Gary Gurr

[Kiwi Eagle]

I think we all know he won't be much chop, but I am holding out hope that tonight his ability with the hands may match the mouth and he knocks SBW out.

His words have certainly kept me entertained the last week

Back street brawler gives Sonny Bill a gobful
By MARK GEENTY  26/05/2009

He's nicknamed The Baboon, loves a drink, apparently has a way with the ladies and has a reputation for knocking out Auckland bouncers.

And he's got the pre-bout trash talking down pat.

Meet Gary Gurr, the man hand-picked to give his compatriot and rugby league defector Sonny Bill Williams his professional boxing debut in Brisbane tomorrow night.

Gurr has taken Australian television by storm in recent days, after being introduced via the following blurb on a boxing chat room.

"He's mad as a bag of snakes with the speed, guts and determination as a group one race horse," the posting read.

"Known for his bareknuckle brawls in the back streets of Auckland, I have personally watched him take down many high profile sports stars in arm wrestles whilst chatting up the local ladies and sipping away on a whisky, a huge testament to his arm strength."

Gurr's aim is to knock out Williams in the first round, "so I can get to the bar".

And he lived up to the "mad as a snake" description at today's official weigh-in, when he turned the air blue with expletives and gave Williams a shove in the chest for good measure.

"F. . . you guys speak a whole bunch of crap. All I've heard from you is talk, talk, talk. Let's just get it going," he said.

Still the suspicion was Gurr would provide as little opposition for Williams as similarly unknown New Zealander Gerrard Zohs did for Anthony Mundine in his pro boxing debut in 2000.

Mundine, a close friend of Williams, is the headline act tomorrow against compatriot Daniel Geale.

New Zealand promoter Craig Thompson said he'd been approached by Mundine's manager Khoder Nasser to find an opponent for Williams.

"They wanted someone who'd had a lot of street fights but wasn't very good (in the boxing ring)," Thompson told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"(Gurr) is a tough bastard. He's got a reputation as a bigmouth."

The latter was proven in recent days.

Asked about Williams' intention to play rugby for the Barbarians against the Wallabies in Sydney on June 6, Gurr spluttered with indignation.

"It's a bit of a joke if he thinks he's playing rugby seven days after he's been boxing with me," he said.

"He'll need a bit of time off. . . heard of the word 'traction'?"

And of Williams' shock National Rugby League departure from the Bulldogs for French rugby club Toulon?

"Did he show the Bulldogs much respect? I've followed that team since I was a blimmin' kid. What respect does he deserve? He shows no one else respect."

Gurr added spice to the official pre-fight press conference in Brisbane yesterday, turning up unannounced as Mundine and Williams faced the media.

"Did you start the party without me? Where the f. . . is my seat?" Gurr said.

Ad Feedback When Nasser moved in to usher him away, Gurr hurled his water bottle towards the top table, much to everyone's amusement.

Williams, who dwarfed Gurr at today's weigh-in, looked uncomfortable in the trash-talking role but still vowed to shut his fellow Aucklander up.

"A lot of people want to see me go down so I'll be out to prove them wrong," Williams said.

- NZPA

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Bring on Sonny Bill
By JIM MAHONEY - Sunday News 24/05/2009

MEET Gary "The Baboon" Gurr the pie-eating, beer-drinking street fighter who says he's going to knock out Sonny Bill Williams.

"He's a bit injury-prone, isn't he?" Auckland builder Gurr cheekily asked of his superstar opponent.

"I could probably throw my mouthguard at him and that would damage him."

On Wednesday night, Gurr and Sonny Bill will step into the ring at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre for an undercard bout to Anthony Mundine's battle with undefeated IBO world middleweight champion Daniel Geale.

It will be the first time either league sensation-turned-pro rugby player Sonny Bill or Gurr who has a reputation as a top bareknuckle fighter and is said to have won arm wrestles while chatting up women and drinking whisky have used their fists in the ring.

Gurr, 31, admitted all his previous experience had been outside the ropes.

"I've done a lot of drunk fighting. I could have a drink or two before the bout but I don't know how that would go with Sonny Bill," he said.

But speaking at ringside at the Auckland Boxing Association Stadium before his first and only sparring session against former multiple New Zealand professional titleholder Sean Sullivan yesterday, Gurr said he was only training for "one round".

Was he expecting to be knocked out or did he think he'd deck SBW?

"Knock him out," he said. "That's the plan."

Did he think Sonny Bill would have a reach advantage?

"He'd be a bit of a deformed human being if he didn't," said Gurr of his taller opponent, pulling his elbows into his sides and flapping his hands.

Kiwi promoter Craig Thompson, who grew up with Gurr in Glenfield, on Auckland's North Shore, said he'd been approached by Mundine's manager Khoder Nasser and matchmaker George Reno to find an opponent for Sonny Bill.

"They had a few criteria and Gary ticked all the boxes," Thompson said.

Durability hadn't been one of the criteria, he admitted. Natural ability hadn't figured, either.

"They wanted someone who'd had a lot of street fights but wasn't very good (in the boxing ring)," Thompson said.

"(Gurr) is a tough bastard. He's got a reputation as a bigmouth.

"He will take a lot of punishment.

"But against Sonny Bill, how much of a beating he'll be able to take from a guy who's a lot bigger, stronger and fitter remains to be seen.

"He (Gurr) is 1.85m tall and should come into the ring at 97-98kg, depending on how many pies and beers he's had over the weekend."

Sonny Bill is 1.91m tall and 115kg.

Asked if Gurr had done much training, Thompson replied: "If you don't count running around Ponsonby Rd at one o'clock in the morning none at all."

 

[gomanly]

I hope SBW gets knocked the fucck out but I just cant see it happeneing.

 

[Pearso]

I think he talks the talk but doesn't look like he will be able to walk the walk but yeah I'd love to see $onny out for the count.

Very keen to see the Mundine fight thou, apparently Geale is a quite acheiver and there has been alot of money placed on him. Alot are saying Mundine has hand picked the wrong boxer this time. Lets hope so.

 

[Guest]

SBW's opponent is from the Anthony Mundine school of pick a boxer who cant even hold his hands up and beat him in the first round.  Gurr is a chump who would get smashed by half the posters on this forum. 

 

[Chip and Chase]

SBW's opponent is from the Anthony Mundine school of pick a boxer who cant even hold his hands up and beat him in the first round.  Gurr is a chump who would get smashed by half the posters on this forum. 

Exactly. They just wanted a big mouth who isn't afraid to make an idiot of himself to drum up some publicity. No doubt he has been paid to take a dive as well.

 

[Chip and Chase]

How about Danny Weirdler and his exclusives. He must be beside himself with excitement at the prospect of having his two unrequited loves in the same hotel, and he gets to be so close to them everyday that he can smell them. There may be a flurry of punches in the ring tonight, but it would pale into insignificance when compared to the Fist of Fury that would have been going on in the Worms room these last few nights. All he needs now is for Mason to turn up to the fight tonight, and he would literally wet his pants.

 

[Pearso]

Did you see Weedler interviewing while he was training, he had a grin from ear to ear the tosser, which is probably what he was doing durring the interview.

 

[swoop]

It would be the best night ever to see both Mundine & Williams knocked out. Although Gary looks like a bum that's been dragged in from the street, so I assume it's all staged. Gary would make a great comedian when he finishes boxing, and that could be as early as tonight.

I'm not paying to watch it though.

 

[Matabele]

I'm i better physical shape than Gurr.

 

[Rambo1987]

Gurr was way out of shape - he looked like someone Mundine would fight.

Should have went down in the first but he was TKO in the 2nd

 

[Chip and Chase]

If that fat useless turd is knocking out bouncers in Auckland than obviously the security industry in NZ needs a big shake up. What a patsy, and how embarrassment for SBW. I can't believe Dunny Bill even bothered training for that, I was fully expecting him to do the old big brother trick of putting his hand on the tools head as he flailed madly away swinging at air. LOL.

 

[Guest]

I would pay good money to see Williams take on Barry Hall because Hall would kill him. 

No wonder boxing has no credability in this country any more with bouts like this and people like Arthur Tunstall running amateur boxing. 

 

[Chip and Chase]

As for Mundine..........I'll give him credit in that he is a good boxer, and I also thought that he manned up tonight and didn't take too many backward steps. Good luck to him for winning. But FFS how disrespectful and arrogant can can one person be ? It was absoulutely shameful that he wasn't man enough to give his opponent enough respect to stand with him in the middle of the ring with the referee as they announced the winner.

He got a split points decision so it was hardly comprehensive. He got warned for elbows twice and threw a low blow as well. And FFS how many times could his glove tape "accidently" come undone to slow the fight down and break up his opponents rythym. The ref should have docked him a point after the 50th time it happened.

Saw nothing tonight that made me change my opinion of him. You want respect Mundine, start showing your opponents and the sport some. He has only fought two guys that were any good and they both whipped his arse. He also lost to a hack in Siaca. Good luck in America fighting guys who can box.

 

[OneEyedEagle]

How disappointing, I will always support anyone fighting Mundine and SBW. Pity Mundine will never chose a decent opponent.

 

[DSM5]

Do you all fight like that over there Kiwi?  Very poor effort. 

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Is what they wanted mate

There are plenty of Kevin Tamati, Brendan Tuuta and David Tua types over here that would flatten him

 

[clontaago]

I'm over talking about Mundane. He handpicks his fighters and he almost came unstuck last night. He wont get a fight in the US, because they dont rate him highly enough.

And he is smart enough to know that he would get cleaned up.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

I'm over talking about Mundane. He handpicks his fighters and he almost came unstuck last night. He wont get a fight in the US, because they dont rate him highly enough.

And he is smart enough to know that he would get cleaned up.

Im not sure that last bit is true. Smart enough that is.

 

[Pearso]

I'm over talking about Mundane. He handpicks his fighters and he almost came unstuck last night. He wont get a fight in the US, because they dont rate him highly enough.

And he is smart enough to know that he would get cleaned up.

Apparently alot of people think he did come undone and Geale was robbed, didn't see the fight so don't really know. Also heard Mundine's bum boys were intimidating the judges. That's the thing I don't like about boxing there seems to be too much controversy and accussations of rigging. When the NRL ref's retire they should go into the fight game as judges.