This morning on Nova 96.9 Fitzy & Wippa their unsuspecting newsreader and Saturday Breakfast host, Matt De Groot was thrown in the ring for a surprise fight with Paul Gallen, leaving him with a suspected broken rib.
Matt is a doppelganger for Sydney Swans legend Barry Hall, who takes on Gallen in the ring on November 15 and Gallen has been looking for sparring partners with a similar build to Barry Hall, and De Groot fits the bill.
Leading a blindfolded (and dressed in Sydney Swans get-up) De Groot into Gallens boxing gym, Wippa says “This is the number one Barry Hall impersonator, it would only make sense that you use this thing as a punching bag”.
Paul Gallen “I agree, perfect preparation”.
Lasting a mere 28 seconds the fight was over when De Groot took a body shot which resulted in a suspected broken rib.
Matt De Groot “It’s like being hit with a sledgehammer or a wrecking ball.
“As soon as I realised who I was in the ring with I just laughed and thought well, Matt, you’ve had a good run. But I was also pretty sure if I just covered my face and moved around a lot, I could ride the 30 seconds out. I got close”
“I thought I was doing ok until that last shot. As soon as he got me with that one it just felt different and I was like, oh ok, you could be in trouble here.”
