Superstar Roosters recruit Brandon Smith is in surprise discussions to become Australia’s next crossover boxing star – with promoters No Limit convinced the ‘Hectic Cheese’ can replace Paul Gallen as genuine Pay Per View talent.
Already ranked among the most popular players in rugby league, 26-year-old Smith has been dubbed the perfect mix of “charisma”, cult following, even genuine KO power to replace recently retired heavyweight Gallen — who, at his height, generated $25 million from the fight game.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, No Limit CEO George Rose confirmed he was in “ongoing discussions with the Cheese” – a genuine boxing talent who, the story goes, once kayoed a New Zealand amateur champion.
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Only recently, the NRL star also said he would be interested in throwing down, and listed Sydney podcaster Jordan Simi, who recently boxed Justin Hodges, as a potential first rival.
While matching Smith, who stands 180cm and plays around 94kg, would be an interesting proposition for the Rose boys, the Tricoulours No.9 seems, unsurprisingly, unfazed given Simi weighed 109kg for the Hodges bout.
“I would love to fight Jordan Simi,” Smith said on the Hello Sport podcast. “I reckon he would do it.”
Better, promoters No Limit are convinced Hectic Cheese could become a genuine fight favourite in Australian summers, with Rose revealing the pair first discussed the idea over beers after an NRL All Stars game.
“Cheese was just talking about how much he loved the No Limit shows, and eventually we got talking about his own background in boxing,” Rose said.
“And he definitely has that base, has that amateur experience.
“He’s also the type of guy who has the charisma to be like Paul Gallen was for boxing here in Australia.
“There aren’t too many guys out there who understand the boxing game as well as Paul did. (Laughs) Actually, no one understands the game like Gal.
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“But if you look across the NRL now and ask yourself who has that capability to be a boxing Pay Per View star … yeah, I think the Cheese might be it.”
Smith is one of three Roosters who have now been linked to a boxing switch recently – joining prop Matt Lodge and cult No.13 Victor Radley.
After initially wanting to oppose Gallen in his farewell, Lodge then attempted to make a far quieter pro debut in Dubai just before Christmas – however the card was sensationally scrapped, and fighters robbed of their purses, when the promoter disappeared in fight week.
Radley is another who has been linked to a fight this year while former Roosters prop Siosiua Taukeiaho, who now plays in the English Super League, won his pro debut against Jaiman Lowe in November.
Speaking in the week before his farewell fight against Queensland rival Justin Hodges, Gallen revealed his fights had grossed $25 million in his final three years alone.
While the former Blues skipper received an estimated $9 million in total purse earnings, his bouts amassed almost three times that from 2020 on — a period which included his biggest fights against Justis Huni, Mark Hunt and Lucas Browne.
As a result, Rose said No Limit would continue supporting crossover athletes while also building genuine boxing stars like Tim Tszyu – who fights American Tony Harrison for the WBO interim super welterweight title on Sunday, March 12.
“We know there is genuine interest there,” Rose said of the opportunity to make fights involving NRL stars like Smith.
“If you put the right fights on, and with the right people, the appetite is definitely there.”
