FRANCOIS "The White Buffalo" Botha has promised to whip Sonny Bill Williams in New Zealand on November 17.
Their fight will be contested over 10 rounds. It pits Botha, the vastly experienced former IBF and WBF heavyweight champion of 60 fights, against Williams, who is a novice of only five fights.
While Botha has boxed for 350 rounds, Williams has only fought 16 rounds since 2009. Williams has not fought since winning the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association belt in one round on February 8 last year.
"Sonny Bill Williams is an amateur basically and he will get a spanking," warned Botha, who has fought genuine world-beaters such as Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer, Wladimir Klitschko and Evander Holyfield in his illustrious career, which began on February 11 1990.
Botha, 43, whose career took off in the US just after winning the IBF belt from Axel Schulz in Germany on December 9 1995, said he would give Williams such a hiding that the 27-year-old New Zealander will focus on rugby in future.
Williams is particularly known in rugby league and rugby union for his ability to offload the ball in the tackle and, in rugby league, for his shoulder charges.
He was a member of the All Blacks squad that won the 2011 Rugby World Cup and is playing for Panasonic Wild Knights in the Japanese Top League for the 2012-13 season.
Botha said: "I spoke to a New Zealand radio station last week and explained to them that a fight like this does not make any sense at all. I took it purely because of its huge attention. Every country worldwide that plays rugby will tune in because Sonny Bill is popular. That is what makes the fight lucrative," said Botha, who was outpointed by Francesco Pianeta over 10 rounds in Germany a few weeks ago. That was Botha's third consecutive defeat after stopping Flo Simba in six rounds on June 4 last year.
'Senseless' fight a money-spinner
FRANCOIS "The White Buffalo" Botha has promised to whip Sonny Bill Williams in New Zealand on November 17.
Their fight will be contested over 10 rounds. It pits Botha, the vastly experienced former IBF and WBF heavyweight champion of 60 fights, against Williams, who is a novice of only five fights.
While Botha has boxed for 350 rounds, Williams has only fought 16 rounds since 2009. Williams has not fought since winning the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association belt in one round on February 8 last year.
"Sonny Bill Williams is an amateur basically and he will get a spanking," warned Botha, who has fought genuine world-beaters such as Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer, Wladimir Klitschko and Evander Holyfield in his illustrious career, which began on February 11 1990.
Botha, 43, whose career took off in the US just after winning the IBF belt from Axel Schulz in Germany on December 9 1995, said he would give Williams such a hiding that the 27-year-old New Zealander will focus on rugby in future.
Williams is particularly known in rugby league and rugby union for his ability to offload the ball in the tackle and, in rugby league, for his shoulder charges.
He was a member of the All Blacks squad that won the 2011 Rugby World Cup and is playing for Panasonic Wild Knights in the Japanese Top League for the 2012-13 season.
Botha said: "I spoke to a New Zealand radio station last week and explained to them that a fight like this does not make any sense at all. I took it purely because of its huge attention. Every country worldwide that plays rugby will tune in because Sonny Bill is popular. That is what makes the fight lucrative," said Botha, who was outpointed by Francesco Pianeta over 10 rounds in Germany a few weeks ago. That was Botha's third consecutive defeat after stopping Flo Simba in six rounds on June 4 last year.
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