Rugby league bad boy John Hopoate, who gained notoriety for poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players, has become a boxing champion.
The Tongan-born 34-year-old is the new Australian heavyweight champion after stopping Bob Mirovic in round nine.
Hopoate only took up boxing three years ago when Manly Sea Eagles tore up his contract for yet another indiscretion.
He was handed a 17-match ban for a tackle that left an opponent badly concussed and bleeding from the ear.
It marked the ninth time Hopoate had been suspended from the NRL with bans totalling 45 matches for offences ranging from abusing match officials to turning up to training drunk.
Hopoate's best-known indiscretion was in 2001 when he was banned for 12 weeks then sacked by his club Wests Tigers after poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players in tackles
Taken from the BBC sports website.
Full Version: Hopoate becomes heavyweight king
QUOTE (Holywell_Exile @ Sep 12 2008, 08:09 AM) 
Rugby league bad boy John Hopoate, who gained notoriety for poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players, has become a boxing champion.
The Tongan-born 34-year-old is the new Australian heavyweight champion after stopping Bob Mirovic in round nine.
Hopoate only took up boxing three years ago when Manly Sea Eagles tore up his contract for yet another indiscretion.
He was handed a 17-match ban for a tackle that left an opponent badly concussed and bleeding from the ear.
It marked the ninth time Hopoate had been suspended from the NRL with bans totalling 45 matches for offences ranging from abusing match officials to turning up to training drunk.
Hopoate's best-known indiscretion was in 2001 when he was banned for 12 weeks then sacked by his club Wests Tigers after poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players in tackles
Taken from the BBC sports website.
The Tongan-born 34-year-old is the new Australian heavyweight champion after stopping Bob Mirovic in round nine.
Hopoate only took up boxing three years ago when Manly Sea Eagles tore up his contract for yet another indiscretion.
He was handed a 17-match ban for a tackle that left an opponent badly concussed and bleeding from the ear.
It marked the ninth time Hopoate had been suspended from the NRL with bans totalling 45 matches for offences ranging from abusing match officials to turning up to training drunk.
Hopoate's best-known indiscretion was in 2001 when he was banned for 12 weeks then sacked by his club Wests Tigers after poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players in tackles
Taken from the BBC sports website.
QUOTE (Holywell_Exile @ Sep 12 2008, 08:09 AM)
Rugby league bad boy John Hopoate, who gained notoriety for poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players, has become a boxing champion.
The Tongan-born 34-year-old is the new Australian heavyweight champion after stopping Bob Mirovic in round nine.
Hopoate only took up boxing three years ago when Manly Sea Eagles tore up his contract for yet another indiscretion.
He was handed a 17-match ban for a tackle that left an opponent badly concussed and bleeding from the ear.
It marked the ninth time Hopoate had been suspended from the NRL with bans totalling 45 matches for offences ranging from abusing match officials to turning up to training drunk.
Hopoate's best-known indiscretion was in 2001 when he was banned for 12 weeks then sacked by his club Wests Tigers after poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players in tackles
Taken from the BBC sports website.
The Tongan-born 34-year-old is the new Australian heavyweight champion after stopping Bob Mirovic in round nine.
Hopoate only took up boxing three years ago when Manly Sea Eagles tore up his contract for yet another indiscretion.
He was handed a 17-match ban for a tackle that left an opponent badly concussed and bleeding from the ear.
It marked the ninth time Hopoate had been suspended from the NRL with bans totalling 45 matches for offences ranging from abusing match officials to turning up to training drunk.
Hopoate's best-known indiscretion was in 2001 when he was banned for 12 weeks then sacked by his club Wests Tigers after poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players in tackles
Taken from the BBC sports website.
This was being shown on the news when I was there. The bloke should have been done for sexual assault.
I was watching a piece on this on the Aussie Rugby League 'Footy Show' last night. The backside stuff aside this bloke is a real hardman, he won the fight even though he broke his hand in the 6th round, his opponent also an old skool bruiser sheered the radius bone in his right arm (a broken arm to me and you) in the seventh but yet they both kept going to the 9th. Tough stuff but it wasn't tiddlywinks they were playing.
QUOTE (Langley Mill Blue @ Sep 12 2008, 01:45 PM)
QUOTE (Holywell_Exile @ Sep 12 2008, 08:09 AM)
Rugby league bad boy John Hopoate, who gained notoriety for poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players, has become a boxing champion.
The Tongan-born 34-year-old is the new Australian heavyweight champion after stopping Bob Mirovic in round nine.
Hopoate only took up boxing three years ago when Manly Sea Eagles tore up his contract for yet another indiscretion.
He was handed a 17-match ban for a tackle that left an opponent badly concussed and bleeding from the ear.
It marked the ninth time Hopoate had been suspended from the NRL with bans totalling 45 matches for offences ranging from abusing match officials to turning up to training drunk.
Hopoate's best-known indiscretion was in 2001 when he was banned for 12 weeks then sacked by his club Wests Tigers after poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players in tackles
Taken from the BBC sports website.
The Tongan-born 34-year-old is the new Australian heavyweight champion after stopping Bob Mirovic in round nine.
Hopoate only took up boxing three years ago when Manly Sea Eagles tore up his contract for yet another indiscretion.
He was handed a 17-match ban for a tackle that left an opponent badly concussed and bleeding from the ear.
It marked the ninth time Hopoate had been suspended from the NRL with bans totalling 45 matches for offences ranging from abusing match officials to turning up to training drunk.
Hopoate's best-known indiscretion was in 2001 when he was banned for 12 weeks then sacked by his club Wests Tigers after poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players in tackles
Taken from the BBC sports website.
This was being shown on the news when I was there. The bloke should have been done for sexual assault.
Remember Dave Cameron doing it in to i think it was the donny keeper as a corner came over in the play-offs..Dirty Bastard...Fair play to him for not reacting i think i would be on a life ban if it happened to me....Not much makes me ashamed of being a Chester fan but that did...sick
As long as he is wearing boxing gloves he will be less inclined to indulge in his distasteful hobby 
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