Boxing: SBW shows talent in the ring

Sonny Bill Williams connects with an uppercut during his fight with Gary Gurr. Photo / Getty Images

The gentle, sweet music that introduced Sonny Bill Williams ahead of his one-off professional boxing appearance did not quite do justice to what was to come.

As soon as the traditional Polynesian jingle was over, an impressive Williams unloaded on Gary Gurr to make a monkey of the Kiwi rookie heavyweight dubbed "The Baboon".

In a perfect - but brief - start to his professional boxing career, Williams stopped Gurr 1 minute 22 seconds into the second of the bout's scheduled four two-minute rounds at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

The casual observer could not tell but Williams claimed he was nervous.

"For sure (I was nervous), it's a whole new sport," Williams said.

"But it was fun."

It may have been his first fight but Williams arrived like an old pro, accompanied by a 15-strong entourage.

Among the packed crowd were Australian Test cricketer Phil Hughes, former rugby league internationals Shane Webcke and Gorden Tallis and Brisbane Lions AFL footballers Jonathan Brown and Simon Black.

After a lead-up to remember, it seemed something special was needed to shut Gurr up.

First he gate-crashed Mundine's press conference earlier in the week - then tried to trash it.

It was a hard act to follow but Gurr did his best at the weigh-in, getting physical with Williams.

Adding to his infamy, Gurr had carved out a reputation as a bareknuckle fighter in Auckland - in other words he had made a habit of knocking out pub bouncers.

But the way Gurr had done it all with a half smirk added weight to rumours that SBW and Gurr were old mates from Auckland.

If that is true, Williams gave no favours on Wednesday night.

It didn't take long for Williams to find his mark, rocking Gurr late in the first with a big right upper cut and his opponent never recovered.

Late in the second round, officials had seen enough despite Gurr asking for more.

Former Kiwi rugby league international Williams is in Australia for the first time since infamously leaving NRL club the Bulldogs to take up a lucrative French rugby contract with Toulon.

But he did his best to boost his nice guy image, presenting a A$50,000 cheque to St Vincent's Hospital drug rehabilitation ward of Sydney.

It was donated as part of the "KO to Drugs" awareness campaign that lured Williams into a one-off boxing appearance.

- AAP