Hall urged to pull on the gloves
Posted
Lights out... Barry Hall does the deed on Brent Staker in April. (Channel 10)
He's been known to throw a punch or two on the football field, but AFL star Barry Hall is now being asked to take his talents to the boxing ring and some are willing to pay big money to encourage the move.
An Australian boxing agent says an American promoter may pay the Swans forward a seven-figure sum to go professional.
There's no doubting Hall can throw a punch. His haymaker on West Coast Eagle Brent Staker earlier this year earned him a seven-match penalty at the AFL tribunal.
But there are many in the boxing world who say it's time Hall started using his punching skills to his advantage - in the boxing ring.
Hall, through his friendship with world champion Vic Darchinyan, has reportedly caught the eye of big-time American boxing promoter Gary Shaw.
Angelo Hyder is an Australian boxing promoter with links to both Hall and Darchinyan.
"Vic Darchinyan's manager is Gary Shaw, the biggest promoter in the world today," Hyder said.
"Gary Shaw has since then seen some footage of Barry Hall and knows about Barry Hall.
"[He's] invited Barry Hall to go to America and wants to make him an offer that he can't refuse to take up boxing immediately."
Hyder said if Hall signed up, it's unlikely it would be for anything less than $1 million.
Hyder said he's aware it's not the first time Hall's name has been linked to boxing.
"But when you have someone like Gary Shaw show you interest, obviously you start to think, gee this is getting fairly serious here," he said.
No more mad Mondays
Another person with a vested interest in seeing Hall take off his footy boots and lace up his boxing gloves is former world champion Danny Green.
"Look, he got seven weeks for punching someone," Green said.
"He could get paid a seven-figure sum over a certain period of time for punching someone. So, you know, it's up to Barry."
Green said he's in close contact with Hall and that the star forward is seriously thinking about becoming a boxer.
"The most important thing here is whether Barry is really keen and whether he wants to knuckle down and sacrifice a hell of a lot," Green said.
"There's no more mad Mondays after the grand final kind of thing. Boxing is a very serious sport.
"And I spoke to Barry about it and we wouldn't enter into an agreement unless I knew that Barry was 100 per cent committed to the sport.
"I feel he is and he's keen to give it a go."
One opponent Hall could eventually face in the ring is former rugby league player turned reigning Australian heavyweight champion John Hopoate.
Hopoate has warned Hall that boxing is much tougher than any code of football.
"When you're tired, it's you that's tired," he said.
"You can't look to your mates to take the ball. It's just you. If you go down it's only you going down, so it's a lot tougher."
Sydney Swans chief executive Myles Baron-Hay said the club has not heard anything from Hall about him switching to boxing.
Mr Baron-Hay said he believes it is just another unfounded rumour.
Hall could not be contacted for comment.
Adapted from a report for The World Today by Michael Edwards.
