barry Hall
8:16pm - Greetings folks, welcome to the undercard for SBW v Hall... and the mandatory hushed-tones build-up to the big fight. Not billed as a great boxing bout, but two fine athletes turning their hands to the 'sweet science'.
There's been the usual amount of trash talk between the fighters. It could be a classic, it could be a sideshow, but it should epic!
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to the 'Turf War' boxing showdown between former All Blacks/NRL star Sonny Bill Williams and Aussie rules counterpart Barry Hall.
Williams' exploits in the ring are part of his incredible sporting legacy that has somehow crossed three codes - four, if you count rugby sevens as its own distinct identity - consisting of NRL championships with Canterbury Bulldogs and Sydney Roosters, two Rugby World Cup victories with the All Blacks, an Olympian, an unbeaten pro boxing record and an NZ heavyweight title.
At 36, SBW probably has a few more years of the 'sweet science' left in him, if he chooses to pursue that route and there's always some retired football star desperate to recapture some of their former glory by taking a shot at him.
Enter Hall, 45, who ended his illustrious AFL Hall of Fame career a full decade ago, but still doesn't have the competitive bug out of his system.
His only pro fight was against NRL hardman Paul Gallen in November 2019 - a controversial draw that both man still claim as victory. Hall has a contract for three bouts, so Williams is his second.
The Gallen fight took place over six two-minutes rounds, but against SBW, he'll have to step up eight three-minute rounds.
Hall has been the aggressor in the build-up to this encounter, trash-talking the quietly spoken Williams and head-butting him at this week's weigh-in. There certainly doesn't seem to be much mutual respect between the pair.
Williams has trained with world heavyweight supremo Tyson Fury and former world champion Joseph Parker, under their coach Andy Lee in Morcambe, England, with Lee building him up as a future world title contender.
Tonight may provide some kind of indication whether that's just hype or fact. Join us for the undercard, starting 8pm (NZ time).
TAB Odds: Williams $1.53, Hall $2.50, draw $12
SBW leaning on Fury, Parker in preparation for AFL veteran Hall
James Regan
Sonny Bill Williams is relishing his connection with world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, after the 'Gypsy King' welcomed him into camp before his March fight against AFL veteran Barry Hall.
Williams has joined countrymen Joseph Parker and David Nyika before the fight, in what they've labelled a 'Kiwi takeover' at Fury's Morecambe gym.
The crosscode star can relate to Fury in more ways than one.
"I still feel young and energetic," Williams tells Newshub. "I still look younger than Joe."
Laughs are constant when Williams, Parker and Nyika get together, but make no mistake, there's plenty of hard work going on too.
"I enjoy time with the boys," adds Parker. "We're working hard, but we're having fun everyday."
After last playing rugby league in 2020, Williams must adapt back to boxing and acknowledges there’s no gain without discomfort.
"When it comes to the boxing ring, I'm like a fish out of water, when it comes to being in the gym with these guys."
Being uncomfortable led Williams to join Parker and Nyika at Morecambe, and the Gypsy King welcomed him with open arms, as the pair discussed their own mental health battles, as well as boxing.
"He's a really good man," Williams says of Fury. "Being able to connect, and talk about some of the struggles we've both had around mental health and the mental health space has been really special as well."
With a strong New Zealand contingent around him, Williams is in the best place possible to relaunch his boxing career in March and feels he has plenty left to give, before he steps away for good.
"I'm stepping back in the ring, God willing, for the next two years and what better way to learn my craft than with the best in the business."
