When it comes to boxing, few people are ever completely retired.

David Tua publicly said he was done with boxing last year, but it appears that there's still some life left in the 40-year-old's career.

Rising heavyweight boxing star Joseph Parker has called for supporters to be kept further away from sports fields and courts to limit the danger of violence and abuse.

David Tua's do-or-die comeback bout will be in Hamilton on August 31 against a giant Russian - one of the most highly rated heavyweight boxers in the world, a war hero and a huge man of 2.03m and about 136kg, Alexander Ustinov.

By far the biggest problem David Tua faces in his heavyweight fight against Russian Alexander Ustinov on August 31 is the size of his 2.03m, 136kg adversary.

Sonny Bill Williams could be a victim of David Tua's bout with Russian giant Alexander Ustinov and his push for a world title fight.

Francois Botha downed tequila shots during a boozey night out just five days before getting pummelled by rising boxing star Joseph Parker.

Joseph Parker is a heavyweight boxer of such promise that he needs to be taken to the US - that's the word from the man Parker pitched into retirement after his second-round stoppage in their fight on Thursday night: Francois Botha.

New Zealand's Joseph Parker announced his arrival in the ranks of respected heavyweights tonight with a second round knockout of durable South African heavyweight Francois Botha.

Our live blog tonight brings you all the action from the heavyweight boxing bout between Joseph Parker and Francois Botha from Trusts Arena in Auckland.

Soon after he fights Joseph Parker at Auckland's Trusts Arena tonight, Francois Botha's thoughts will start turning towards Evander Holyfield.

Joseph Parker looked relaxed ahead of the biggest fight of his short professional boxing career tomorrow night but the same couldn't be said about his trainer Kevin Barry.

Joseph Parker's trainer Kevin Barry is angry Francois Botha has the incentive of a potentially lucrative fight against David Tua if he can get past his man on Thursday night.

Ardie Hickey has been battling a brain tumour, and boxer Bubba Tuigamala is getting in the ring to support that fight.

Dean Lonergan, the promoter of a boxing match between two dwarves, insists it's a serious fight and can't see why anyone would object.

Promoters are expecting anger after scheduling a bout between two dwarfs as the warm up to a heavyweight boxing match between Joseph Parker and Francois "White Buffalo" Botha next month.

"Kevin Barry has been telling me to fight like a big man and that's what I did."

The thing about Vegas is the untrue story seems so much more probable than the true and sport is still a mainstay of this engagingly strange city, captured in the iconic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

It was Los Angeles, almost 30 years ago. The chairs were flying through the air. So too the drinks containers. And the cussing. The air was blue. And angry red.