Paul Gallen vs John Hopoate: Boxing live blog, round-by-round

John Hopoate and Paul Gallen meet in a much anticipated fight at the Hordern Pavillion in Sydney. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7pm (AEDT).

This event has been labelled as the ‘Star of the Ring’ and while some might question the boxing credentials of the two men that will headline the event, there can be no question around the interest and curiosity created by Cronulla Sharks legend Paul Gallen and his ‘badboy’ opponent John Hopoate.

The weigh-in broke into a push and shove affair with Gallen instigating a war of words and a good old fashioned wrestle before the support teams of both fighters kept the situation under control.

It was enough to whet the appetite for this bout and both men have made some incredibly bold statements in the lead-up, stoking the fires of anticipation.

It terms of the fight, it is hard to know what to expect, although Gallen appears to be the superior boxer. What styles they adopt will be interesting.

Gallen has a perfect 8-0-0 record despite some questionable opposition in the past and Hopoate has 12 wins and five losses to show for what has been a rather up and down boxing career to this point.

From a purist’s perspective, Gallen should deal with Hopoate easily and with youth and fitness on his side prove far too athletic and skilled for his 45-year-old opponent.

However, there is also a chance that the raw and underdeveloped skills of both men could turn the bout into a dull affair fought on the inside with little risk taken.

Then again, the chance of a wild swinging street brawl is real if the fighters choose to head down that road.

Elsewhere, there is a lot of boxing talent on display tonight. There are nine fights altogether and here on The Roar the focus will be on the boxing debut of Justin Hodges when he takes on Ipswich furniture delivery man Rob Baron.

Also of interest is Tim Tszyu’s match up with Englishman Denton Vassell.

The night will end with the Gallen vs Hopoate clash and hopefully, the paying fans get some real and sustained action.

Prediction
Not that I am wishing this upon the paying public but logic suggests this will be a bridge too far for Hopoate and Gallen should have the Tongan flat on his back sometime in the second round.

Catch all the action on The Roar live coverage from 7pm (AEDT).

Where: Hordern Pavillion, Sydney
When: Friday 9 February 2019, 7pm (AEDT)
TV: Main Event
Betting: Paul Gallen $1.08, John Hopoate $5

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Stuart Thomas

Expert

Stuart Thomas is a sports writer and educator who made the jump from Roar Guru to Expert in 2017. An ex-trainee professional golfer, his sporting passions are broad with particular interests in football, AFL and rugby league. His love of sport is only matched by his passion for gardening and self-sustainability.