SBW vs Gallen Fight Time: Australia, UK, NZ Start Times

Ten years of tension between two of Australian sport’s most recognisable figures is finally heading toward a resolution. Paul Gallen and Sonny Bill Williams first crossed gloves in 2018 — a split-decision bout that left both men and their fans wanting more. On July 16, 2025, they return to the same ring for a rematch that promoters are already calling one of the most anticipated showdowns in Australian boxing history. If you’re trying to figure out when the main event hits, which platform carries it, or what the full card looks like, here’s everything confirmed from official and established sources.

Date: July 16, 2025 · Venue: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney · Main Card Start: ~10pm AEST · Previous Winner: Paul Gallen (split decision)

The table below summarises key event details sourced from official venue announcements and established sports publications.

Where can I watch Gallen vs SBW?

For Australian viewers, the rematch is straightforward: Stan holds the exclusive rights and is presenting the fight as a pay-per-view event. The broadcast costs $70 via Stan Pay-Per-View and streams live through the Stan Sport platform (Sporting News Australia). Subscribers to Stan Sport get access to the stream alongside other combat sports content.

New Zealand audiences historically rely on Sky Sport for major boxing events, though official NZ broadcast confirmation for this specific event wasn’t publicly available at the time of writing. The fight will be broadcast from 6:00pm AEST with the first fight, meaning New Zealand viewers can expect the action to begin around 8:00pm NZST depending on any scheduling variations.

International viewers outside Australia and New Zealand face a murkier picture. UK, European, and North American streaming arrangements have not been officially announced through primary sources. Those outside the Stan/Sky Sport regions may need to monitor their regional sports broadcasters or explore legitimate international streaming services closer to the event date.

Australia streaming options

• Stan Sport — Exclusive Australian broadcaster. Requires Stan base subscription + $70 PPV fee.
• Stan Pay-Per-View — Direct purchase option for the event. Streamable on connected devices.
• Kayo Sports — No confirmed carriage at time of writing. Check closer to event for any last-minute arrangements.

UK and international

• UK viewers — No confirmed broadcaster as of this article’s publication. Major UK sports broadcasters have not publicly announced rights.
• US/Canada viewers — Fight pass arrangements unclear. ESPN+ and DAZN historically carry boxing, but nothing confirmed for this event.
• Global streaming — Some regions may see options through legitimate sports streaming platforms, but verify before paying.

The implication: Australian fans have a clear, direct path to watching — if they’re willing to pay. Everyone else should treat any announcement as unverified until a primary source confirms carriage.

What time is the Paul Gallen fight?

The main event — Paul Gallen vs Sonny Bill Williams — is expected to start at approximately 10:00pm AEST on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 (Sporting News Australia). That’s the estimate from established sports publications, though it’s worth noting that boxing main events routinely shift depending on how long undercard bouts run.

The full event kicks off at 5:30pm AEST when doors open, with the undercard beginning at 6:00pm AEST. The main event slot is contingent on the preceding fights — if two or three undercard bouts run long, you could be waiting past 10pm for Gallen and Williams to touch gloves.

Australia AEST start

• Undercard: 6:00pm AEST (first fight)
• Co-main event: Estimated late evening (varies)
• Main event (Gallen vs SBW): Approximately 10:00pm AEST
• Doors open: 5:30pm AEST

Timezone conversions

• Sydney (AEST): 10:00pm, July 16
• Melbourne (AEST): 10:00pm, July 16
• Brisbane (AEST): 10:00pm, July 16
• Auckland (NZST): 12:00am, July 17 (approximately — add 2 hours to AEST)
• London (BST): 1:00pm, July 16
• Los Angeles (PDT): 5:00am, July 16
• New York (EDT): 8:00am, July 16

Undercard timing

The full fight card announced on July 1, 2025, includes six undercard bouts before the main event (Stan News). The co-main event — Kris Terzievski vs Troy Pilcher for the WBA Oceania and WBC Continental Bridgerweight Titles — is a 10-round bout, which means it has the potential to stretch well past 9pm if it goes the distance.

What this means: plan for a long night if you want to watch every fight. For viewers only interested in Gallen vs SBW, checking the live results or waiting until closer to the advertised main event time is a reasonable strategy.

Who won the fight, SBW or Gallen?

In their first meeting, Paul Gallen came out on top. The 2018 bout ended via split decision after both men went the full distance, with Gallen declared the winner by the narrowest of margins (Sporting News Australia). It was a fight that delivered on its hype — physical, competitive, and leaving both fighters with unfinished business.

Sonny Bill Williams brought his professional boxing record of 9-1 into that first fight. His last boxing bout before the 2018 Gallen fight was against Mark Hunt in 2022, though that fight doesn’t appear to have affected the Gallen rivalry chronology. The split-decision nature of the result — and the fact that both men are elite athletes from completely different sports backgrounds — is precisely why the rematch has generated so much public interest.

2018 fight result

• Winner: Paul Gallen
• Method: Split decision
• Rounds: Full bout distance (exact round count per available sources)
• Context: Both fighters were crossover athletes — Gallen from rugby league, Williams from rugby union and rugby league — making the competitive nature of the bout notable

Split decision details

Split decisions in boxing occur when two of the three judges score for one fighter and the third scores for the other. In Gallen’s case, the narrow margin signaled that the fight was genuinely competitive — not a clear-cut victory, but one fighter edging the other on the cards. The physical nature of the bout and the personalities involved meant the result left a significant storyline unresolved.

The trade-off: a split decision gives both men a legitimate argument that they could have won. Gallen can point to the official record; Williams can point to the closeness. That’s the fuel for a rematch that promoters have leaned into for years.

How many rounds is Gallen vs SBW?

The fight between Williams and Gallen in the 2018 bout went the full distance — meaning it ran to whatever the contracted round length was at that time. For the 2025 rematch, one source identifies the bout as an eight two-minute rounds format (The Ticket Merchant), which would total 16 minutes of ring time. Two-minute rounds are shorter than a standard professional boxing main event (which typically uses three-minute rounds), suggesting the promoters structured this as a high-intensity, condensed bout rather than a drawn-out war.

The co-main event — Kris Terzievski vs Troy Pilcher — is scheduled for 10 rounds, which is significantly longer and indicates a more traditional championship bout structure for that fight.

Main event format

• SBW vs Gallen: Eight two-minute rounds (16 minutes total ring time)
• Round length: 2 minutes (shorter than standard 3-minute rounds)
• Classification: Heavyweight division (per available sources)

Full card bouts

The announced fight card includes six undercard bouts alongside the co-main and main event (Stan News):

• Co-main: Kris Terzievski vs Troy Pilcher — WBA Oceania and WBC Continental Bridgerweight Titles (10 rounds)
• Undercard: Clay Waterman vs Mose Auimatagi Jnr (light heavyweight, 8 rounds)
• Undercard: Kane Baker vs Johan Linde
• Undercard: Additional bouts (per full card announcement, July 1, 2025)

The pattern: the undercard features a mix of established and emerging Australian boxers, with the Terzievski-Pilcher co-main offering a legitimate title fight for viewers who arrive early. The Gallen vs SBW main event is positioned as the spectacle — eight two-minute rounds designed for action rather than endurance.

SBW vs Gallen fight card

The full fight card for July 16, 2025, was officially announced on July 1, 2025, giving fans roughly two weeks to familiarise themselves with the undercard before event day (Stan News). Tickets are available through Ticketek, with the venue handling all official ticketing directly.

The card is structured with a clear hierarchy: rising Australian talent in the early undercard, the Terzievski-Pilcher championship bout as the co-main, and Gallen vs Williams as the headline attraction. This structure mirrors standard arena boxing cards where promoters balance competitive undercard bouts with the spectacle of the main event.

Undercard fighters

• Kris Terzievski — Challenger for WBA Oceania and WBC Continental Bridgerweight Titles
• Troy Pilcher — Title holder entering the co-main event
• Clay Waterman — Light heavyweight bout, 8 rounds
• Mose Auimatagi Jnr — Opponent in the Waterman bout
• Kane Baker — Undercard bout
• Johan Linde — Undercard opponent

Full lineup

Six undercard bouts make up the early portion of the evening, followed by the co-main event and the main event. The exact order of undercard bouts may shift on the night depending on logistical factors. All patrons aged 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult per Qudos Bank Arena policy.

The venue has also encouraged attendees to arrive early due to security screening requirements and to plan travel in advance via transportnsw.info. Given the expected demand — and the fact that this is being promoted as one of the most anticipated Australian boxing events in years — arriving well before the 5:30pm doors open time is advisable for anyone with a ticket.

What this means for viewers: the full broadcast will run roughly 4-5 hours from undercard start to main event. If you’re only watching on PPV, the cost gets marginally better-per-minute the longer you watch — but only if you actually tune in for the undercard rather than tuning in at 10pm and potentially missing the entire build-up narrative.

Related reading: Netball NZ vs Australia: Constellation Cup 2025 Results

Frequently asked questions

Summary

For Australian boxing fans, the path to watching Gallen vs SBW on July 16 is clear — Stan Sport and Stan PPV at $70 gets you everything, and the main event estimate of 10pm AEST gives you a planning anchor. For viewers in New Zealand, the UK, or elsewhere internationally, the situation is less settled: watch for official announcements from your regional sports broadcasters closer to the date. The 2018 split decision result tells you this fight was genuinely close, the eight two-minute round format tells you promoters are betting on spectacle over distance, and the decade-long rivalry tells you exactly why this rematch matters. Anyone who’s been following either man’s career now has a specific date to circle on the calendar.