Robin Reynolds tried to tip Tua off

1.00pm - In the final part of his investigation into where David Tua's millions went, PHIL TAYLOR explores the sleezy sideshow that accompanied his heavyweight boxing title tilt

Model Robin Reynolds tried to warn boxer David Tua three years ago that his managers were exploiting him.

Reynolds' parents, Kevin and Merrilee Reynolds, told the Weekend Herald they unsuccessfully tried to contact David Tua in 2001 on their daughter's behalf after she sacked Martin Pugh as her manager, claiming he owed her $25,000.

Reynolds - who gained notoriety in July 2000 after a fling with pop star Robbie Williams - was part of the Tuaman entourage during Tua's failed world heavyweight bout against Lennox Lewis.

She was disturbed by comments she overhead Pugh and Kevin Barry make about the boxer and told her father they were using Tua and joked behind his back.

"Robin told me they referred to him as a 'big, ugly gorilla'," Mr Reynolds said.

He jotted down the phrase on a piece of paper at the time. He gave the Weekend Herald a copy of that note and documents relating to Pugh's management of his daughter.

"Robin warned me well before the Tua thing broke that over there in the [United] States Martin Pugh and Barry had discussed Tua and they were saying what a thick dick he was, [how] he wouldn't have a clue how much money he had."

Mr Reynolds claims Pugh was having sex with his daughter and said he confronted Pugh about that. "He didn't deny it."

"Robin told me a lot. They used to have parties over in the States. It was just one great big party on Tua. Flying here, flying there."

Mr Reynolds said his daughter claimed these had involved recreational drugs.

"David never knew much of it, apparently. Robin tried to warn him several times and she came to me and said, 'Dad, what do you think we should do?' I said I'd get hold of him, but it was like trying to get into the Bank of Gibraltar."

It had taken his daughter a while to wake up to what was really going on, he said. "Robin was pretty naive as far as the money side goes."

In an interview with the Herald in October, Pugh denied he was Reynolds' manager, claiming he had merely helped with some "pro bono work" when she was having trouble getting paid by media organisations for stories she sold about her time in Auckland with Robbie Williams.

Asked about the rumours of women, drugs and sleaze, Pugh said he "hadn't heard the recreational drugs part".

"Don't even write that or I will come down like a ton of bricks, because we had a camp [in the Lewis fight lead-up] that was very locked down. No one goes out, no one parties, no one drinks ... and definitely no women allowed in. That was David Tua policy. That was our policy."

Told the rumours were about parties outside the training camp, Pugh replied that if you "banned girls with Lycra tops and big breasts in Vegas, there would be nobody there".

According to a statement of Reynolds' finances, which Pugh eventually gave her parents, he charged a 33 per cent commission.

Pugh said he first met the model in Las Vegas after Tua's world title challenge against Lennox Lewis. But the Weekend Herald believes she was there at Pugh's behest. Reynolds did interviews publicising the fight with US media and TVNZ.

Court documents show that among the model's bills paid by Tuaman Inc was one for the Mandalay Bay Hotel around the time of the fight.

Mr Reynolds said Pugh provided his account of where her money had gone only after he confronted Pugh in his offices in late 2001.

Robin Reynolds had emailed Pugh asking for all her records to be sent to her parents. Pugh emailed a one-word reply: "No".

Pugh didn't keep a separate record of her finances but mixed them in the accounts of Tuaman and Team Barry.

During the time in Las Vegas, Tua also came to have concerns about Pugh, but says in an affidavit he accepted the reassurances of Barry. The affidavit is part of the boxer's action to try to regain control of his assets from his managers.

Reynolds also felt she lost control of her future under Pugh's management. She hoped to launch a career on the back of publicity over her fling with Robbie Williams, but became concerned with the direction Pugh was pushing her.

Most of the $50,000 paid for Reynolds' articles published around the world was sent direct to Pugh.

Travel and hotel bills of $9400 for Reynolds are alleged to have been paid from the boxing company, Tuaman Inc Ltd.

"Tua wouldn't have known Robin's stuff was going through the Tua account," Mr Reynolds said.

The Reynolds say their daughter had to go to Pugh each time she needed money. This is borne out by the financial summary Pugh provided and sets out a familiar pattern.

One of Tua's allegations is that Pugh controlled all of his money, when the agreement was that Tua should personally receive 70 per cent of fight earnings and 20 per cent of endorsement income.

One surprise in the accounts was that Pugh had charged her for his own botox treatment.

Another was a $2000 charge for setting up a website, apparently promoting the model, that the Reynolds described as "pornographic" and said their daughter didn't know about.

"When things soured I went in and took the documents from Pugh. He was more or less running her life," Mr Reynolds said.

"We asked for a run-down of Robin's books. Pugh refused. When I raised why things were going through the Tua account he told me we didn't understand. I was just dumb and thick," he said.

"He did a disgusting job. We and Robin still believe he owes her $25,000."