Former WBA heavyweight champion Lucas Browne has been roasted for his shocking round one loss to NRL great Paul Gallen, who tonight proved he's more than just a part-time boxer.
In what will surely go down as the biggest scalp of his boxing career, Gallen silenced critics with a devastating first round TKO victory over Browne in Wollongong.
Many had expected Browne – with his years of experience in the ring – to hand Gallen his first professional loss, but the former heavyweight champion didn't even come close as he was floored twice en route to a dismal end to his night, and likely, career.
Speaking in the aftermath of the chaos, Aussie boxing legend Barry Michael handed down a scathing assessment of Browne's performance and implored the former champion never to get back into the ring.
"I did hear rumours about his training camp, that he wasn't looking good," Michael said on Main Event. "But I still did believe that with his experience and punching power.
"But I got it totally wrong, I've got to admit. Paul Gallen really showed what he was made of tonight. He just swarmed Lucas, didn't give him a chance.
"His resilience is gone. When a fighter is shot a fighter is shot – and I mean Lucas Browne should never consider venturing into a ring again.
"Good work to Paul Gallen, he did what he said he was going to do and he did it quickly. All those punches all those fights, they take their toll and at some stage, your resistance goes."
Fellow panellist Paul Kent was equally stunned with the pace of Gallen's victory as he struggled to take in the madness.
"To be honest I'm still processing the fight," he said on Main Event. "I didn't expect Lucas to go down so easily to be honest.
"I didn't see a clear concussive punch I saw a volume of punches. But for a volume of punches to put you down in the first round surprises me.
"Gallen, his hand speed was vastly superior. But I'm just stunned by the outcome. I'm still trying to figure out what happened out there. He looks like a fighter now."
Gallen celebrated wildly after the massive upset after going into the bout as the official underdog, with the referee calling off the fight at 1:06 in the first round after Gallen floored Browne twice.
"I knew it was gonna go like that," Gallen said post-fight.
"I said to myself all day and to my team that I'd knock him out in the first round. I've been training to be a boxing for the last 10 months.
"It's amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it. I tore my bicep ten weeks out from the fight so it's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it."
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