Boxing: It's all over for Tua and me says Barry

By PHIL TAYLOR and EUGENE BINGHAM

The bust-up of heavyweight boxer David Tua and his managers is unlikely to be resolved.

Kevin Barry admitted as much on Thursday evening when he said: "It's over. It will never be the same. The Tuaman has f***** it."

Barry was speaking after a six-hour meeting with business manager Martin Pugh.

His comment came a day after he met Tua and his new advisers in an effort to resolve issues. Barry had emerged from that meeting upbeat about working through Tua's concerns.

Pugh and financial issues are understood to be worrying Tua. Pugh, who joined the Tuaman camp four years ago, has not spoken to Tua for a month.

He was holidaying in Australia when Tua announced live on radio 10 days ago that he had sacked his managers.

The break came days after Barry had said Tua would fight Hasim Rahman on December 13.

Barry was to meet Tua and his supporters again today.

Tua's friend, former All Black Va'aiga Tuigamala, said yesterday that they hoped the meeting would go ahead, but he would not comment on what would be discussed.

"They're searching through things that there is disagreement on and then they'll take it from there, but it's early days. What's important is the opportunity to share their thoughts on certain issues that need to be addressed."

Tuigamala denied that Tua had a problem with Pugh in particular.

"No, it's not just Martin Pugh. There are issues I don't wish to dig into with any particular details."

Pugh told the Weekend Herald that Tua had not explained to him what the problems were. The books had always been open to Tua, whose own accountant did the accounts.

"I don't control the flow of money," Pugh said.

"My job is sorting out the contracts, getting the most money, screwing people to the wall, forcing their hand, playing games backwards and forwards and working in an industry that's so murky in the water you don't need to swim - you can walk across it."

Pugh is sole director and shareholder of two Tua-related companies. Tua, 30, joined him as a co-director and shareholder in a third in July.

Pugh said he held a proportion of shares in trust for Tua and Barry.

Tuigamala said it was not yet possible to say whether things could be patched up. That would be up to Tua and "how he sees things at the end of the tunnel".

In the meantime, Tua was carrying on with his training regime.

"He's in good spirit. He is not down at all. He's a true professional."

Tuigamala said his role was purely one of support. Others involved in the talks this week included lawyer Luke Kemp.

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