Nelson Asofa-Solomona’s commitment to boxing means that he deserves to be taken more seriously than other cross-code sportsmen who have attempted to fight, his new promoter insists.
The biggest player in National Rugby League history signed what was described as a “multi-year” contract with Australia’s leading promoter No Limit, and he will fight at heavyweight on January 16 on the undercard of the grudge match between Michael Zerafa and Nikita Tszyu.
Unlike other celebrated professional athletes he appears to be dedicating himself to boxing by making it his solitary focus and while he remains in his prime physically. The 6ft 7ins Asofa-Solomona walked away from his club Melbourne Storm and their offer of a contract worth $800,000AUD to pursue his new profession.
Unlike the cricketer Andrew Flintoff or the soccer player Rio Ferdinand he is not waiting to retire from rugby league before doing so; unlike rugby league professional Paul Gallen and rugby player Sonny Bill Williams, he is also not expected to combine boxing with another sport.
“What I admire about Nelson is that rather than him staying signed to a club and drifting across every now and again, he’s taking a leap and he’s taking up professional boxing as his number-one sport and only sport,” No Limit’s Matt Rose told BoxingScene. “That’s a big call. That’s a massive call. Can you think of a soccer playing walking out of a soccer club just to take boxing up? That’s what he’s done.
“He’s walked away from a sport to take up a completely new sport. He’s not signed to football. Sonny Bill was signed to another sport; Paul Gallen was signed to another sport. He’s walked away from a contract for dreams and hopes. There’s not many people would walk away from that amount of money to do what he’s doing.
“The biggest man in rugby league, he’s 6ft 7ins, and he’s just walked out on a NRL contract to fight. He’s at the peak of his career – he’s only 29 – and he’s really interested in fighting. That’s his dream, and that’s what he’s gonna do.”
Also at No Limit is Matt’s brother George, a former NRL Premiership-winning prop. Asofa-Solomona fought and won in 2023 when he defeated then-fellow NRL professional Jarrod Wallace in an exhibition; after his professional debut at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia, Matt Rose believes that he can start to target earning a similar amount of money to that he has left behind.
“I think he can generate,” he said. “I think he’s someone that can probably, within the first couple of years, headline his own shows and fill up arenas.
“He could be anything in boxing. Just the size of him, and the intimidation factor, we’re excited to do something completely different that hasn’t been done since Anthony Mundine. Anthony Mundine played rugby league and went on to forge a brilliant career in boxing. We’re hoping for the same with Nelson.
“I guess the only difference is he hasn’t had a lot of involvement in boxing. He doesn’t look like a guy you wanna mess with. We’re not gonna rush him – put it that way.”
