George Burgess is accused of stinking of booze before pro boxing debut
South Sydney Rabbitohs premiership winner George Burgess has been slammed for allegedly smelling of alcohol by his boxing opponent Nelson Asofa-Solomona – just before his role in preventing a suicide was revealed.
The Kiwi fighter and former Melbourne Storm star has accused Burgess of smelling of alcohol on two occasions when the pair came face to face in the lead-up to Wednesday night's bout.
'First time I faced off with him, immediately after I fought Jeremy Latimore, he stunk of booze,' Asofa-Solomona said on Monday.
'And it was the same after my second fight against Jarrod Wallace, when he stunk of booze again.'
The 30-year-old former NRL star is also understood to have accused Burgess of smelling of cigarettes during a previous meeting.
'Then in Brisbane during Magic Round, it was something else again I could smell,' Asofa-Solomona continued.
George Burgess (pictured) has been accused of 'smelling of booze' in his previous meetings with Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Burgess (pictured training) will make his professional boxing debut against Asofa-Solomona on Wednesday night
Asofa-Solomona (pictured) has knockout victories under his belt
Asofa-Solomona's comments have surfaced just days before Burgess enters the ring for the first time.
Burgess, 34, stepped away from rugby league in 2022 while playing for St George Illawarra amid a combination of a serious hip injury and some troubling personal issues.
The 34-year-old's professional fighting debut has been much anticipated – but even if he is defeated, he'll still walk away having achieved something special.
On Monday morning, Burgess helped stop a man from jumping off an overpass in Brisbane.
The man is believed to have stepped over a guard rail near Brisbane’s Central Station before Burgess and media personality Tim Ashworth rushed to the scene.
After initially trying to deter the man from jumping off the ledge verbally, the pair then physically grabbed him.
The former footy star then offered to take him for a coffee before police and emergency services arrived.
'Tim got to the guy first and started speaking with him. I got there second and asked what his name was, tried to get him out of his head a little bit,' Burgess told Fox Sports.
'Tim was [there first] holding him and couldn’t get him by himself.
'And then once I got there and got hold of him, I wasn’t letting go … then we pulled him over the railings.'
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
