Boxing: Last-gasp barrage secures Tua win

David Tua, with a far milder approach in the ring, won his heavyweight fight on a split points decision in Florida on Saturday.

The Aucklander beat New York-based Mali-born Cisse Salif on a Cedric Klushner-promoted card at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel Casino after throwing a flurry of his old-style powerful punches in the final 10 seconds.

They were just enough to turn the decision his way, with two of the three judges favouring his victory.

Two of the judges favoured Tua 96-94 and 98-92 while the third had Salif ahead 96-94.

Klushner said Salif, who had a significant height, weight and reach advantage over Tua, was an underestimated fighter.

Better known as a sparring partner for leading American heavyweights seeking a workout with a taller opponent, Salif seldom used his stronger right hand in the fight.

Tua, however, appeared to change his approach from a fighter who used to look for an early knockout with his powerful left hooks, to a boxer who tried to work on the body with combinations.

"Roger (trainer Roger Bloodworth) and I know the importance of a good jab from the inside, working from the body and then going up," Tua said after the fight.

"I don't know if you call that a change in my style."

Tua wasn't sure whether the narrow win over an opponent who had boasted 16 knockouts from 17 victories but who had not met a named fighter before, did enough to attract bigger fights in his attempt to have another crack at the world title.

"David needs a few more fights before we'll look at a top-10 (opponent) later next year," Klushner said.

"Maybe one before the end of the year and maybe a couple more in the first half of next year and then we'll see."

Salif, at 34 two years Tua's senior, weighed in at 119kg, 8kg heavier than Tua, and entered the ring with a 17-4-2 record.

Tua, with a 43-3-1 record, including 38 knockouts, entered the contest with only one fight in over two years, a technical knockout of American Talmadge Griffis in March.

His layoff was forced by an extended court battle with his former managers Kevin Barry and Martin Pugh.

Tua used his powerful left hooks that put away most of his opponents in the past only occasionally in the first eight rounds. There were no knockdowns and neither fighter looked really rattled at any time.

- NZPA