Rugby league enforcer Tevita Pangai Jr has delivered a brutal knock out victory in simply his second skilled combat in devastating scenes.
Preventing on the undercard of the Sonny Invoice Williams v Mark Hunt bout, Pangai Jr floored Jeremiah Tupai-ui within the second spherical with a swift left hand jab.
The brutal punch dropped Tupai-ui instantly because the referee referred to as the combat over.
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“Tevita on a tear – wow,” commentator Andy Raymond mentioned on Stan Sport.
“What a magnificence! It is going to be his (Tupai-ui’s) pleasure hurting greater than something.”
It’s Pangai Jr’s second profession KO from two fights, after he opted to overlook Tonga’s Rugby World Cup marketing campaign to participate within the bout on Saturday night time.
The Bulldogs huge man endured a troublesome 2022 NRL season as he didn’t reside as much as the hype of his $2.2 million pay packet, and was ultimately dropped to order grade.
However after committing to the Tupai-ui combat, Pangai Jr dropped 12kg from his body and promised incoming Canines coach Cameron Ciraldo he’d keep there for 2023.
“I simply advised him that if I don’t come beneath 110kg then he can just about sack me. I’m a person of my phrase, if I don’t are available at 110kg then I’ll depart,” Pangai Jr advised 9 Sydney this week.
“(I) acquired snug and let the outcomes get to me. However we’re skilled athletes, we receives a commission properly to place a efficiency in for our followers and members. I didn’t fairly try this final yr.”
Pangai Jr mentioned a sit-down dialog with Bulldogs normal supervisor Phil Gould was the “get up name” he wanted.
“He simply advised me I must have a greater angle coming into coaching and he‘s not going to simply accept the stuff I did final yr, so it’s wake-up name,” he mentioned.
And Gould was clearly in a jovial temper post-fight as he made mild of his dialog with Pangai Jr.
“Gee whiz. I higher not give TPJ an excessive amount of cheek!!” he tweeted.
Initially revealed as ‘Gee whiz’: Beneath-fire Bulldog bulldozes opponent with brutal KO
