Exiled rugby league player Curtis Scott has accused NRL stars of “running scared” as he tries to chase a professional boxing debut – and has even offered Tevita Pangai Jnr the opportunity to throw hands with him.
Less than two months after having his bid for an NRL return dismissed, Fox Sports Australia can reveal promoters No Limit are looking to debut Scott on the undercard of Sam Goodman’s upcoming March 13 Pay-Per-View.
Back in December, the controversial 26-year-old was denied an NRL return following his string of off-field issues and court battles, and was subsequently talked up for a switch to the English Super League.
However, the former NRL bad boy has now turned his attention to boxing and is so serious about a professional career he is training alongside Aussie fighter Brock Jarvis.
Watch India v England LIVE and Exclusive to Fox Sports available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
But the big question: Who will he throw down against?
According to No Limit CEO George Rose, contracts have been offered to several past and present NRL players in recent weeks, but “they’ve all gone quiet”.
Scott added that while he knows plenty of people “want to put one on me”, it now seems many of those same athletes have gone “running scared”.
A 2017 Melbourne premiership winner, Scott was regarded as a future NSW Origin player before his career derailed over a string of off-field incidents.
In 2022, the footballer was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order after being found guilty of three charges against his ex-girlfriend — assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and stalk or intimidate with the intention of causing fear or physical harm.
Scott had also been sacked by the Canberra Raiders in 2021 following a nightclub incident for which he was later cleared in court.
However despite insisting he has changed, the NRL rejected a return appeal shortly before Christmas, prompting him to now chase a professional boxing career.
Asked about his career switch, Scott said: “I’m dirty on the NRL.
“I’m pursuing boxing now.
“And I’m keen to see how far I can take it.”
So as for No Limit’s battle to land an opponent?
“It’s frustrating because I know plenty of people wanted to put one on me not so long ago,” continued the former centre who represented the Prime Minister’s XIII in 2019.
“Yet now they have a chance to actually do something about it everyone is running scared.
“I’ve seen and read plenty of negative stuff people have said about me online.
“But no one ever says anything to my face.
“I’m not surprised though; everyone acts tough behind a keyboard or a phone these days.
“But there’s a heap of fighters out there who I could be matched with.
“So I’ll leave it all up to George to figure out.
“I know Tevita is up there in Brisbane training too.
“I don’t know what his plans are but why not?
“This isn’t about anybody else though, it’s about me.
“I’m just keen to get in the ring and show people what I’ve been working on. I’m going to give it absolutely everything.”
Rose told Fox Sports Australia that while he remained confident of getting Scott a fight for the March showcase, it had proved incredibly difficult.
“Curtis has been hassling me for months to get him a fight,” the No Limit CEO said.
“And we deadset thought we were there last week.
“I had current and former NRL boys begging me to let them take a swing at him but then when we’ve sent contracts over, they’ve all gone quiet.
“It’s bull….
“We’ve got a guy who’s ready and itching to go.
“And I know that linking up with Brock Jarvis – one of the fittest and hardest workers in boxing — has been huge for him.
“So you want the chance to fight Curtis Scott? Hit me up.”
Speaking with The Daily Telegraph last year, Scott insisted he had turned his life around and even offered for a clause to put in any NRL contract stating he couldn’t drink alcohol.
“A lot of the mistakes I’ve made happened when I was under the influence of alcohol … I’ve cut it out of my life,” he said.
“I want to prove to myself that I’ve grown as a person”.
“I’ve made mistakes yes. But I’ve learnt from them. I want to help others.
“I am sorry. I regret all the incidents heavily. They play on my mind daily.
“I’m extremely sorry I’ve brought the game into disrepute.
“I have to wake up and look at myself in the mirror every day and sometimes it’s hard to see.”
Discussion about this post