Sonny Bill Wiliams takes on Clarence Tillman III in Hamilton tonight, with the New Zealand heavyweight title on the line. Join us tonight for live updates, scoring and blog from 5.00pm (AEDT) with all undercard results for Williams vs Tillman.
Williams enters the ring for the fifth time, hoping to add to his four scalps.
The Waikato Chiefs centre has been under the guidance of Aussie boxing legend Tony Mundine and had a good preparation, which included sparring up-and-coming Kiwi fighter Joe Parker and Australian heavyweight title holder Michael Kirby.
Williams is apparently showing no signs of a recent hamstring tear, and will face an opponent with a lot more experience than the 26-year-old. He will also box 10 rounds for the first time in his career.
Tillman had eight fights in 2011, winning five of them, losing two and drawing one, as well as six in 2010 after turning pro in 2008. Tillman comes into the bout with recent victories over Dean Garmonsway and Joe Betham under his belt.
The American-born fighter, who reportedly grew up on the mean streets of New Orleans, has a lot of experience in the ring with 21 fights over his career. His preparation has included sparring with cruiserweight Shane Cameron, and Tillman is a big unit who will be hard to knockdown.
Tillman has a big weight advantage over Williams of more than 20 kilograms, but the All Black will be much more mobile and quicker around the ring.
Staged or not staged fracas from the weigh-in aside, this should be a decent contest and a real test of Williams’ development as a boxer.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Jones
Guest
Get off boxing and watch UFC. Your obviously Jealous of SBW and cant admire him for his athletic ability and Guts in the ring. @ PTS000 You fight him!!
PTS000
Guest
WAKE UP!!!! Undercard fighters are all he has fought... Come on get real....Anyone of the Australian top ten fighters would kill him.... Get him to fight Lucas Browne, Mark Demori or even Ben Edwards they are all relatively new to the game.... If he is one of the toughest men in NZ, then NZ has nothing to offer pro boxing, he is all ego and show.... Sonny Bill harden up and fight some real fighters and don't acquire a winning record full of nothing opponents, that is what turns people off of Boxing....
Shaun
Guest
What was the name of Clarence Tillman's entrance music called
Damien
Roar Guru
My apologies Kim. Fair comment..
Damien
Roar Guru
Fight was stopped with 6 secs to go not 1. Thats enough time for at least another 3 - 4 solid punches to the head. You can't give a man that's not technically down an 8 count. Grafter, you of all people should know this. Did you purposly leave out that point in your post or do you just not know the rules (insert smiley face here).
KaraLeigh
Guest
PNC - polo
Jones
Guest
Come on man he's been an athlete his whole life. I think he's done enough and wouldnt want to see SBW in an Amatuer fight. Any undercard fighter he would destroy
jeff
Guest
SBW does not deserve to be in the spotlight so early in his career ,to be the main fight on pay per view, cost me $49 to watch and was very dissapointed , there are many boxers in australia that have trained and fought for many years , and not given the opportunity that SBW has recieved . Most boxers start at the bottom and climb the stairs to the top [figue of speech] , SBW has taken the express elavator to the top [ fame , fortune ] . Sonny might be a nice bloke [ im not saying he isnt ] , he hasnt grown to a great boxer at this stage [ he should still be an undercard to better boxers ] .
peter piper
Guest
Who is the Aussie title winner?
peter piper
Guest
Barry Hall? You got to be joking!!
peter piper
Guest
I think its terrible that Tillman had no bra on! Was he trying to put Sonny off?
Kim Hart
Guest
People do pay $BW to fight and play rugby. Josh made a point that the critics of this farce aren't as athletic or capable as Sonny Bill and I simply made the point that we don't need to be in order to recognise a rubbish card when we see one.
The Grafter
Guest
Well said Mrs Williams, your son went ok tonight against a bloke that looked like he is a DD cup :)
The Grafter
Guest
Only 1 second left in the first round Aisea. That in itself is a joke. Your right, a count should of been put on him.
The Grafter
Guest
One second left in the first. Lance Revill, the man who tried to take Alis head off in an exibition spar in Auckland in 1979 was the ref. I wonder.....................
The Grafter
Guest
I think a fit david Tua beats all down under except kali Meehan. Laupai has a great uppercut, but not much else. Slow and cumbersome I would like to see him do well, and have alot of time for his trainer Noel Thornberry (couldnt his brother Ricky fight?).
The Grafter
Guest
All 3 of them would damage the bloke, worse I would think than when Tua destroyed Cameron. We all know what his mentor Mundine has done in boxing, so be prepared for Mundine part 2 with media manipulation, and hand picked opponents.
Aisea T Tuikolovatu
Guest
Why didn't the referee stop the fight and give tilman a 8 count knock down? Looks like a set up to guarantee the win for Sonny Bill. Who knows what might have happened if Tilman recovered after the 8 count.
Conny
Guest
He had one arm out of the ring. Over here in Europe, its over if your not defending yourself anyway. They would have had 2 reasons to take him out. Dunno what rules this fight was by.
BennO
Guest
Looks like the ref called it a bit early to me. Although I don't know anything about boxing. SBW looked pretty sharp tho, be great to see him carry on with it.