Boxing: Exchange rate packs a punch

By PETER JESSUP

LAS VEGAS - The exchange rate means David Tua could do the country a big favour if he can knock out world champion Lennox Lewis inside six rounds next Sunday.

Already $240,000 has been bet in New Zealand on the fight, "which is a hell of a lot," said TAB sports betting manager Neil Sorenson. The TAB is off-loading overseas much of its risk on a Tua win.

By comparison, the NPC final turned over $450,000, but the punters' favourite is the Bledisloe Cup which averages $750,000 in stakes. Most of the money generally comes in the last days before the event, once everyone is sure there are no injuries or other factors that would affect the outcome.

What Sorenson calls "massive heart money" has already been reinvested with other betting agencies overseas, where Tua is not paying so well. In New Zealand he is $2.70 to win and Lewis is on $1.40. In Australia Tua has been paying $A3.30 or more, and Lewis around $A1.30.

Sorenson said the TAB would expect, on present turnover, that the fight would surpass $1 million. With exchange rates being what they were, everyone including the agency would be happy with a KO inside six rounds.

As of yesterday New Zealanders had $190,000 on in the head-to-head, and 94 per cent of that was on Tua. There was $55,000 on specifying which round the fight would be decided in, and half of that was on Tua to win within rounds one to six. There was $32,000 on the outcome, and $22,000 of that on a knockout by Tua.

The TAB, offering better odds than anyone else in the world on Lewis, according to Sorenson, was happy to pick up Australian money which included a bet of $20,000 on Lewis. Two more punters backed him with $8000 each. On Tua, there were two bets of $3500 and another of $2500.

"We can't stop the flow for Tua at the moment," said Sorenson. "We are going to have to look to put more overseas."

The agency was wary of holding too much on the outcome, Sorenson admitted. "All our experts, and what we are getting back from the big guns, is that they give Tua a puncher's chance, that he's got an incredibly good punch and you just can't write that off."

Herald Online feature: Tua v Lewis

The Herald Online is ringside for the countdown to David Tua's tilt at the world heavyweight boxing title. Reporter Peter Jessup and photographer Kenny Rodger bring you all the news, inside information and pictures, leading up to this Sunday afternoon's showdown in Las Vegas.

* Be sure to get your full-colour poster of the two fighters in the print edition of the Herald on Friday November 10.