Willis Meehan
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Willis Pele Meehan | |||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Auckland, New Zealand | 11 September 1995|||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 195 cm (6 ft 5 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 115 kg (18 st 2 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Second-row, Prop, Lock | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Boxing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Australian | |||||||||||||||||||||
Other names | The Hitman | |||||||||||||||||||||
Statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight(s) | Heavyweight | |||||||||||||||||||||
Stance | Southpaw | |||||||||||||||||||||
Boxing record | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Total fights | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wins | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wins by KO | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Losses | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Draws | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
No contests | 0 |
Willis Pele "The Hitman" Meehan (born 11 September 1995) is an Australian professional boxer.[2][3] He previously played professional rugby league for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League. He played at second-row, prop and lock. He has been compared to good friend and another rugby league-boxer and former teammate Sonny Bill Williams.[2]
Background
[edit]Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Meehan moved to New South Wales, Australia, at a young age and played his junior football for the West Ryde Aliens and Wyong Roos before being signed by the Sydney Roosters.
Playing career
[edit]In 2013 and 2014, Meehan played for the Sydney Roosters' NYC team.[4] In 2013, he played for the Australian Schoolboys. In Round 14 of the 2014 NRL season, Meehan made his NRL debut for the Roosters against the Newcastle Knights.[5] On 2 September 2014, he was named at lock in the 2014 NYC Team of the Year.[6] In 2015, Meehan was stood down by the Roosters after being charged with robbery in company and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.[7] He was sacked by the club in July 2015.[8] Meehan later played for Manly and the Auburn Warriors in the lower grades. In 2017, he signed a contract with Parramatta but was blocked from playing in the NRL for the 2017 NRL season. He instead played for the clubs feeder team Wentworthville.[9]
Boxing
[edit]As a 17-year-old, Meehan won the Australian super-heavyweight boxing title and hoped to fight at the Commonwealth Games,[10] narrowly missing out. In 2016, he hopes to fight at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[11]
On 31 January 2015, Meehan fought on the undercard of the Sonny Bill Williams v Chauncy Welliver bout.[12]
On 15 November 2015, Meehan defeated Leamy Tato; however, the main event saw Meehan's father defeated by Joseph Parker.[13]
Professional boxing record
[edit]9 fights | 9 wins | 0 losses |
---|---|---|
By knockout | 7 | 0 |
By decision | 2 | 0 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | Win | 9–0 | Attila Kalman | UD | 6 | 30 Aug 2019 | The Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Australia | |
8 | Win | 8–0 | Julián Esteban Ruiz | KO | 1 (6), 0:44 | 1 Mar 2019 | The Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Australia | |
7 | Win | 7–0 | Richard Nemeth | TKO | 1 (6), 1:36 | 17 Nov 2018 | The Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Australia | |
6 | Win | 6–0 | Jonasa Kavika | KO | 2 (8), 2:13 | 6 Jul 2018 | Roma Function Centre, Sydney, Australia | Won vacant WBF (Foundation) Australasian heavyweight title |
5 | Win | 5–0 | Riki Barclay | TKO | 1 (6), 1:02 | 27 Apr 2016 | Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Australia | |
4 | Win | 4–0 | Leamy Lakopo Tato | TKO | 2 (4), 0:30 | 15 Oct 2015 | The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand | |
3 | Win | 3–0 | Freddie Miller | TKO | 2 (4), 2:43 | 31 Jan 2015 | Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia | |
2 | Win | 2–0 | Alofa Solitua | KO | 1 (4), 1:28 | 3 Dec 2014 | Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia | |
1 | Win | 1–0 | Will Quarrie | UD | 4 | 22 Nov 2014 | North Shore Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand |
Personal life
[edit]Meehan is the son of professional boxer, Kali Meehan.[10] He converted to Islam in 2015.[14]
In April 2015, Meehan was charged with headbutting a man and stealing his watch near The Star, Sydney.[15] However, he was not convicted after his robbery in company charge was thrown out.[14] Meehan later revealed he had been working, while playing for the Roosters, as a stand-over man to settle debts for Australian Hells Angels Bikies.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Willis Meehan - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project. 11 September 1995. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
- ^ a b PHIL ROTHFIELD (12 July 2013). "The new version of Sonny Bill Williams has been discovered". THE DAILY TELEGRAPH. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ LIAM NAPIER (3 November 2014). "Talented Meehan junior mixing things up". Stuff.co.nz. Fairfax New Zealand. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ "rleague.com has been shutdown". rleague.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014.
- ^ "Late Mail: Sydney set to welcome its newest Rooster". roosters.com.au. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ "HOLDEN CUP TEAM OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED". Rugby League Week. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015.
- ^ "Sydney Roosters youngster Willis Meehan to be stood down for alleged casino assault". ABC News (Australia). 7 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ Rothfield, Phil (19 July 2015). "Roosters forced to sack boom forward Willis Meehan after a series of off-field issues". dailytelegraph.com.au.
- ^ "Parramatta Sign Troubled NRL Player, Effective Immediately". www.triplem.com.au.
- ^ a b Kieza, Grantlee (5 April 2014). "Sydney Roosters teenager Willis Meehan on track for Commonwealth Games boxing spot". couriermail.com.au.
- ^ David Riccio (8 June 2014). "Willis Meehan has been chosen as 18th man for the Roosters clash against the Storm". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ CHRIS BARCLAY (1 February 2015). "Sonny Bill Williams wins comfortable unanimous decision". Stuff. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ "Video: 'Stop the f**king fight' - Boxer pleads with referee to stop fight for opponent's sake". Independent.ie. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ^ a b Jamie Pandaram (9 October 2015). "Sacked Sydney Roosters player Willis Meehan reveals his role as standover man for criminal gangs". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ "Sydney Roosters forward Willis Meehan stood down after headbutting a man and stealing his watch". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 April 2015.
- ^ "Boxing: Meehan Jr credits SBW for turnaround". NZ Herald. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
External links
[edit]- Sydney Roosters profile
- Boxing record for Willis Meehan from BoxRec (registration required)
- 1995 births
- Living people
- Australian people of I-Taukei Fijian descent
- Australian rugby league players
- Australian male boxers
- Converts to Islam
- Heavyweight boxers
- Junior Kangaroos players
- New Zealand emigrants to Australia
- Rugby league second-rows
- Rugby league props
- Rugby league locks
- Rugby league players from Auckland
- Sydney Roosters players
- Wyong Roos players
- Rugby league players from New South Wales
- 21st-century Australian sportsmen