The old adage goes that you don’t know what you’ve got until its gone and it could ring true for the Australian boxing scene.
Paul Gallen is gearing up for a shot at boxing history when he takes on Kris Terzievski for the Australasian heavyweight title on May 11 at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre as one of three main events on a card of epic proportions.
A victory would make Gallen the first cross-over athlete to capture the title.
And a loss?
“It probably spells the end,” Gallen told foxsports.com.au.
“Without a doubt I’m retiring at the back end of this year.
“There’s not a lot of months left in the year, so maybe one or two fights left.
“Look, if this fight wasn’t to go the right way, it could be the end.
“I’ve just got to make sure I get the job done so I can live to fight another day.”
Living to fight another day will be no easy task for the former Cronulla Sharks star, as he faces a fighter who is 10-1-1 with eight knockouts to his name.
It’s an enormous risk for Gallen, but has the 40-year-old ever been one to shy away from a challenge?
Going into the fight, he has the benefit of hindsight into what the ideal preparation looks like
Ahead of his bout against Justis Huni last year for the Australian heavyweight championship, Gallen opted to come into the fight slightly lighter as he focused heavily on fitness.
It was a move that backfired because he knew for his experience in his rugby league playing days that a lighter body means more bumps and bruises.
“But being a different sport, I thought it would be different,” Gallen said.
“When I got hit, I got hurt. Getting hurt in that fight made it a tough night.”
Terzievski also presents a “totally different” challenge for Gallen, as the 31-year-old is a southpaw.
Gal has worked to combat that by solely sparring southpaws during his camp,
“Just keep pressuring him,” Gallen said. “That’s how I fight anyway, he’s going to know that.
“But I’ve got to keep pressuring him.
“He’s not going to be that fit where he’s going to be able to do it for 10 rounds.
“I think by the end of it it’s going to catch up with him and I’ll be able to finish the fight.”
If Gal’s peek into the crystal ball for how the fight will conclude doesn’t exude enough confidence, then it’s his belief that he can pull off the trailblazing feat that may push those in the camp of the doubters to switch their allegiance.
“To be able to be the first cross-over star to ever win it, it’s going to be something pretty special,” Gallen said.
“I never came into the sport to win titles or anything like that.
“But to be able to do it in what’s going to be one of my last fights would be something that’s pretty cool.
“It’s something I never set out to achieve, but everything I put my mind to in rugby league I was able to achieve.
“There’s no reason why I can’t achieve this.”
Whether he has his hand raised at the end of the fight or if it’s indeed the moment that he hangs up the gloves once and for all, it’s undeniable that Gallen became a box office draw in his eight-year career in the ring.
He’s proved to others that there is a path to success in two vastly different sports.
However, the man himself has never concerned himself with any form of legacy or gunning for a title.
It’s always been about one thing and one thing only.
“I’ve got one goal in life and that’s provide for my family,” Gallen said.
“That’s my goal, that’s what I’m doing.
“I love my four kids and that’s who I’m doing this for: to provide for them and give them a better life than I had.
“If I can do that, I’ve succeeded. That’s what my legacy is.
“Whatever people want to remember me for, that’s their business and I couldn’t care less.”
SOURCE: FOX SPORTS