Ex-Super League forward set for major boxing fight against Grand Final champion

Ex-Super League and Championship forward Darcy Lussick is gearing up for a fight against Paul Gallen after the latter’s proposed scrap with Manly Sea Eagles prop Josh Aloiai was cancelled.

Aloiai had tested positive for COVID-19 after sparring with new Featherstone Rovers recruit Joey Leilua and so his fight against Gallen was called off.

So it’s been left to Lussick to step up to the plate and he is incredible confident about his chances after knocking out Justin Hodges in 39 seconds in his only professional fight two years ago.

“Give me a shot, and I’ll knock Gallen out,” Lussick told News Corp Australia.

“I am ready.

“People said Justin Hodges was going to destroy me and I knocked him out in 30 seconds, so put me in there with Gallen and we’ll see what happens.”

32-year-old Lussick had played almost 50 games for the Toronto Wolfpack between 2018 and 2020 before a move to Salford Red Devils was his last action on a rugby league field.

He returned home during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been training with friends in Sydney.

Lussick is also said to be close with Gallen’s fight promoter George Rose, boss of No Limit Boxing.

“I’ve been speaking to George a fair bit and asking him to give the shot,” Lussick said.

“People know what I bring, I will have a crack, I’m not going to go in there half-arsed. I will have a red hot crack.

“I’ve been training.

“Gal is a tough guy, no doubt. He went 10 rounds with Justice Huni.

“People can say what they like about him, but he is a legitimate boxer.

“He’s not a footballer-turned-boxer, he is a proper boxer now.

“But I want that challenge, I want to meet him in the middle of that ring and see what happens.”