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Boxer David Tua will go down memory lane when he returns to Hamilton for his much-anticipated showdown with fellow-New Zealand heavyweight Shane Cameron.
Waikato Stadium was today named as the venue for the June 6 fight, with capacity for up to 18,000 fans, most of whom will be in grandstand seating.
Organisers said there would be 4000 ringside seats which, like the ring, would be covered by a custom-made shelter, while the rest of the field would be taken up by marquees for corporate hospitality.
Tua is an Aucklander and said he was disappointed the contest - marketed as "New Zealand's Fight of the Century" - couldn't be held in his home town.
But he was happy with the venue chosen, playfully mocking the faux pas he once made during an appearance on a game show.
"Waikato - it's an O for Awesome place," he said.
"For me, it's connecting the dots. It's time for me to revisit where it all started as an amateur fighter. That's where I won my first New Zealand title as a lightweight."
Tua, 36, said he could still remember that tournament, held at the Te Rapa Racecourse when he was about 10 or 11, "just like yesterday".
"I caught up with a couple of the friends that I fought with on the Manukau team down at the nationals," he said.
"We started talking about it, and today it's come to light that the fight will be in Hamilton. It was down at the racecourse and I'm sure I'm going to go down and visit that place."
While Tua was at the news conference to announce the venue, Cameron was absent.
Cameron is in training for a "homecoming" bout in Gisborne next week against American Robert Davis.
Duco Events, the Tua-Cameron fight promoter, said it also looked at options in Auckland and Wellington.
Duco spokesman Ian Fraser said the decision to go for Hamilton was based on more than just the level of sponsorship offered, citing "respect" as a key reason.
"Above all, it was vital that the host city partner demonstrated respect for a landmark event that will focus the enthusiasm and the passion of the country," he said.
"On all counts, Hamilton emerged clearly as our first choice."
Fraser said Duco, and not Hamilton City Council, was the promoter.
That made the event different from the visit of David Beckham and the LA Galaxy soccer team in December, which left the Auckland Regional Council with a $1.79 million loss.
- NZPA
