FORMER rugby league stars Joey Leilua and Curtis Scott are set to take on each other in the boxing ring this week, with their eyes set on each other's NRL careers.
Australian boxing great Johnny Lewis has agreed to take part in Scott's surprise challenge to become national cruiserweight champion, it has been revealed. The match begins against fellow League side Leilua, whose career he describes as “embarrassing”.
Boxing: Goodman v Shrives & Hardman v Saavedra | Wednesday, March 13th | Order now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
“Beat each other” 00:30
Just months after being denied a return to the NRL, the 26-year-old Scott is set to make his heavyweight debut against Joey Leilua in No Limit's 2024 pay-per-view opener in Wollongong on Wednesday night.
As part of the build-up, both players took part in an intense Main Event “Face Off” interview this week, in which Scott revealed that he withdrew during the match, that he was “hiding on the wing” during the match, and that he was “disgraced.” He blamed his rival for “scratching him.'' 2 years with West Tigers.
“Every time I mark you,” Scott added, looking at his rival from across the table, “you're…yourself.”
Meanwhile, Leilua claimed that he didn't even remember marking the younger center, saying, “I remember Cameron Smith, not Curtis Scott,” later in the interview, when Leilua said, “I remember Cameron Smith, not Curtis Scott.” He once accused her of thinking that he is immortal.
Scott, who won a premiership with the Storm in 2017, said that during his time with the Raiders, when the Raiders were subjecting players to rigorous training, he not only quit or left the field, but was completely removed from Raiders headquarters. He doubled down by suggesting that he was also famous for disappearing.
“I’d get in the car, laze around, and drive home,” Scott laughed.
With the pair targeting each other's NRL careers, Scott told Leilua he had had a “good couple of years” but never reached his peak, winning premiership status with the Melbourne Storm in 2017. Told.
In response, Leilua also appeared to belittle his former teammates at the Sydney Roosters, Newcastle Knights, Canberra Raiders and Wests Tigers.
“This is a team sport. You had the best players on your team. It's not like I didn't have anyone, I had me,” said the star-studded 2010 Sydney Roosters Flanders final team. Leilua said. Anthony Minichiello, Blaise Anasta and Todd Carney also played alongside players like Jack Wighton and Darius Boyd during their careers.
In a separate exchange, the boxing debutant described his rival as a “terrible idiot” who would only accept fights against opponents he knew he could beat.
Admittedly, Scott won't have his way Wednesday night either. Both will likely lose up to 30kg before they throw.
But the former Stormer will benefit from the experience in a corner set that includes both head coach Brian Doyle and Lewis, a one-of-a-kind Hall of Famer who coached the likes of Kostya Tzi, Jeff Fenech and Jeff Harding. There is no shortage of them.
Doyle also serves as the striking coach for UFC middleweight star Robert Whittaker.
He is also assisting Australian prospect Brock Jarvis in his own return to the ring.
Asked about having Lewis in his corner during matches, the former league player told Fox Sports Australia that the legendary coach had been told by Doyle, himself a long-time friend of the great player, that he had been asked about having Lewis in his corner during early sparring sessions. He explained that it happened because he was invited to one of them.
“Johnny came and saw me sparring and said he’d love to be a part of it,” Scott explained. “He said he would be happy to help in any way he could.
“And he’s been doing that all camp.
“Johnny is obviously a great guy to have in my corner. He's a great role model.”
Boxing: Goodman v Shrives & Hardman v Saavedra | Wednesday, March 13th | Order now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Scott is not expected to weigh more than 94kg on fight day, while Leilua is expected to weigh around 120kg when she steps on the scale herself.
As a result, if the former NSW Origin contender wins next Wednesday night, he has revealed he wants to move on to the cruiserweight division and Doyle is confident he can win the Australian title this year.
The cruiserweight title is currently held by undefeated Brisbane southpaw Luke Modini (11-0).
Elsewhere, the pair of former footballers also gleefully dished out verbal accusations on this week's “Face Off” program, hosted by Main Event host Nico Pajarillo.
When Scott accused Leilua of regularly quitting when training sessions got tough, and even leaving Raiders headquarters altogether, his rival responded, “Who said that?”
“There were 40 guys around me,” Scott laughed, “and I went home.”
Leilua: “That's a lie. I choose my own destiny.”
Scott: “If something was too hard, I would just quit and quit.”
Leilua: “Then, are you going to quit?”
Scott: “Let's see. But you have it in you.
“You have it in you.
“I would quit even if 40 people forced me to do it.
“Even against Cronulla, he left the field in a noisy battle because he couldn't get the ball.”
Leilua: “Cronulla?”
Scott: “Shark Park, you walked off the field. You had another bad seizure.”
Leilua: “I never quit. Even if I don't have the ball…if I get the ball, we're winning. If I get the ball, nothing happens.”
Scott: “That sounds stupid…have you never played in a grand final in all these years?'' Canberra wasn't happening. I was in the bottom 8 almost every year. ”
The former Stormer then continued: “He’s big, but he has a bully mentality.
“When things don’t go his way, he gets blamed.
“Look at his size. He should have played in the front row, but he was hiding on the wing or in the center.
Challenger's 3 minute rant against Champ | 02:45
“He weighed over 100kg throughout his career and started on the wing.
“He had all the abilities in the world, but he was hiding…”
Speaking separately to Fox Sports Australia, Curtis confirmed that he will almost certainly be competing at cruiserweight from now on.
Asked about fighting at the 91kg limit, he said: “Cruiserweight is definitely more realistic.”
“I went into this first fight bigger because this was the beginning of my career and I never wanted to let an opportunity like this go.”
And what about winning the Australian title before the year is over?
“Well, I'm not the least bit interested in boxing,” he said. “I am committed to this, set high goals and will fight a tough battle.
“Most debutants aren't fighting opponents who are more than 20 kilograms heavier than themselves. That's not the case.
“But I took this fight because I have confidence in myself.”
Scott added that he expected Leilua to weigh around 120kg, considering that she was “slightly heavier in her last fight”.
“I also know he has heavy hands,” he continued.
“And an agile man.
“He's incredibly fast and light on his feet.”
Scott, a former NSW Origin candidate, was banned from the game following a series of off-field incidents.
In 2022, the footballer was found guilty of three charges against his ex-girlfriend and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order. These were assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault, stalking or intimidation with intent to cause fear or bodily harm. .
A year earlier, Scott had been sacked by the Canberra Raiders following an incident at a nightclub, but he was later acquitted in court.
Back in December, the controversial 26-year-old was refused a return to the National League after a series of off-field issues and legal battles, before being linked with a move to the English Super League. was.
But the former NRL bad boy has now turned his attention to boxing and is seriously considering a professional career, training alongside 26-year-old Jarvis (21-1).
