Boxing: Tua goes to court as hopes fade for Rahman rematch

By PETER JESSUP

David Tua is now unlikely to fight a rematch with Hasim Rahman, and is instead chasing a title fight with WBO world titleholder Corrie Sanders.

Rahman and Tua fought each other to a draw in their heavyweight bout two weeks ago, and a rematch had been expected.

But Tua and Sanders are heading to court in the United States to seek injunctions ordering the WBO to drop the mandatory defence it has ordered Sanders to make against No 2 Lamon Brewster.

Sanders does not want to fight Brewster because he could make more money elsewhere.

He has asked the California Superior Court to rule that German promoter Universum is trying only to protect the rights of its fighter, Wladimir Klitschko, by ensuring Sanders does not fight anyone he could lose to before it has time to arrange a rematch.

Universum manages Klitschko, from whom Sanders captured the title this month, and won the purse bid for the Sanders-Brewster fight.

Tua has asked the WBO appeals committee to reconsider its Sanders-Brewster edict because he was ranked No 1 when the decision was made.

The WBO called the purse bid for the day before his fight with Rahman and Brewster's manager, Don King, has said Tua could not comply because he was already contracted to fight Rahman.

Tua's management does not expect any relief from a committee appointed by the men who made the original decision, and manager Martin Pugh said they would ask the New York State Court for an injunction against Sanders-Brewster if the appeal goes against them.

The WBO's decision is expected today.

The IBF has ruled there will be no Rahman-Tua rematch and told Rahman to fight the next highest-ranked available contender, Vitali Klitschko, younger of the Ukrainian brothers.

Tua will also have to aim lower down the list if his and Sanders' management cannot beat the machinations of the boxing organisations in the courts.

Pugh and manager-trainer Kevin Barry want Tua to get Sanders' belt then set up fights with Evander Holyfield and/or Mike Tyson.

Champion Lennox Lewis appears set to fight either Canadian champion Kirk Johnson or Vitali Klitschko in Las Vegas on June 21.