He sits on a bench in the backyard eating a giant bowl of honey puffs and milk – it’s his favourite post-workout meal, drizzled with extra honey.
He seems happy. His friends and family are around him.
Some of them are playing a game of cricket on the grass.
One is cleaning the barbecue to cook the fresh crayfish and kina for dinner.
There is laughter, joking, quite a few Australian accents and hip-hop music.
This is Sonny Bill Williams when he’s at home.
“I’m not a lot different to other people,” he said. “I consider myself just a normal bloke.”
Strip away the headlines, the hype and the half-truths, and Williams is simply a guy who plays sports better than most.
He likes rap music. His favourite artist is Drake. His dietary downfalls are white chocolate, hokey-pokey icecream and sour lollies. He also has a soft spot for KFC. His favourite places to unwind are at the beach or stretched out on the couch watching TV.
He lives in a modern, yet modest, home in a quiet Hamilton suburb.
His Muslim faith has changed his perspective on life.
He gets embarrassed when people make a fuss about him. He surrounds himself with positive people.
He loves his friends and family.
“There’s no way I’d be half the person I am right now, or where I am, if it wasn’t for my family,” he said.
“They’re the ones that see you for yourself, they see the real person, but also they’re quick to jump on you if they see you jumping out of line too.”
Two days later, Williams sits on a bench in his changing room backstage at Claudelands Arena in Hamilton.
He’s preparing to fight for the New Zealand heavyweight title in his fifth boxing match.
He chews on snake lollies. The mood is charged but the same people surround him – they are never far from his side.
Brother John, dad John, and manager Khoder Nasser file in and out of the dressing room. Trainers Tony and Anthony Mundine talk strategy and help him warm up.
His mum, Lee, is front row, ringside.
Williams is quiet, his eyes vacant but focused; his expression unchanging.
“The nerves you feel before a fight are second to none,” he said. “There’s no rugby match that can compare to it.”
The result of the fight has now been widely reported. He conquered Clarence Tillman III in a dramatic first-round knockout and, at 26, Williams is the first person to win a New Zealand boxing championship belt, a Rugby World Cup final and an NRL title.
This is Sonny Bill Williams, sports star.
It was thought his dominant performance would silence his many critics but, following the fight, they were again out in force slamming his status as a professional boxer.
Not that Williams pays them any attention - he’s his own biggest critic.
As a kid, Williams never dreamed he would become a sports star. He thought if he could play footy on TV he might make enough money to buy his mum a house. Now, having achieved more than most others ever will, he’s addicted to the thrill of a challenge.
“You know that feeling of the unknown, that almost scared feeling of failure I hate it, but I love it at the same time.”
Williams’ next challenge is a Super Rugby season with the Waikato Chiefs and he is required to defend his heavyweight belt within six months.
Sitting at his home, itching to join in with a game of cricket, he spells out his goals for the future.
“Hopefully just doing what I’m doing playing good rugby and being a family man,” he said.
By Jonathan Carson
Video, photography and edit by Mike Scott
Music: DJ SMV for Noise Control Music “tell me sumin1″