'He has done nothing for Australian boxing': Paul Gallen's shot at Lucas Browne

Browne has been critical of Gallen and other current and former footballers for chasing a payday in the squared circle, but the NRL great has hit back.

Gallen [10-0-1] says he has done "more for Australian boxing than [Browne] has ever done" leading into their heavyweight blockbuster at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night.

On the surface it may seem a big call. At 29-2 Browne is, after all, a former world title holder.

But in reality, the occasion that has Browne adamant he is Australia's greatest heavyweight barely caused a ripple for the casual sports fan.

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Browne's crowning achievement came when he was the WBA regular title in Grozny's Colosseum Sport Hall in Russia five years ago, at a time Gallen was headlining footy fight nights against the likes of Junior Paulo.

But glance down one of the cards Gallen headlined and you'll see the face of Australian boxing in Tim Tszyu.

"Look where we took Tim Tszyu, Tim Tszyu is doing his own stuff and will probably fight for a world title soon. He was on my undercard three years ago," Gallen told The Canberra Times.

"Liam Wilson is next. Jackson Murray is making his pro debut here and I really want to help him. I'd love to be able to help Arsene [Fosso] one day, get a big pay day and a good fight on a big show.

"Lucas has done nothing but ridicule Australian boxing and Australian boxers. I remember when Arsene got beaten by [Justis] Huni, he was on social media spraying him. Huni would bash him.

"He disappoints me with the way he treats Australian boxing. At the end of the day, he has done nothing for Australian boxing or boxers in Australia.

"There's no one in Australia he helped along the way."

Indeed it was Fosso who had his eyes on Browne for a fight this week. More than that, he had his name on a contract.

But Browne reneged on a contract to fight the Cameroonian heavyweight in Canberra, instead chasing a payday against Gallen with a $100,000 payout from No Limit Boxing allowing Browne to walk away from a deal to fight Fosso on April 23.

It robbed promoters of a massive drawcard. It left matchmaker Adam Lovelock fuming, adamant Browne's "word means nothing". Fosso was fuming, more so after the fact Browne had slammed him on social media in the wake of his loss to Australian champion Huni.

"I was a fan of Lucas Browne, I used to go watch him in MMA fights, I used to go watch him box," Gallen said.

"I was over in the UK when he won the Commonwealth title, I've always followed him and always been a fan.

"But he carries on on social media like a pork chop to be honest with you. I can't stand him on there. I don't think it's him, I think it's all a facade to be honest.

"I just look at the way he has treated Australian boxing for the past few years, everyone is into me about coming in and doing the wrong thing. I've done more for Australian boxing than he has ever done."