AFL legend Barry Hall has been called embarrassing, a quitter and asked if he was going to cry during a wild Main Event Face Off interview that saw both Paul Gallen and Curtis Scott labelled “f***ing sooks”.
Only days out from a hyped Pay-Per-View showcase event in Wollongong, both Hall and Scott have traded barbs in a fiery, expletive-laden interview that also saw the exiled NRL star branded “a f***ing nobody” while the Sydney Swans hero was slammed over his Gallen obsession.
During proceedings, Hall also stressed he had no interest in speaking anymore about Gallen — who he also branded a “whinger” — and questioned what would be left for Scott to do if finished in a second sport.
BOXING: GOODMAN V WORAWUT | WBC Super Bantamweight World Title Eliminator | WED 10 JULY 7PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Big boys fire up in tense exchange | 02:28
The former footballers are set to throw down inside the Wollongong Entertainment Centre next Wednesday night, and on the undercard of Australia’s undefeated Sam Goodman – who is himself tipped to face Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue in December.
For Scott, the bout is his third since turning professional earlier this year.
Hall, meanwhile, is returning to the ring, aged 47, and for the first time since being knocked out by Sonny Bill Williams in 2022.
Before that, the AFL favourite also earned a contentious draw against Gallen – a fight Hall, and many others, believe he won.
However during an interview hosted by Main Event’s Ben Damon this week, Scott took aim at his rival’s performances in both those fights, and particularly the Williams KO where “you were intimidated and you quit”.
He also suggested Hall was so obsessed with rematching Cronulla premiership hero Gallen that “he’s probably got his picture on his wall”.
Incredibly, the fireworks kicked off only two minutes into proceedings when Damon, seated at a table between the pair, asked Hall what he knew of a rival who, 20 years younger, had only recently seen his NRL return bid rejected.
“He’s not very liked,” the AFL great started before then looking across the table and adding: “A lot of people say they want me to knock your head off”.
“Same, mate,” Scott shot back.
“On my side there’s not too many people f***ing like you either.
“So lucky it’s not liking competition.
“Lucky it’s a fight and we get to settle it in the ring”.
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Scott to Baz: You want to kiss Gallen! | 02:12
To which Hall replied that he was absolutely fine with that, while also urging the Melbourne Storm premiership winner not to shoot the messenger.
“Don’t contradict yourself,” Scott spat back, going again. “Either you’re saying it …”
Hall: “I’m telling you what people are saying to me.”
Scott: “I don’t give a f***. I don’t care about what other people say about me.”
Hall: “You’re getting a little shirty about it.”
Scott: “Huh?”
Hall: “You’re getting a little bit shirty …”
At which point, and after a little more back ‘n’ forth, the two heavyweights then stared at each other across the table like something out of an old western.
“You think you can intimidate me?” Scott fired, eventually, breaking the silence. “Think you can give me these f***ing crazy eyes to try and intimidate me?
“Mate, I don’t give a s***.
“Trying to stare through me with them f***ing beady little eyes you got.
“You don’t intimidate me at all”.
Hall: “Think whatever you want, mate”.
Scott: “It looks like you’re about to cry. Have a go at yah …”
Hall: “Are you getting paid extra for this?”
Scott: “Huh?”
Hall: “Are you getting paid extra for this?”.
Scott: “I’m doing my job.”
Hall: “Good thing is we get to sort it out.”
Scott: “Can’t wait”.
From there, Scott then turned the conversation towards the fact his rival has stuck “collages” on his gym wall up in Queensland, poking fun at him with sayings like Curtis Scott No Chance.
“You do that at my gym you’d be kicked out,” the former leaguie said.
“F***ing embarrassing.
“What are you, a philosopher? Curtis Scott No Chance?
“It’s embarrassing.
“How old are you? Forty-Seven?
“And you’re trying to do little stick ups on your wall at your gym.”
Hall: “I wouldn’t even know how to use a printer”.
Scott: “You look pretty hands on with it.”
BOXING: GOODMAN V WORAWUT | WBC Super Bantamweight World Title Eliminator | WED 10 JULY 7PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Scott: Baz needs to get over Paul Gallen | 02:42
But if you reckon that was good gear, things only heated up again when the conversation turned towards Gallen.
“I know you’re pretty good mates with Gallen,” started Hall, who famously fought the former NSW Origin great to that contentious draw, and has spoken publicly about the potential of rematching both him and SBW again.
“And I see similarities.
“You’re f***ing both sooks.
“Is it a rugby league thing?”
Scott: “It sounds like you want to do something with Paul Gallen because the only person you talk about. He lives in your head rent free.
“The only person you’ve spoke about this whole camp is Paul Gallen.”
Hall: “I’ve been asked questions.
Scott: “It’s like you want to kiss the bloke.”
Hall: “I get asked questions about him.”
Scott: “The only person you’ve spoken about is Paul Gallen. You’re looking for a bigger payday. You’ve looked past me.
Hall: “I haven’t looked past you at all.”
Scott: “You have”.
Hall: “If I can’t beat you, it stops for me.”
Scott: “Every interview you do is Paul Gallen …”
Hall: “Because I get asked the questions. Like sitting here, I get asked questions and I answer them. That’s why we’re here. I couldn’t give a s*** about Paul Gallen.”
Hall back in the ring with fresh mindset | 03:09
Scott: “He’s retired mate. And the only person you want to fight is Paul Gallen.
Hall: “We’ve got a score to settle. We fought a draw that wasn’t a draw.”
But even on this topic, Scott was ready to throw down.
“You fought two-minute rounds,” he fired at Hall, who was ready with a retort of his own.
“It was eight weeks notice,” he said. “Off the couch”.
Scott: “Eight weeks? That’s plenty of time. What sort of excuse is that?”
Hall: “No excuse. I won the fight”.
Asked by Damon if Hall even wanted to be there, Scott looked across the table again at his opponent and said: “Last fight you got iced.
“So I know you got doubt in your head.
“Know you’ve got quit in you as well.”
Hall: “I’ve got quit?”
Scott: “I think you quit in the last fight against Sonny Bill. You were intimidated and you quit.”
“We’ll find out,” Hall shot back, not long before branding Scott a “f***ing nobody”.
To which the former leaguie replied: “And it’s going to hurt even more when you get stopped by a nobody, the guy everyone hates, the villain … you’re going to be known for getting knocked out by Curtis Scott”.