Results and highlights: Gallen knocks out Browne in first round

The former rugby league footballer stopped the former heavyweight titlist in under two minutes.

Former rugby league football star Paul Gallen remained unbeaten in his pro boxing career, stopping former secondary heavyweight titlist Lucas Browne in the first round today in Australia.

Gallen (11-0-1, 6 KO) dropped Browne (29-3, 25 KO) two times and the fight was over in just 1:55.

Here’s the first knockdown:

The full fight is available on YouTube if you go look.

The 39-year-old Gallen is a likable sort and has worked hard at his boxing. I mean, the boxing “career” is what it is, but (1) this is a world where we’re having to talk about Jake Paul, and (2) for the level, he’s done well. He fought to an entertaining draw with ex-Australian rules footballer Barry Hall back in Nov. 2019, and returned in Dec. 2020 to win a six-round decision over former UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt, who was once one of the most lethal strikers in the world of kickboxing.

Browne, 42, has frankly been short for some time, but was still — and should have been — the favorite against Gallen. Browne looked pretty well washed against club fighter Kamil Sokolowski in Mar. 2019, barely winning a six-round decision, before being knocked out in three by Dave Allen about six weeks later. He won another club-level fight in Nov. 2019 before this bout.

Browne won the WBA’s secondary heavyweight belt back in 2016, rallying from well behind on the cards to stop Ruslan Chagaev in the 10th round. But he was also stripped and suspended after testing positive for clenbuterol following that fight.

Browne has been deadly slow in recent outings, and also hasn’t seemed to have much punch resistance left. Those things failed him again with Gallen, who may not have great technique but does come firing with a lot of energy.

Gallen is now hoping to fight Sonny Bill Williams (7-0, 3 KO), a 35-year-old former rugby league and rugby union star who last fought back in 2015.