Former Melbourne Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona has ignited a storm of controversy following his professional boxing debut, with fans and purists slamming the choice of opponent for a fight that lasted less than one round.
A Knockout Met With Criticism
The super-sized heavyweight, who left the NRL after becoming disillusioned, made short work of retired rugby league journeyman Jeremy Latimore on Friday night in Brisbane. The bout on the undercard of Nikita Tszyu's clash with Michael Zerafa ended just two minutes and 22 seconds into the first round, courtesy of a massive uppercut from Asofa-Solomona.
However, the decisive victory did little to impress a sceptical sporting public. Fans quickly took to social media to question the credibility of the match-up, pointing to the significant disparities between the two fighters. Latimore, 39, was giving away a decade in age and a staggering 22 kilograms to the 133kg Asofa-Solomona.
"What? By knocking out a 40 year old retired footy player who has never had a fight ... get a grip," wrote one unimpressed observer. Another added, "Belted a guy twice his age and half his size." The sentiment was echoed widely, with many describing the contest as "farcical as farcical can be."
From NRL Disillusionment to the Ring
The fight marked a dramatic new chapter for the two-time Storm premiership winner. Asofa-Solomona had turned his back on rugby league, reportedly rejecting an $800,000-a-season deal with Parramatta—one of Latimore's five former clubs—to pursue boxing.
His departure followed a period of frustration after missing Melbourne's past two grand final losses due to suspension. His famous quip, 'You can't get sent off in boxing,' summed up his motivation for the career switch.
Despite the emphatic win, the man nicknamed 'Big Nasty' was self-critical. "Yeah, it feels great but I'm not happy with the performance, to be honest," he said post-fight. "I'm not happy with the way I was holding my stance and stuff like that. I was a bit loose." He did, however, pay credit to Latimore's courage for stepping into the ring.
Calling Out the NRL and Future Ambitions
Undeterred by the criticism, Asofa-Solomona has set his sights on cleaning out the NRL's ranks before targeting the wider boxing world. When asked about his next target, he declared, 'Any NRL player can get it.'
"I want to clean up the whole NRL division and then we go from there," he stated. His call has already been answered, with retired South Sydney forward George Burgess issuing a challenge.
The 29-year-old has signed a multi-year deal with No Limit Boxing and is focused on honing his craft. "It (my boxing debut) was a bit wild but, look, I'm just going to go back to the drawing board," he explained, while expressing excitement for the future. He has not ruled out a return to rugby league, but for now, his ambition is clear: prove himself against increasingly credible opposition to silence the detractors.
