Personal 'taboo' SBW will break for Hunt fight

2 years ago 139

It is not astonishing that Sonny Bill Williams was initially reluctant to combat Mark Hunt.

The 'Super Samoan' has made a vocation from knocking radical out, with a good earned estimation arsenic 1 of the hardest punchers connected the planet.

But for Williams, it wasn't conscionable the fearfulness of getting wounded that made him sceptical.

Sonny Bill Williams volition look Mark Hunt successful a titanic heavyweight clash connected November 5. Watch unrecorded and exclusive connected Stan Event

"I'm a arrogant Pacific Island antheral and warring different Polynesian is benignant of disconnected limits, taboo," Williams told Wide World of Sports up of the November 5 showdown.

"For maine it's a idiosyncratic thing. I privation to spot my Pacific brothers execute and spell acold and I get large restitution retired of that.

"There's excessively galore detractors retired determination trying to propulsion their chap brothers down."

SBW monsters Hall successful first-round stoppage

But with Williams anxious to enactment ring-fit after his March demolition of Barry Hall, it took a chap rugby subordinate to speech him around.

"We were conscionable chatting, talking astir names," Wallabies prima Quade Cooper told WWOS.

"And I said 'what astir Mark Hunt? Both Samoans, large for your radical to beryllium capable to springiness back. He's a credible sanction and you request to enactment active. Mark's a large fighter."

Williams was yet sold and a day was acceptable for the bout astatine the Aware Super Theatre astatine Sydney's International Convention Centre.

"Quade planted that effect and I started looking astatine the bully things that volition travel from it," Williams said.

"If it sells well, which I deliberation it will, it volition beryllium a bully nighttime for some of america - helping him and his household retired arsenic well. We person that communal respect for each different and we're some going to travel successful good prepared and looking to enactment connected a show."

Cooper, who has besides juggled boxing with rugby, said MMA fable Hunt would present yet again contempt his advancing years.

"Being successful the ringing with a precocious calibre sanction similar Mark - immoderate radical volition constitute him disconnected but anybody who knows combat sports knows he's 1 of the champion to ever bash it," helium said.

"Very unsafe and that's the breathtaking happening astir it. Sonny knows helium has to beryllium connected his A-game to triumph the combat and not get knocked out."

Williams has a 9-0 nonrecreational grounds and respected trainer Andy Lee was impressed capable to accidental helium could 1 time combat for the heavyweight satellite title.

Williams was flattered by those comments but wasn't successful the temper to speech himself up.

"He has the resume to accidental outrageous things similar that but I don't astatine all. Andy's a large antheral and we're successful regular contact. But I'm conscionable a young pup successful this crippled trying to beryllium a amended mentation of myself from my past fight."

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