Boxing: Tua clearly wins first round

By PETER JESSUP

LAS VEGAS - Fights are never won outside the ring, but David Tua scored a heavy points victory in the pre-bout psychological war when he and world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis appeared before the world's media yesterday.

Tua stole the show at the press conference at the fight venue, the Mandalay Bay, and if body language counts, Tua can pack away Lewis' title belts now.

Tua carried himself like a champ, broke the large audience up with one-liners, stood the hair up on everyone's necks with his battle roar, did ring announcer Michael Buffer better than Buffer does with his much-used line "and the NEW ... " and drew a "Tua, Tua" chant from hardened observers.

Lewis tried a comeback, ripping up speech notes in which Tua's manager, Kevin Barry, declared Tua would win.

Lewis declared it "fiction - I only read reality."

Again, the shadow of Mike Tyson loomed large, with the leader of his entourage, Steve "Crocodile" Fitch, shouting down Lewis' trainer, Emanuel Steward, when Steward suggested Tyson wanted Tua to win because he was scared of Lewis.

"Crocodiles belong in the swamp," Lewis told the crowd.

Fitch later declared Tyson would happily fight either of Sunday's combatants. Asked if he turned up deliberately to throw Tyson's thunderclouds over the title fight, he said: "I don't have to, man. Mike is this business. This [Lewis-Tua] is a sideshow. The business is dead without Mike."

There was a surprising amount of respect shown by Steward towards the Tua camp.

He opened by complimenting his Tua counterpart, Ronnie Shields, as one of the few he really respected.

Then he said he had first met Tua seven years ago and told him he was not big enough to be a heavyweight.

"Here you are, and I commend you for that," he said.

Then Steward addressed Barry and said that when they had last met, at a press conference in New York to promote the fight, Barry had scared him with what he said.

"I wanted to give you the belts there and then, but Lennox wouldn't let me."

Then Barry took the opportunity to break in: "Lennox Lewis has never felt power like David Tua's. Who has Lewis ever fought who has the uncommon one-punch power of David Tua? No one."

The Tua camp was full of excitement and anticipation, had always known they had the best heavyweight in the world, and were looking forward to the weekend to prove that, Barry said.

"He has power, mental toughness, stamina. He is the only heavyweight who retains his power throughout the 12 rounds of a fight.

"He has never been forced backwards, has never been cut, never been sat down, never been knocked out. He will throw punches all day long."

At which point Steward interrupted, saying sarcastically: "Lennox just told me to give him the belts."

Barry carried on: "For Lewis, this is a real challenge. I promise you, David Tua will keep coming at Lennox Lewis and he will break him down. He will make Lewis work harder than ever before.

"His lack of stamina will be tested to a new level and come [Sunday] we will see a new champion."

Steward replied: "Now you see why I was so nervous."

A more telling line, and no throw-away, was: "Everything you said about David is true, except he won't be champ."

Later, he agreed that Tua might be champion one day - "but not against Lennox."

Lewis would use his height, Steward said. He expected an explosive fight, but did not believe it would go 12 rounds.

Shields said: "We're going to do everything we can that's legal to win this fight.

"We're not going to deviate from the rules."

Tua started his spiel with a speech in Samoan, with the first words that journalists could understand being "thank you," as he turned to walk away.

There was quiet, as everyone wondered if that was the end of proceedings. Then Tua returned, laughing.

It proved a lot. He is not scared, he is comfortable.

"I've got utmost respect for Lennox," he said, but added: "He's been a great champion."

He said he had crossed more pain barriers than ever before in preparing for the fight, "and someone's going to pay."

He was going to knock Lewis out.

"I don't want no recounts," he said, a reference to the United States presidential election.

Then he broke into Buffer-speak.

"Come the end of the fight you're going to hear 'all the way from Samoa, by way of New Zealand, now fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada, the NEW ... "' - and there was a great roar from the crowd over-riding the rest of Buffer's line - "'and undisputed heavyweight champion of the world."'

Tua closed with his roar, and the crowd sent him off to applause and the Tua chant.

Lewis asked Barry for his notes. Tua's promoter, Dan Goosen, who had not had a chance to speak, gave up his and Lewis tore them in half.

But then he focused on Tyson - again.

"I'm the lion, the king of the jungle. Crocodiles belong in the swamp," he said, directed at Fitch.

Turning to Tua, he said it was no good just bringing a left hook and a hairdo.

"I have an arsenal, man, remember that."

Herald Online feature: the Tua fight

The Herald Online is ringside for the countdown to David Tua's tilt at the world heavyweight boxing title. Reporter Peter Jessup and photographer Kenny Rodger bring you all the news, inside information and pictures, leading up to this Sunday afternoon's showdown in Las Vegas.

* Be sure to get your full-colour poster of the two fighters in today's print edition of the Herald.