Paul Gallen vs Kris Terzievski, NRL great finally wins over Australia, reaction, video, highlights
For all but the final two rounds, age had caught up with Paul Gallen.
After copping a beating from Kris Terzievski’s left-glove, Gallen, as he has done for two decades, rallied.
With time running out – on the stop watch and in his professional sporting career – Gallen surged in the penultimate round.
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After a messy opening minute, Gallen turned it on with a series of punches to the body before unleashing over the next minute.
It led to Main Event’s commentators believing the unthinkable was possible.
“Paul Gallen is doing an amazing job,” former world champion Jeff Fenech said. “Oh wow, he’s hurt him.”
Main caller Ben Damon added: “Uppercut, uppercut, this could be a famous sporting victory if Paul Gallen, behind on the cards, can find something (to knock down) Kris Terzievski.”
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Ultimately, the bell at the end of the ninth round saved Terzievski.
Knowing the end was nigh, Terzievski ate away at the clock in the 10th in the same manner so many NRL matches are milked in the final few seconds.
“Paul, you’re an absolute champion, brother,” Terzievski told Gallen inside the ring.
“You’re the toughest bloke I have ever hit in my life. Literally the toughest man in Australia.”
Terzievski was not the only person who thought so and sung Gallen’s praises.
“I think we saw something tonight that’s been a long time coming and that’s the crowd finally turned to Paul Gallen, they finally appreciated his performance,” The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Kent said on Main Event.
“He was so brave out there.
“I said before the fight that the hand speed might be a worry and that happened tonight. The early rounds, he was just dominated by Kris Terzievski’s hand speed. But just through courage, pressure, pride, will, he fought his way back in the fight and by the ninth round, the crowd were up on their feet and they were behind Gallen.
“He’s generally been booed, even in NSW, it’s taken his whole career but he’s won them over.”
Boxing identity Barry Michael agreed, but urged the 40-year-old heavyweight to throw down the gloves.
“Paul Gallen, if that’s his last fight, he can go out with his head held high because he showed heaps of guts,” Michael said.
“It’s for Paul to hang them up for my money, but he’s been a great ambassador for boxing and I’m very proud of what he’s done.”
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