BRISBANE, Australia – Nelson Asofa-Solomona has found the media interest in his professional debut more startling than the prospect of a heavyweight boxer standing in his way.
On the undercard of Nikita Tszyu-Michael Zerafa at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre he fights for the first time as a professional, and he does so with the intense scrutiny that comes with his until very recently being a high-profile player in Australia’s NRL.
Asofa-Solomona, 29, was a significant figure for Melbourne Storm. He regardless walked away from a lucrative contract to pursue a career in professional boxing, and despite his profile as a professional athlete is discovering a new spotlight that’s particularly intense.
That he has been matched with fellow former NRL professional Jeremy Latimore has heightened the interest in his first contest – NRL rivals AFL and cricket as Australia’s most popular sport.
Where being involved in a team sport had meant that he previously had few media commitments he has instead found himself expected to help promote a pay-per-view contest. The New Zealander may yet have a rich future in his new profession, but he is recognising that to do so he will have to embrace the new demands coming his way.
“I’m just trying to get past all these illusions, and then just get to the fight night,” he told BoxingScene. “Everything that doesn’t matter. The fight matters – that’s what I’m looking forward to.
“I got on the front foot with Melbourne – they were really good to me. They never got me to do media or anything. But now you’re at the forefront of everything and I’ve gotta talk. The thing with me is I just speak what’s on my mind and what’s really in my heart.
“You love it to some extent, but I’m not used to it being all on me, in terms of the media. I love the pressure; I love all the other stuff that comes with boxing inside the ring, but everything outside I’m still getting used to.
“I’m just taking it a step at a time and trying to enjoy this moment we’ve got here. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
“I’d been playing rugby league professionally since 2015; been really successful. But the back end of my tenure there I just fell out of love with footie. I’m at a point in my life where I have to find something I enjoy and I have to chase after it. I stepped into the gym, had a couple of sessions there, and thought ‘Why not give boxing a shot?’. Here we are now.
“In order to have a life worth living you’ve gotta take risks. I’m 30 this year. I’m at the top of the hill looking down, so I needed to make a decision and I’ve made the decision, and I’m not looking back.
“There was a lot of money left on the table, but I’ve had a lot of money in my career, and you can still feel very empty and not like you have a purpose or enjoyment in what you do. You can’t give me enough money to go through that. You’re getting punched in the face for smaller money than I could have got, but I enjoy it, and that’s what I needed.”
The intrigue in Asofa-Solomona’s prospects is no doubt enhanced by the online footage that exists of him having a street fight in Bali. The 39-year-old, smaller Latimore – the 6ft 7ins Asofa-Solomona is the tallest player in NRL history – is aware of the risk involved in trading him, but that risk didn’t stop him at Monday’s grand arrivals from attempting to get under the younger man’s skin.
“He said something to me and it just seems like he’s clutching at straws,” Asofa-Solomona explained. “I just know I’ve got a job to do – that’s my mindset. He said something about the fight and something about me chewing my gum. I said to him I knew what he was doing on New Year’s Eve. He was actually on the piss – one of my friends sent me a photo. I’d just got back from the gym. I was in bed by 10pm. New Year’s is just another day for me.
“It could be anything in there. With his type of style, I’m sure he’s just gonna come forward – that’s what I’m predicting. If he was smart enough to come up against me I’m assuming that he’s gonna come forward. It’s about hitting and not getting hit.
“I’m 30 next year. I’m on the cusp [of passing my physical peak], but luckily heavyweights can go for a while, so I think I’ve got in at the right time. I’ve got no skin in this game. I need to build the respect from the outside, and mostly for myself. I’ve got to earn it. Nothing’s gonna get given to me.”
