Paul Gallen has taken care of the talk in the build up to his November 15 fight against Barry Hall, and delivered a cheeky sledge to the former AFL bad boy during his book launch.
Still furious about Hall's preference for 2-minute rounds, Gallen hilariously offered Hall the first signed copy of his new biography 'Heart and Soul', signing it out to Barry 'Noodles' Hall.
"I've signed this book to Barry 'Noodles' Hall," Gallen said at Monday's launch.
"Train hard, mate. Best wishes, Paul Gallen.
Asked to elaborate on what the recently retired Cronulla Sharks legend meant by 'Noodles', Gallen again took aim at Hall for his demands for a shortened fight.
"Barry refuses to fight three-minute rounds. We're fighting two-minute rounds, so I've nicknamed him 'two-minute noodles,'" Gallen said.
"'Noodles' is his new name, 'Noodles' Hall."
Paul Gallen just gave Barry Hall a new nickname. Here’s why he’s now ‘Noodles’ Hall 🍜
— MAIN EVENT (@MainEventTV) October 29, 2019
📝: https://t.co/AuqIcsI1gn pic.twitter.com/ChQgAyhFMB
It's not the first time Gallen has slammed Hall's preference for two-minute rounds, after the former Origin captain called for his opponent to 'man up' on Channel 9's Sport Sunday over the weekend.
“I think it’s embarrassing, we’re professional athletes fighting in a big fight and Barry won’t fight three-minute rounds, which is what boxing is,” Gallen told Channel 9’s Sport Sunday.
“We’re fighting two-minute rounds which I think is totally embarrassing.
“Barry, man up, let’s fight three-minute rounds and box properly – let’s have a proper boxing event, OK. Man up.”
In an exclusive interview with Sporting News, Gallen said he believes Hall was simply seeking an advantage with the shortened fight, given his size.
"I just think he wants as much benefit as he can get," Gallen explained.
"Technically he's more experienced than me, as I said in there, you learn to ride a bike, you remember how to ride a bike. He learnt to fight as a kid, he's an amateur champion.
"To only have to move around for two-minutes at a time and then get a minute rest, for a bloke his size, that's a huge advantage.
"Hopefully he'll do the right thing by the event and the sport and change it, but I doubt it."
