Boxing: Brawler gives SBW a gobful

Gary 'The Baboon' Gurr is not expected to offer Sonny Bill Williams a serious challenge. Photo / Getty Images

He's nicknamed The Baboon, loves a drink, apparently has a way with the ladies and has a reputation for knocking out Auckland bouncers.

And he's got the pre-bout trash talking down pat.

Meet Gary Gurr, the man hand-picked to give his compatriot and league defector Sonny Bill Williams his professional boxing debut in Brisbane tonight.

Gurr has taken Australian television by storm in recent days, after being introduced via the following blurb on a boxing chat room.

"He's mad as a bag of snakes with the speed, guts and determination of a group one race horse," the posting read.

"Known for his bareknuckle brawls in the back streets of Auckland, I have personally watched him take down many high-profile sports stars in arm wrestles while chatting up the local ladies and sipping away on a whisky, a huge testament to his arm strength."

Gurr's aim is to knock out Williams in the first round, "so I can get to the bar".

And he lived up to the "mad as a snake" description at yesterday's official weigh-in, when he turned the air blue with expletives and gave Williams a shove in the chest.

"F... you guys speak a whole bunch of crap. All I've heard from you is talk, talk, talk. Let's get it going," he said.

Still the suspicion was Gurr would provide as little opposition for Williams as similarly unknown New Zealander Gerrard Zohs did for Anthony Mundine in his pro-boxing debut in 2000.

Mundine, a close friend of Williams, is the headline act tonight against compatriot Daniel Geale.

New Zealand promoter Craig Thompson said he'd been approached by Mundine's manager Khoder Nasser to find an opponent for Williams.

"They wanted someone who'd had a lot of street fights but wasn't very good [in the boxing ring]," Thompson told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"[Gurr] is a tough bastard. He's got a reputation as a big mouth."

The latter was proven in recent days. Asked about Williams' intention to play rugby for the Barbarians against the Wallabies in Sydney on June 6, Gurr was indignant.

"It's a bit of a joke if he thinks he's playing rugby seven days after he's been boxing with me," he said.

- NZPA