Boxing: Tua now the 'Growin' Samoan' for bout against Oquendo

By PETER JESSUP

David Tua has given away weight-wasting because he was short on power when he lost the fights that dropped him down the heavyweight rankings, a mistake he does not want to repeat against Fres Oquendo.

Tua is "in the 250s" in pounds with three weeks to go before he climbs into the ring with the higher-ranked Oquendo.

"I'll be heavier than I was for Byrd [points loss last year, weight 247lb]. I lost too much weight before that and I had no power," he said in Las Vegas yesterday.

Oquendo has an awkward style and Tua's problem has been with awkward styles. The substantially taller Byrd and before that Lennox Lewis kept him at a distance with the jab and the South Aucklander took a pounding and lost on points.

Several things have changed since then.

Tua's promotions company, America Presents, is in serious financial difficulty.

Owner Matt Tinley yesterday signed a deal with promoter Cedric Kushner for the marketing of fights by Kushner's CKM company. Tua is among 42 fighters included in the arrangement.

Tua decided against seeking another trainer when American Presents' Joe Goosen withdrew after a management shuffle, and asked manager Kevin Barry to do the job.

Barry agreed to a one-week trial on condition Tua did what he was told.

"I got him out of bed at 5.30 the next morning to run and he didn't complain, and it's been good as gold since," Barry said.

Tua has copped the nickname "The Growin' Samoan," a twist on the promoters' "The Throwin' Samoan," after going from around the 225lb fight weight against contenders David Izon, Hasim Rahman, Oleg Maskaev and Ike Ibeabuchi, to the mid-to-high 240s before his title bout with Lennox Lewis.

He hit a high of 253lb against Obed Sullivan two years ago.

Oquendo failed to front for boxing's "face-off" photo-opportunity.

But he said "Tua-Time" was all over and declared he would be first to knock Tua out.

"That's beautiful," Tua responded, declaring he would steer clear of the war of words.