Where to watch the Paul Gallen vs John Hopoate fight live in Australia
Two of the NRL's most notorious figures are set to come to blows on 8 February, but where can you watch the Gallen vs Hopoate fight live?
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The idea of watching two NRL rugby league stars fight has become one of Australia's favourite past times in recent years. From Sonny Bill Williams to Todd Carney, it seems like boxing is a great way to top up the bank balance for these aging warriors. They may not offer vintage boxing by any stretch of the imagination, but that doesn't make these wild nights any less entertaining.
The punching (and probing Hoppa?) will begin at 6.30pm EDST on 8 February. The heavyweight fight is unfolding over six rounds at the Horden Pavilion in Sydney, so check the times below for your regional variances. There are ten fights in total on the night, so the main event is unlikely to come on until after 9.00pm, depending on how the preliminary fights play out.
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- Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart: 6:30pm AEDT
- Perth: 3:30pm AWST
- Darwin: 5:00pm ACST
- Brisbane: 5:30pm AEST
- Adelaide: 6:00pm ACDT
- New Zealand: 8:30pm NZDT
Who will win the Gallen vs Hopoate fight?
Both these NRL rugby league stars are polarising figures in Australia's sporting landscape. Hopoate has a sheet of misdemeanours (and worse) longer than his jab. It includes a record for being the most suspended player in rugby league history and a litany of post-career indiscretions that – most recently – included punching junior players in the head during a club match.
Gallen, on the other hand, is known for his hard-as-nails play and even tougher demeanour, where he says what he thinks and bad luck if you don't like it. As New South Wales State of Origin captain, he gained the hate of everyone north of the border, even if they had to respect his heroic endurance on the field. Being the unfortunate face of the Cronulla Sharks drug scandal and subsequent salary cap issues has only added fuel to the fire.
In short, most people just want to see these two guys punch each other's faces for a bit while enjoying a cool beverage. But Gallen's superior athleticism and age advantage have made him a clear favourite. He is the bookie's pick, with Hopoate out to five times the odds at the time of writing.
To up the ante, both men have bet $50,000 on themselves to win. In addition, Gallen has claimed he will retire from boxing if he loses.
Who is on the Gallen vs Hopoate undercard prelims?
There are some intriguing match-ups on the Gallen vs Hopoate undercard. Notably the professional boxing debut of another former NRL rugby league star: Queensland great Justin Hodges. There is also Tim Tszyu, son of legendary Aussie boxing world champion Kosta Tszyu. The following is the full undercard:
- Paul Gallen vs John Hopoate
- Tim Tszyu vs Denton Vassell
- Mark Lucas vs Rocky Jerkic
- Cesar Mateo Tapia vs Adam Copland
- Darragh Foley vs Wellem Reyk
- Danilo Creati vs Shiva Mishra
- Ben Savva vs Luke Travers
- Pouono Lopeti vs Isaac Hardman
- Ebanie Bridges vs Mahiecka Pareno
- Justin Hodges vs Rob Baron
Gallen vs Hopoate on Kayo Sports and Foxtel
For those of you with existing Kayo Sports of Foxtel subscriptions, only three of the undercard prelims will be available to view – after these three bouts, you will need to watch the remainder of the fights on Main Event. These early prelims will air on Fox Sports 506 between 6pm and 7pm, and you will be able to watch the following battles:
- Wellem Reyk v Darragh Foley = Four Rounds
- Luke Travers (4-11) v Ben Savva (8-1) = Four Rounds
- Shiva Mishra (1-1) v Danilo Creati (2-0) = Four Rounds
If you do wish to tune in to these battles, we suggest looking at Kayo Sports. It's a new streaming service that showcases some 50 sports and has some innovative new viewing features catered to the sports tragic. It has a 14-day free trial, and you can read a full rundown of what it offers here.
Kayo Sports will also allow you to watch every game from the upcoming NRL season live and on demand as well as all the entertainment and talk shows available on Fox Sports. That's with the exclusive viewing features such as split screen, highlight moments, picture in picture, and more in effect.
Gallen vs Hopoate on Main Event
All ten fights will be streamed live through Main Event, the pay-per-view service offered via Foxtel. You can purchase the rights to watch the fight for $49.95 through your existing Foxtel service, be it Foxtel IQ or Foxtel Now, or through the Main Event homepage. You cannot purchase Main Event through Kayo Sports at this time.
If you do want to watch the fight in this manner from the comfort of your own home, we suggest roping in a few mates and splitting the costs. Five blokes can chip in $10 each, and easily save that money by drinking beers from the fridge, rather than expensive schooners down at the local pub – albeit at the risk of losing some of the atmosphere.
Which pubs are showing the Gallen vs Hopoate boxing fight?
Below you will find a list of pubs that have access to Foxtel and the ability to purchase Main Event and showcase it to clientele. You can search by postcode to find something nearby. Please note that just because these pubs have been identified as having the ability to show Main Event boxing (and UFC) matches, it doesn't mean they will choose to do so. They may have also let their Foxtel subscription lapse since this list was assembled. So, do ring ahead to check.
Image source: Main Event
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