Nelson Asofa-Solomona Intensifies Rivalry with Paul Gallen
Nelson Asofa-Solomona has escalated his verbal feud with Paul Gallen, suggesting that former teammates of Gallen from Cronulla are in favor of a decisive victory over the Sharks icon. This came after Asofa-Solomona stirred controversy by mentioning Gallen’s wife during an earlier exchange.
On Thursday, Asofa-Solomona revealed that he has received numerous messages from individuals connected to Gallen, some of whom expressed their desire to see Gallen defeated in their impending match.
“There’s been so many people jumping in my DMs,” Asofa-Solomona shared. “People that have played with him, people that have played against him, people who have worked with him in the past. They were telling me all these stories about him and saying, ‘Yeah, bro, please do a job on him.’
The rivalry between Cronulla and Melbourne is marked by intense competition, particularly since the Sharks’ 2016 grand final victory over the Storm. Asofa-Solomona, who holds a record of 3 wins with no losses and 3 KOs, previously criticized Gallen regarding the Cronulla peptides scandal. Gallen, with a record of 16 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, is likely to be angered by Asofa-Solomona’s latest comments.
While Asofa-Solomona refrained from disclosing further details, he mentioned that multiple former colleagues of Gallen reached out to express their wishes for Gallen’s defeat.
“I can’t say too much, but probably just stuff to do with money and bits and pieces,” he noted. “But, look, he’s grown up in a different era. He’s a bit of a different cat, but the new era is here.”
The back-and-forth continued as the two fighters participated in a charged weigh-in at Sydney’s TikTok Entertainment Centre. Asofa-Solomona emphasized his ambition to become the reigning crossover champion of the NRL and boxing.
“And if it’s not a knockout, I don’t want it,” he stated, showcasing his determination for a memorable ending. “That’s the only result I’m here to get. I’m here for a highlight-reel finish.”
Despite the weight and age disparity—Gallen weighing in at 104.18 kg against Asofa-Solomona’s larger frame—the seasoned fighter remains confident in his abilities.
“I’m really proud I’m fighting a bloke now, 30-odd kilos heavier than me, 15 years younger than me and I’m still willing to compete — and I’ll win this fight, at my age,” Gallen remarked. “This is a no-lose situation for me. I’m going to get paid a ton of money and go home happy and healthy with my family.”
Fight Details
Paul Gallen and Nelson Asofa-Solomona will face off on Friday, November 6, with the main card commencing at 7:00 PM AEDT.
Viewing Information
The bout will be available exclusively on Fox Sports and Kayo’s pay-per-view channel, Main Event, for a fee of $69.95. Live coverage of the fight card will be provided by ABC Sport.
Fight Card Overview
Here’s the lineup for the event:
- Paul Gallen vs Nelson Asofa-Solomona — 5 rounds, heavyweight
- Callum Peters vs Juan Diego Ortiz — 10 rounds, middleweight
- Ahmad Reda vs Jake Wyllie — 10 rounds, lightweight
- Paulo Aokuso vs Mobin Khahrazeh — 10 rounds, light heavyweight
- Blair Geraghty vs Peter Lee — 6 rounds, super lightweight
Preliminary card starts at 5:30 PM AEDT:
- Kya Sparks vs Zidane Tavares — 5 rounds, super welterweight
- Alex Naman vs Zain Adams — 6 rounds, 54kg catchweight
- Jayden Fadel vs Rajesh Kumar — 5 rounds, lightweight
Discussion about this post