Boxing: Forget money, it's the title I want, says Tua

By PETER JESSUP

David Tua yesterday declared the money would mean little when he gets in the ring for his $US4 million payday with Lennox Lewis in November.

For Tua, the world heavyweight title is everything.

The fight will be billed "Mandatory Punishment" if the Tua's camp get their way. The slug is drawn from his position as No 1 challenger for both the IBF and WBC. The fact that broadcasters HBO, who back Lewis, are even considering that is a measure of how highly they rate Tua and his saleability.

The bout will be in their preferred city, Las Vegas, Tua's manager, Kevin Barry, said yesterday as the prospective champion met the media to kick off an intensive publicity tour to build interest, television ratings and the payday, but the venue is yet to be confirmed.

Tua introduced Barry's partner, Martin Pugh, his financial adviser and the man who sealed the fight deal with Lewis' managers. Pugh defined his role as "worrying about the money David doesn't care about."

And he introduced the "Tua Tough Teddy," a pink bear with Tua-like yellow hair and dark wraparound sunglasses, which the team will give to children on hospital visits starting at Auckland's Starship and going through to the United States.

"It's a certain amount of money for a certain amount of respect and that's what my job was, to bring that into line," Pugh said.

Tua talked his way through the fight.

"I know Lewis will be covering up for my left hook, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to use it," he said. "He's got a right hand but knowing I've got a right hook he's not going to throw it."

Joe Frazier's daughter, a boxing writer, had come into his dressing-room after one fight to tell him her father said Tua's left hook was the best since his own.

But Tua was not trash-talking yesterday. "I'm just looking forward to going to work. I'll make my statement in the ring."

Barry rejected any suggestion that Lewis has an advantage in height or experience in world title bouts.



If the fight went 12 rounds they would probably lose on points, Barry conceded, given the difficulty of getting judges to score out a champion. "We don't expect it to go 12 rounds."

Tua said he would KO Lewis, and the end would be quick.

"Once I have the guy hurt I do the best I can to get him out of there. Once I smell blood and see fear, see the guy's hurt, I want to get him out of there as quick as I can."

Detractors, including Wellington property dealer Sir Bob Jones, were spurring him on, Tua said.

"That's what Mr Jones is good at, encouraging me to be the best I can be. Maybe if there were no critics David Tua wouldn't have trained any harder.

"As long as they don't say anything about my family and they spell my name correctly, I'm okay," he said.

Tua's name and face are about to be beamed into homes all over the world. Barry is predicting New Zealand's biggest television audience for the fight, although a deal for free-to-air live coverage has yet to be settled with either TV3 or TVNZ.

Tua was not always so recognisable, and he told a lovely story about a visit to the Auckland rugby team's dressing-room.

He had always wondered what was said at the team talk, and asked his mate Va'aiga Tuigamala, who gave him an Auckland jersey and invited him in, saying coach Graham Henry would not notice because there were so many Polynesians in the team.

He heard it all. At the end, Henry stood up, only then jolted to count the numbers and turning to query a trainer as to why they had one too many.

Realising he'd been sprung, Tua fronted up and held out his hand.

"Hello Mr Henry, I'm David Tua," he said.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr Tua," the coach responded, nothing more said as the team went out.