Was Russell Crowe Out of His League?

By Stephen M. Silverman

Monday November 18, 2002 11:00 AM EST

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As his fellow New Zealanders are telling it, Russell Crowe picked on the wrong guy when he allegedly raised his fists in a trendy London restaurant last week.

Scotland Yard confirmed last week that the "Gladiator" Oscar winner, 38, clashed with fellow Kiwi Eric Watson (described as a wealthy businessman) when the pair confronted each other at the Zuma Japanese restaurant in Knightsbridge, near Harrods.

Calling it "an altercation between two men believed to be in their 30s," a Scotland Yard spokesman told Britain's ITV, "When police arrived the situation was under control. No allegations of a crime were received; there were no arrests, and there will be no further police action."

Even so, there was a post-mortem Down Under.

According to the Web site of New Zealand's Independent Newspapers Ltd., Watson is no neophyte when it comes to putting up his dukes. The businessman reportedly began taking boxing lessons this year and is described by his trainer, Paul Wallbank, 30, as a "natural" with "great punch combinations, and if he doesn't get you with his right he'll get you with the left hook."

Spoken like a proud parent, Wallbank said of Watson: "I'm proud of him ... Russell wouldn't have known what hit him. It would've been bang-bang-bang."

The paper goes on to quote the trainer as saying, "With Russell's injuries I would guess that Eric would have done the damage with a combination one-two finishing with his left hook, which is one of his best shots."

There has been no comment from the Crowe camp.