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'Ruin your dream': Paul Gallen's huge backflip in Justis Huni spray

Paul Gallen is seen here talking to reporters at a press conference before the Justis Huni fight.
Paul Gallen has vowed to destroy Justis Huni's Olympic Games dream. Pic: AAP

Paul Gallen has explained the reason behind his dramatic change in tune about Wednesday night's blockbuster fight against Australian Olympic Games hopeful, Justis Huni.

The rugby league great is promising the undefeated Australian champion a brutal beat-down at Sydney's Darling Harbour and has vowed to "ruin" Huni's Olympic dream.

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In an explosive press conference on Monday, Gallen - who once spoke in glowing terms about Huni's Olympic dream - delivered a scathing smackdown on his rival.

Furious that Huni's camp sees him as offering little more than a pay packet and publicity before heading to Tokyo next month, Gallen let rip in a bitter tirade.

"They're overlooking me, without a doubt. I've read all their comments," Gallen said in an explosive press conference on Monday.

"Their No.1 concern is the Olympics. That's their No.1 concern. Well, I'm here to tell all of them - Justis you're included - I'm here to do everything I can to make sure that you don't go to the Olympics.

"Whether it's break your jaw, break your face, break your arm, I don't care what it is. I'm going to bring everything I can to break something in you so that you don't go to the Olympics.

"That dream since you've been seven years old is going to be f****d.

"I don't care if it's your arm. You're lucky there'll be a referee in there."

Huni laughed off the threat, shrugging: "Bring it, bring it. Bring it on."

But Gallen continued the onslaught before turning on Huni's trainer-father Rocki.

Gallen pointed to Huni's withdrawal from the 2019 amateur world championships in Russia with illness as proof his rival didn't have the stomach for the fight when the going got tough.

Huni was scheduled to face top seed Kamshybek Kunkabayev of Kazakhstan.

Pictured here, Paul Gallen and Justis Huni pose for photos before their boxing bout.
Paul Gallen and Justis Huni have been exchanging barbs ahead of their blockbuster bout in Sydney. Pic: AAP

Gallen blasts 'coward' Huni

"He said he had a sore stomach, said he had a sore stomach the whole week," Gallen said.

"But you fight every two days leading into that. So what was wrong with your stomach two days before that? Or the previous two days? Or the previous two days?

"You make the final and don't fight the final, you f*****g coward.

"It's like making a grand final and not playing a grand final. You had the chance to fight in a final and you dogged it.

"That's always going to be in you. That's always going to be there. Whether I find it or not, someone will find it one day and I'm determined to find it on Wednesday night.

"All I've got to do is find that chink in the armour and I expose it."

Gallen, undefeated himself in his 12 professional bouts, was having none of Rocki Huni trying to intervene.

"Rocki, Rocki, you know what the most embarrassing thing is? A father trying to live their failed sporting career through their son," he said.

"So sit there and shut up."

Gallen's brutal spray could easily be seen as a ploy to ramp up pay-per-view numbers for the fight, but it's a dramatic shift from previous comments he made about Huni.

"I’m not about trying to trash talk or bring down Justis out of the ring," Gallen told Main Event earlier this month.

"The most impressive thing I’ve heard from Justis and his dad is that since he was seven years old is that all he’s wanted to do is go to the Olympic Games and represent Australia and fight for a gold medal.

"Now he’s 22 and he’s doing that and I just applaud that, I think it’s unreal. I've got no beef with Justis at all, except I’m here to win that fight."

with AAP

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