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Latimore reveals how he plans to "upset" Asofa-Solomona in first fight since NRL exit
Sam Kosack • December 23rd, 2025 11:52 am
To most people, the thought of stepping in the ring with Nelson Asofa-Solomona is a terrifying ordeal.
Jeremy Latimore is not most people.
The former NRL player has been confirmed as Asofa-Solomona’s first fight since the ex-Storm giant quit rugby league to pursue boxing.
The fight has been scheduled for the undercard of the Michael Zerafa and Nikita Tzsyu fight on January 16, and is organised by No Limit Boxing, which is run by NRL icon George Rose.
Latimore, who retired from the NRL in 2019, may be 10 years older and 10 centimetres shorter than his opponent, but it hasn’t hampered his belief that he could upset Asofa-Solomona’s career before it begins.
For Latimore, the fight looms as an opportunity he’s been waiting for for years, and with the fight just three weeks away, there’s no time like now to leap at the biggest bout of his life so far.
“I've been training pretty hard for the last 18 months at the boxing stuff, hammering the Rose boys for an opportunity, and then obviously, big Nelly's (Asofa-Solomona) come in and walked away from his Storm contract to pursue boxing,” Latimore told SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“To be fair, mate, two weeks before that, I'd actually thrown the toys out of the cot, and I wasn't boxing as much.
“I had started doing more running, and then I'd actually had a rather enjoyable weekend, probably drank a bit much, and then I got a message off one of the Rose boys asking if I'd be keen, and I'm like, ‘mate, I'm in’.
“I dropped straight back in the boxing gym the next day… I've been boxing pretty consistently now for about 18 months. Obviously, I've just turned 39, but I do love my training.
“I'm sure most of my old trainers would acknowledge the fact I probably train harder now than when I played rugby league.
“I'm still a novice at it, but I've had those two ring experiences and I think if you wanna fight Big Nelson, it's right now.
“He's obviously done the one exhibition against big Jarrod Wallace, but I think he'll be in for a shock.
“(It’ll be) a very different Christmas for me this year, no drinking or carrying on, but I'll still have a bit of a feed.
“(I’ll) keep fit and be ready to rock and go out there and, hopefully, upset his boxing career from his first fight.”
Latimore has two previous victories in the ring, one over Alexander Ale in 2024 by unanimous decision and another in an exhibition bout in the Podcast Royal on the Gold Coast.
The 39-year-old, lovingly named the G.O.A.T by NRL fans, called out Asofa-Solomona on social media as the former Kiwi prop was looking for his first opponent, and has promised he wouldn't back down from the trash talk in the lead-up to the fight.
“I'm not much of a trash talker but I am good on the tongue, I’m quite fast so I’ll throw a bit of chat,” Latimore joked.
“I'll use my wit to pick the big fella apart, but, look, that's not my go, but I will have some fun in the build-up.
“Once all the talk's done, everything's judged on what you do in the ring so my main focus is that, but bloody oath, I'll be having a bit of fun in the build-up to the fight.
“I'm just grateful to get this opportunity to go up there and fight the big fella, cause it is a really awesome fight card they have on that night, and there's some world-class boxers who are fighting.
“I do watch a fair few of these boys at different times so to be fighting on the same card as them, I am very lucky.
“I'm just a young fella from Port Macquarie who wanted to play footy, and now I'm getting to keep having another crack at a sport which keeps me young.”
Latimore previously played for the Eels, Warriors, Dragons, Panthers, Sharks and Dragons in his 182-game career.
