Paul Gallen and Josh Aloiai were set to settle their bad blood in the ring but the fight has reportedly been scrapped thanks to Covid.
Paul Gallen’s highly anticipated return to the boxing ring has been cancelled after his opponent and NRL star Josh Aloiai tested positive to Covid-19.
The league great and the Manly Sea Eagles prop were meant to headline the card on Friday December 10 but The Daily Telegraph reported that Aloiai fell ill on Monday after a training session before testing positive to Covid.
The report said it’s unknown whether or not he is vaccinated as the entire Manly squad is yet to be vaccinated.
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No Limit Boxing promoter Matt Rose said the company would try to reschedule the fight for January, but it’s unclear if it will be able to happen as it will be in the thick of NRL pre-season training.
But Rose said: “Health and safety comes first with the boxers. Still the news is pretty devastating. Gal has trained so hard for so long.”
The card is also meant to feature a fight between ex-NRL stars Joey Leilua and Chris Heighington and the professional debut of Olympic bronze medallist Harry Garside, as well as Andrew Moloney’s return to Australia after his loss to Joshua Franco in August.
But Main Event presenter Ben Damon reported that Leilua had been training with Aloiai for the fight and had also tested positive.
Moloney was mean to headline the Thursday night in the two-night boxing double header but posted on Twitter the whole event was set to be moved, “ideally for later in December”.
Gallen posted a picture yesterday alongside Garside and cruiserweight Jason Whateley and was looking in good nick for the fight.
While the fight could be rescheduled in the near future, there is a tight window of opportunity due to the demands of the NRL preseason.
2GB’s Mark Levy said that Gallen was “filthy” that the fight had been canned.
Gallen has not fought since June when he went 10 rounds with Australian heavyweight champion Justis Huni.
Althought Gallen was knocked out in the round having broken two ribs in the fight, it proved to a lot of people that the now-40 year old was the real deal in his boxing career.
But after settling on Aloiai despite pressure to see a Barry Hall rematch or the Sonny Bill Williams clash, Gallen had savaged the NRL player any chance he got.
Late last month, the pair finally agreed to fight eight two-minute rounds in an expletive and insult packed Instagram Live video.
“I’ll fight you (in) eight two-minute rounds, yeah. You’re a piece of s*** though, but I’m still saying you’re a dog. Two minute rounds, seriously, women fight two minute rounds — I’m not being sexist here but you’re a b****.”
Earlier in the chat, Gallen had slammed Aloiai as “a nothing who’s done nothing” after he was called Oshay Olay by Peter V’landys at the Dally M Medal.
At the press conference earlier this month, Gallen was still hammering home the round length and said it was “embarrassing for the sport”.
Originally published as Paul Gallen-Josh Aloiai fight cancelled after Covid-19 positive