He's nicknamed The Baboon, loves a drink, apparently has a way with the ladies and has a reputation for knocking out Auckland bouncers.
And he's got the pre-bout trash talking down pat.
Meet Gary Gurr, the man hand-picked to give his compatriot and rugby league defector Sonny Bill Williams his professional boxing debut in Brisbane on Wednesday night.
Gurr has taken Australian television by storm in recent days, after being introduced via the following blurb on a boxing chat room.
"He's mad as a bag of snakes with the speed, guts and determination as a group one race horse," the posting read.
"Known for his bareknuckle brawls in the back streets of Auckland, I have personally watched him take down many high profile sports stars in arm wrestles whilst chatting up the local ladies and sipping away on a whisky, a huge testament to his arm strength."
Gurr's aim is to knock out Williams in the first round, "so I can get to the bar".
And he lived up to the "mad as a snake" description at Tueday's official weigh-in, when he turned the air blue with expletives and gave Williams a shove in the chest for good measure.
"F#*# you guys speak a whole bunch of crap. All I've heard from you is talk, talk, talk. Let's just get it going," he said.
Still the suspicion was Gurr would provide as little opposition for Williams as similarly unknown New Zealander Gerrard Zohs did for Anthony Mundine in his pro boxing debut in 2000.
Mundine, a close friend of Williams, is the headline act in Wednesday against compatriot Daniel Geale.
New Zealand promoter Craig Thompson said he'd been approached by Mundine's manager Khoder Nasser to find an opponent for Williams.
"They wanted someone who'd had a lot of street fights but wasn't very good (in the boxing ring)," Thompson told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"(Gurr) is a tough bastard. He's got a reputation as a bigmouth."
The latter was proven in recent days.
Asked about Williams' intention to play rugby for the Barbarians against the Wallabies in Sydney on June 6, Gurr spluttered with indignation.
"It's a bit of a joke if he thinks he's playing rugby seven days after he's been boxing with me," he said.
"He'll need a bit of time off...... heard of the word 'traction'?"
And of Williams' shock National Rugby League departure from the Bulldogs for French rugby club Toulon?
"Did he show the Bulldogs much respect? I've followed that team since I was a blimmin' kid. What respect does he deserve? He shows no one else respect."
Gurr added spice to the official pre-fight press conference in Brisbane on Monday, turning up unannounced as Mundine and Williams faced the media.
"Did you start the party without me? Where the f... is my seat?" Gurr said.
When Nasser moved in to usher him away, Gurr hurled his water bottle towards the top table, much to everyone's amusement.
Williams, who dwarfed Gurr at Tuesday's weigh-in, looked uncomfortable in the trash-talking role but still vowed to shut his fellow Aucklander up.
"A lot of people want to see me go down so I'll be out to prove them wrong," Williams said.
