Sonny Bill faces boxing ultimatum from NZPBA

 

Roar Guru

By AAP, 15 Feb 2012

Tagged:

 Boxing, Sonny Bill Williams

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Part-time boxer and All Blacks rugby utility Sonny Bill Williams could face the choice of defending his New Zealand heavyweight title or losing it.

Williams claimed the vacant New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) heavyweight title with a first-round stoppage of American Clarence Tillman in Hamilton last week.

NZPBA rules state Williams must defend his title within six months against a boxer ranked in the association’s top 10.

If he wins that bout, Williams must then fight the No.1 contender, which media reports on Wednesday said would be the winner of the Shane Cameron-Monte Barrett bout in Auckland on May 30.

NZPBA president Lance Revill has agreed to give the Cameron v Barrett fight in Auckland an eliminator status. If Williams does not actively defend the belt by May next year, he must relinquish it.

Williams’ agent Khoder Nasser said it was difficult to comment on something that might not have to take place for another 15 months.

“All of this talk is totally irrelevant right now.”

Last week’s win was Williams’ fifth from five bouts, and he said afterwards he was pleased it was out of the way.

“Probably, on the world stage, it’s just a blip,” he said of the belt he has won.

“But for me … this was my world title.”

Williams controversially walked out on the Canterbury NRL club mid-season in 2008, switching to rugby and joining French club Toulon.

He returned to New Zealand in 2010 to play for the Crusaders in Super Rugby, and was part of the All Blacks’ World Cup-winning squad last year.

Williams has signed with the Chiefs for this Super Rugby season, but is non-committal about his sporting future beyond his one-year contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union.

He has been linked with a return to the NRL with the Sydney Roosters next year.

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