'No place in a ring': Justin Hodges stopped after 39 seconds
Boxing's latest rugby league convert Darcy Lussick is targeting a fight with former AFL star Barry Hall after stopping Justin Hodges in just 39 seconds on Friday night.
A big right hand dropped former Queensland and Kangaroos star Hodges, who despite beating the count was ruled unfit to continue.
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Shortly after the fight, Toronto Wolfpack and former Manly and Parramatta forward Lussick called out Hall, who recently drew with former NRL star Paul Gallen in his first boxing bout.
"I heard Barry Hall was looking for a fight, so if he's keen we'll try and work something out," said Lussick, who was making his debut.
It continued the trend of early-finishing bouts for Hodges, but this time he was on the wrong end after winning his two previous fights inside a combined two minutes.
Fans on social media were quick to point out Hodges’ boxing career may have been ended.
Darcy Lussick wins his first pro fight, flooring Justin Hodges with a thunderous right after just 29 seconds. Hodges got to his feet but was waved off by the ref
— Jamie Pandaram (@JamiePandaram) December 6, 2019
No place in a ring. It’s embarrassing that these idiots think that hitting the pads at training means they are “boxers”! Not a big fan, but at least Mundine grew up boxing and training and let’s not forget his old man was class!
— Luke M (@davico05) December 6, 2019
Can we stop trying to make NRL players boxers ? What about the kids who choose boxing as a priority sport only to be looked over due to a has been NRL so called star..?
— Adam (@sargentsarto) December 6, 2019
Darcy Lussick just ended Justin Hodges boxing career
What will it take to end his FoxSports career?
Its far worse than his boxing— 88888 Account (@88888sAccount) December 6, 2019
\Among those watching from ringside were rugby league stars Latrell Mitchell, Jack Wighton and Cody Walker and former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh.
Two Australians, Trent Broadhurst and Nathaniel May, each failed in their attempts to win a regional title against an overseas-born opponent.
A perforated eardrum effectively cost former light heavyweight contender Broadhurst any chance of toppling New Zealand's David Light, who won their WBO Oriental cruiserweight fight on a third-round stoppage.
Broadhurst went down twice in both the second and third rounds, with balance issues rather than heavy punches his biggest problem.
Light, is rated 14th by the WBO, one place below Australian Jai Opetaia who he split two amateur bouts with and wants to fight as a professional.
West Australian May was outworked and lost a unanimous 10-round points decision to Tanzania's IBF International super featherweight champion Bruno Tarimo in an entertaining bout
Tarimo is the sparring partner for Australia's interim WBA super flyweight champion Andrew Moloney and his twin and world-ranked bantamweight Jason, both of whom were cheering him on from ringside.
