Boxing: Three sides of the coin

In their words: extracts of testimony


TUA:

"Kevin Barry approached me at a parade in Aotea Square in 1992 to welcome home the team to the Barcelona Olympics. He advised me to turn pro.

"I invited Kevin Barry to meet my parents. This was my way of showing my trust. This meant he would be regarded as if he were a member of my own family.

"Kevin Barry introduced me to Martin Pugh in mid-1999 and said Pugh was a multimillionaire at a young age with nightclubs and was a smart guy who could make good investments for me.

"Kevin put a contract in front of me and urged me to sign. He said Martin had a great idea, a 70/30 split. I would get 70 per cent of my purses and 30 per cent would go into a company to run my boxing business. Kevin Barry and Martin Pugh said they would work for 7.5 per cent each of the 30 per cent. This was the only money they were to get. I was never told they would get 7.5 per cent each of total earnings or they would personally own any of the company.

"Kevin Barry said it was a good idea for me to give Martin Pugh a power of attorney as a 'one off' so he could change promoters in the US. There was no suggestion that I should get independent advice. I trusted Kevin Barry and he wanted me to sign.

"I soon after had misgivings but I went along with things. I felt I had to. I felt emotionally indebted to Kevin Barry but I started to notice him change. He started to get more like Martin. I didn't like this.

"There were no reports about my finances, as I'd got from Main Events, my previous promoters. I felt isolated, as though Martin and Kevin wanted to control everything in my life. The line, that I should just trust them, is the line they have taken with me all along."

KEVIN BARRY:

"This is about greed and dishonesty and an insecure David Tua coming to the end of his career and looking for a way out of his management agreement. This is a cruel and calculated attempt to get everything he can before retiring.

"He has weight difficulties and is a lazy trainer when it comes to cardio work. He has lost his desire, discipline and his nerve and I have believed for some time he has not wanted to fight any more. In his last fight on March 29 against Hasim Rahman he was uncommitted and at the end of the fight was put on the canvas for the first time in his career.

"Over 11 years I have helped him to the top. I have served him to the best of my ability, often putting his needs before that of my wife and children. The David Tua business is the passion of my life and my earnings come from that. My only other business is a small gym which barely covers costs.

"David Tua has shown me no respect and has seen to it that my boxing career is over. I want the rightful share [of assets] owed to me as per the management agreement."

PUGH:

"David Tua would have you believe and fooled he is the poor little Samoan boy from a village of 300. Let me tell you he is one of the smartest, humorous and most manipulative people that I know, he can get you to do anything for him and he never does any of his dirty work. That is what I admired about him.

"He is being cunning saying 'I didn't understand' or 'I trusted them'. It's an age-old tactic when boxers want to bump their managers.

"He was planning our demise for a long time. In religious terms I think this is referred to as Judas, so excuse me if I find it rich and laugh at their statement of defence, lecturing myself and Kevin on good faith.

"I believe Robina [Tua's de facto wife] and Jennie Grant wanted control. Never underestimate the power of scorned women. We have not taken too much money. Proper accounting will see Kevin Barry and myself owed money."

Source: High Court documents