All Blacks rugby star Sonny Bill Williams secretly lent more than half a million dollars to his friend, Australian boxer Anthony Mundine, to deal with a family emergency.
The A$500,000 (NZD$532,000) loan came just before Mundine's recent fight against Danny Green, The Sunday Telegraph in Sydney reported.
There was no written agreement, just a handshake, the newspaper said.
It was the return of a favour, as Mundine gave Williams A$750,000 (NZD$800,000) in 2008 when Williams went to play rugby in France, leaving the Canterbury Bulldogs rugby league team.
"It's very hard to explain our brotherhood in words," Mundine said. "I didn't understand it until I became a Muslim. We trust and we love each other.
"We'd literally die for each other. It's all about being there for each other."
Mundine would not say why he needed the big loan before the fight on February 3, which Green controversially won to retain his Australian cruiserweight title. Mundine has lodged an appeal against the result.
"There were some personal issues I had to sort out quickly," he told The Sunday Telegraph. His manager, Khoder Nasser, who also looks after Williams' affairs, would not elaborate.
"It was a family matter that needed to be taken care of immediately," Nasser said. "Plus the costs of putting on the fight."
Mundine owns five homes but is believed to have made some poor investments and has given away a lot of his money, The Sunday Telegraph said..
"He could have sold one of the properties to get the money but Sonny wanted to help out," Nasser said.
Mundine and Green made about A$4 million each out of the super fight.
"I'll pay him back as soon as I get paid next week," Mundine said.