Boxing: Tua all fired up, but no one to fight

By PETER JESSUP

David Tua's management are struggling to find an opponent for the fight they want him to have late in June or early July, as other ranked boxers shy away from "the Throwin' Samoan."

Tua's manager, Kevin Barry, said yesterday that they had been turned down by Michael Grant, who also lost to world champion Lennox Lewis, by Shannon Briggs and by both Klitschko brothers, Vladimir and Valery.

They all appeared to be scared to risk a loss and loss of ranking, Barry said.

"We're finding it really hard to get anyone to fight him," he said.

Two possible opponents, Mike Tyson and Nigerian David Izon, appear set to announce that they will meet in Washington on June 2.

Izon, aged 32, has had seven fights without a loss since he was stopped by Grant in 1998.

Grant has not fought since his loss to Lewis in April last year.

Tua continues to train in Auckland in expectation of a deal being sealed shortly.

In South Africa, the critics are speculating that Lewis will struggle to cope with the altitude at Johannesburg when he fights American Hasim Rahman on Monday.

He ignored medical advice that he needed three weeks to acclimatise, instead taking part in filming for the movie Oceans II with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.

Lewis weighs around 122kg, 9kg more than when he met Tua in Las Vegas in November, and has been visibly struggling in roadwork.

Rahman, aged 28, has 34 wins and two losses, including a 10-round defeat by Tua.

Rahman will give away height and reach as well as 10kg in weight.