AWARE his second boxing session was a "joke", Sonny Bill Williams wants a legitimate fight early next year before setting his sights on the ultimate prize for any Kiwi sportsman: breaking a 24-year Rugby World Cup drought for the All Blacks.Williams, who was "pretty embarrassed" with his 2min 35sec TKO of fellow New Zealander Ryan Hogan in June, will fight Sydney's Scott Lewis on January 29 in Newcastle. Williams will have Anthony Mundine in his corner as trainer.I just want to show this is not a joke," Williams said at Mundine's gym yesterday.
"I trained so hard for the last fight and was so focused, then it just turned out to be a bit of a circus."But Williams' desire for respect in boxing has the potential to cost him dearly in rugby union circles.In New Zealand, censure was almost instant when news of the Lewis bout broke, mainly as Williams is due at Canterbury Crusaders training two days after the fight. But Williams, 25, had told the New Zealand Rugby Union of his boxing ambitions on day one of contract talks and will consult Crusaders staff about his summer training program to complement both sports.
However, he knows boxing is a high-risk sport and injury would be catastrophic to his reputation as a rugby player.But, as Williams explained, boxing training is what gives him an edge on the football field and the accuracy that many hope will see him become New Zealand's World Cup X-factor."I don't want to be idle and sitting around doing nothing," Williams said."In the boxing ring, what I try to work on is footwork, agility, timing, angles. It's pretty much what I work on on the field, but being in that ring it takes me to the tight zone, the place that some people don't like to be in.
"I trained so hard for the last fight and was so focused, then it just turned out to be a bit of a circus."But Williams' desire for respect in boxing has the potential to cost him dearly in rugby union circles.In New Zealand, censure was almost instant when news of the Lewis bout broke, mainly as Williams is due at Canterbury Crusaders training two days after the fight. But Williams, 25, had told the New Zealand Rugby Union of his boxing ambitions on day one of contract talks and will consult Crusaders staff about his summer training program to complement both sports.
However, he knows boxing is a high-risk sport and injury would be catastrophic to his reputation as a rugby player.But, as Williams explained, boxing training is what gives him an edge on the football field and the accuracy that many hope will see him become New Zealand's World Cup X-factor."I don't want to be idle and sitting around doing nothing," Williams said."In the boxing ring, what I try to work on is footwork, agility, timing, angles. It's pretty much what I work on on the field, but being in that ring it takes me to the tight zone, the place that some people don't like to be in.
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