Sonny Bill's fan boy moment over childhood 'idol'

Usually the radical gathering Sonny Bill Williams are the ones getting star-struck.

But the footwear has been connected the different ft this week, arsenic the code-hopping large gushes implicit the beingness of puerility idol David Tua successful Sydney.

A chap Samoan-New Zealander, Tua fashioned a formidable 52-5-2 grounds implicit his heavyweight vocation and fought Lennox Lewis for the satellite rubric successful 2000.

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

David Tua and Shane Cameron speech blows during their heavyweight combat astatine Mystery Creek. (Getty)

His devastating near hook and durable chin are legendary and Mark Hunt enlisted the assistance of the 49-year-old for Saturday's showdown astatine the Aware Super Theatre.

Being successful the force campy wasn't going to halt Williams approaching Tua to wage his respects successful betwixt sparring sessions and media duties astatine Tony Mundine's gym successful Redfern.

"Oh it's special," Williams told Wide World of Sports.

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SBW vs Mark Hunt pre-fight property conference. (Katherine Griffiths)

"He was 1 my idols increasing up and each the boys present are buzzing.

"For us, increasing up successful New Zealand, getting to ticker a David Tua combat connected the play was thing special. Definitely 1 of the top Samoan athletes to ever travel retired of the Polynesian islands.

"So, yes, he's progressive successful Mark Hunt's campy but nonetheless, ne'er successful my wildest dreams did I deliberation that I'd beryllium boxing, boxing against idiosyncratic similar Mark Hunt and David Tua being progressive with the show. It's unreal. It's an Auckland reunion."

David Tua astatine the SBW vs Mark Hunt pre-fight property conference. (Katherine Griffiths)

While Williams focused his aboriginal sporting energies connected the league and rugby field, the combat crippled was ne'er acold from his mind.

"I grew up watching Mark Hunt and Ray Sefo and those were the guys you tried to emulate astatine school," Williams said.

"Not getting into fights each time but the David Tua, Mark Hunt near hook, walk-off knockout. God consenting that doesn't hap connected Saturday night.

"It's exciting, it's daunting, there's anxiousness - each of it."

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Turf War: Sonny Bill Williams vs Barry Hall headlines large nighttime of boxing astatine Sydney's Aware Super Theatre