Jonah v SBW in boxing sensation

JONAH LOMU is ready to become the next rugby star to turn to boxing – and for his debut bout, he wants to fight Sonny Bill Williams.

The Star-Times has learned the All Blacks living legend is likely to be named as the headline act in a resuscitated Fight for Life. The charity boxing night hasn’t been staged for five years, but it is understood it will return in early December at a venue in Auckland.

And Lomu, a longstanding boxing fan, was keen to pull on the gloves. He has been playing lower-division rugby in France, but is already in boxing training and desperate to take on Williams, who has already had three fights in his fledgling boxing career and ready for a fourth.

While it’s understood Lomu doesn’t figure on Williams’ radar, it hasn’t dissuaded the 63-cap All Black nominating him as his preferred opponent.

But if Williams won’t front then Lomu is likely to fight one of the toughest league players of recent times, former Kangaroos backrower Gorden Tallis.

Former Kiwis league international Dean Lonergan ran the Fight for Life promotion for seven years until 2007, raising a reported $4 million for charity, with one show, featuring Buck Shelford against Mark Graham, rating among top-10 New Zealand television audiences of all time.

Sources in the rugby league community said Lonergan and David Higgins, who promoted the David Tua-Shane Cameron fight, would be co-promoting the night under their new Mammoth Events banner. Both men refused to comment.

But the Star-Times has learned the night will be promoted as a rugby versus league battle, appealing to the parochialism of the two codes’ followers. Lonergan has been pursuing a list of recentlyretired greats from both codes with reputations for toughness.

As well as Lomu and Tallis, among those lined up to fight are former Kiwis Joe Vagana, Awen Guttenbeil and Monty Betham, dual-code Australian international Wendell Sailor and even French rugby star Sebastien Chabal. Top amateur boxing prospect Joseph Parker, who led the New Zealand Commonwealth Games boxing team, could also feature.

But Lomu would be the big scalp and a deal with him could be signed off as early as this week.