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When you’re Sonny Bill Williams and you’re gearing up for the biggest boxing bout of your career, you’d think the hardest part of the whole endeavour might be the intense training. Or the heavy physical demands fighting takes on an almost-40-year-old body.
Family first, even in the ring
But in reality, the toughest thing Sonny Bill, 39, is facing in the lead-up to his epic showdown with former Aussie league player Paul Gallen is being away from his family. His wife Alana and their five young children, Imaan, Aisha, Zaid, Essa and Mohammed.
“In the past few years, never did I think that I would be back in the sporting space,” the former All Black and Kiwis player tells Woman’s Day, adding that his time focused on his whānau has been “really good” and that being separated from them for a month while training in Oz is a struggle.
“I try to be a present father. Looking at it, people might think it’s not much of a sacrifice, but for me, because I’m so present with the kids – because I help out with my wife a lot and I really value the time with them – it’s tough. But it just gives me more motivation.”
Gloves on, guard up
Until recently, he had been enjoying his retirement and hadn’t set foot in a boxing ring for three years. But next month, he’ll glove up to return to the ring, fighting Paul in the Mānuka Phuel Presents SBW v Gallen match in Sydney on 16 July.
It comes after years of tension and barbs between Sonny Bill and Paul. Paul also turned to a boxing career after he hung up his league boots. In part because of the headline-grabbing trash talk, Sonny Bill admits he doesn’t want any of his children following in his footsteps.
“I wouldn’t like it!” he confesses.
“From a profession point of view, there are better paths to walk to earn a quid. I mean, you look at guys like Joseph Parker – he’s at the top of his game and he’s being paid good money. But you have people grinding away, getting their heads punched and earning nothing. I want my kids, God willing, to focus their energies on education. But at the same time, I’m not going to stand in their way if they want to pursue a sporting dream.”
In fact, Sonny Bill says he might have a budding athlete at home. With eldest daughter Imaan showing a keen interest in soccer.
“She goes alright!” he grins.
Facing weakness, fighting strong
But what he really wants to show his kids is sometimes you have to acknowledge your weaknesses. Muses Sonny Bill, “I don’t know if I consider myself a role model. But I consider myself to be a walking vision of what I speak about and how I try to live my life. I’m not perfect by any means, but I’m always searching for growth and I’m willing to try things where you need to face your vulnerability head on – that’s what I’d like to think my kids would value.”
Fuelled by love and fire
Sonny Bill plans to use Alana and their kids as motivation in the ring. Giving what’ll likely be his last fight his everything, against an opponent to whom he has a large point to prove. There’s no love lost between Sonny Bill and Paul, who thinks he’s “better than me”, says the former AB.
As he told reporters in a press conference last week, “‘The way he conducts himself and carries himself, and how he speaks about me… I look at it like I’m representing all my Polynesian brothers. For me to get back in the ring after three years, to do something of this magnitude, there needed to be that animosity just to light that fire. Otherwise, what’s the point in doing it?”
Now it’s time to train hard for the epic bout, which will be available on pay per view on Sky Sport.
“The fight’s going to happen,” says Sonny Bill.
“It doesn’t matter what I’ve said or what he’s said. It’ll come down to how I’ve trained and how I fight.”
As for what’s next after the long-awaited match?
The devout Muslim’s looking forward to returning to what matters most – his family.
Sonny Bill smiles, “I’ll be walking into the sunset with my kids and my wife, saying, ‘Salam alaikum [peace be upon you].’”
