Paul Gallen’s boxing farewell has been thrown into chaos after rival Justin Hodges this week engaged a Queensland legal team to demand his controversial loss in their first showdown be overturned.
While Gallen has agreed to re-match Hodges in the final fight of his career on November 23, the Maroons great is continuing with legal action to overturn the TKO loss that cost him $1 million as part of a contract clause.
Fox Sports Australia can reveal Hannay Lawyers have fired off a five-page document to the Australian National Boxing Federation demanding the pair’s first fight result be reversed, or declared a No Contest.
Hodges lawyers argue Gallen committed at least three “clear fouls” during the September bout – most notably in the second round, when their client was struck by a heavy right hand while leaned back against the ring ropes.
As part of the appeal, lawyer Daniel Hannay argues Gallen should have been disqualified for the “illegal” blow to his client’s face after referee Tony Kettlewell shouted ‘stop’.
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‘ABSURD’ – Hodges rocked by late punches | 00:44
While Hodges still won the round on all three judges’ scorecards, the NRL premiership winner has since likened the punch to Ivan Drago in Rocky IV — revealing the right hand not only “muddled me up” but directly impacted his being stopped in the third.
The document also argues that, after being struck by said blow, and then taking a knee, Hodges was incorrectly ordered back to his feet by referee Kettlewell.
Hannay points to boxing regulation 13.7, which states: If a boxer receives head butting or illegal blows which cause an injury or cut the referee must disqualify the offending boxer.
In the appeal, Hannay wrote of the second round incident: “The referee should have disqualified Paul Gallen at this stage due to the illegal blow of striking Justin Hodges which caused an injury, instead of making the remarks ‘stop milking it’ which instead brought into question the integrity of Justin Hodges and the fight.”
He later continued: “Paul Gallen struck Justin Hodges with 20 seconds remaining in Round 2, after he had been pushed back on the ropes, and the referee had called ‘stop’, which is a foul and a clear breach of the referees’ instructions and Regulations.
“It is clear from the replay of the strike that Paul Gallen’s right hand (hook) connects cleanly with the left side of Justin Hodges’ face, and Justin was clearly affected by the strike.
“The punch was a clear ‘foul’ pursuant to section 14.1.4 of the Regulations.
“It is at this point Paul Gallen should have been disqualified, due to a clear breach of ‘Regulations’ (Regulation 13.7), being an illegal blow, which causes injury.
“Instead, the referee told Justin Hodges to ‘Stop milking it’.”
Later in the document, the lawyer continued: “A clean strike to the face by Gallen with his right hand would, in the writer’s view, cause serious damage, as is the consensus by every other viewer, but concerningly, the referee – who told him to ‘stop milking it’.
“Paul Gallen had been warned on two previous occasions about his striking to the back of the head.”
Gallen dropped then finishes Hodges! | 03:32
The appeal also highlights two other moments in the fight where Gallen was warned about punches to the back of Hodges’ head.
The first came with 31 seconds remaining in the first round. “Referee warns Gallen about illegal punch to the back of the head,” Hannay wrote.
The other moment came with 84 seconds remaining in round three, when the referee again “warns Gallen to watch the back of the head”.
