SBW's next opponent may be his toughest yet

Sonny Bill Williams' manager has announced details of the fighter's next opponent, only days after the star controversially defeated Francois Botha in the ring.

He will fight Titewhai Harawira in April.

Williams' ten-round defeat of the ageing Francois Botha left many people questioning the credibility of professional boxing.

Williams appeared to be in serious trouble when the fight was called off after ten rounds, to the surprise of almost everyone watching the bout. Many who watched the fight said Williams was lucky to have won it.

But Khoder Nasser, who manages Sonny Bill Williams, said the proposed contest with Harawira would silence critics of Williams once and for all, and put to rest any suggestion that Williams couldn't go the distance against older, more experienced opponents.

"That old lady thinks she's something special," said Mr Nasser. "But my man Sonny Bill is going to end her fighting career once and for all."

Mr Nasser said he had been in discussions with Titewhai Harawira for some months about a match-up. He said the deal was only finalised late last week, after the International Association of Boxing World Federation Organisations (IABWFO) sanctioned the proposed bout.

Most boxing experts are picking that Harawira will prove too tough for Sony Bill Williams.

Despite her advancing age and needing a walking stick to go anywhere, Harawira is in the form of her life.

In her most recent fight she defeated not just one, but dozens of opponents, without a blow being landed on her.

Harawira is unusually small for a fighter, and mobility is a problem for her. However, some followers of the sport think she will quickly overwhelm the inexperienced Williams.

Boxing enthusiast Sir Robert Jones said he expected Harawira to brush Sonny Bill Williams aside without raising a sweat.

"Williams is nothing but a show-pony anyway," said Jones. "Compare his record with Harawira's. She's been slugging it out for years. She's spent time in prison. She even made Helen Clark cry.

"It'll be over in round one. Sonny Bill will take one look at that old kuia before running from the ring with his tail between his legs."