Boxing: Tua pushing for title fight

By PETER JESSUP

Roy Jones jnr looks set to walk away from his WBA heavyweight world title belt and David Tua could fight for it later this year.

Tua's management is pressing the organisation to strip Jones because he is doing a deal to fight Antonio Tarver at light-heavyweight for the WBC and IBF belts in that division.

Tua, as highest-ranked fighter with the organisation, would fight the next-listed. That's Hasim Rahman, who has told Tua's management he was not interested in a rematch after their draw.

Then comes former champ John Ruiz, followed by Mike Tyson. Ruiz is in the throes of a messy divorce and apparently in no fit state to fight.

The same might be said of Tyson, who would not be allowed to fight in Las Vegas and possibly elsewhere, because of his precarious mental condition.

Vitali Klitschko, 2.03m (6ft 8in) to Tua's 1.78m (5ft 10in), is at No 6 but Tua's manager Kevin Barry said they would "take that fight in a heartbeat." Evander Holyfield, recovering from shoulder surgery, is No 8.

"Jones has indicated he doesn't want to fight Dave," Barry said, "that the belt means nothing to him and he's looking for a big payday."

Ruiz looked a possibility and they would try to force the WBA to call a purse bid for that fight, for the title.

"People who wouldn't fight him normally will be interested in fighting him for the title," Barry said.

They had spoken to Tyson's new manager, who goes by the single name Zip, and had a positive response. Tyson is also looking at fighting on the lucrative K1 boxing/martial arts card in Japan.

Jones is apparently about to announce he will fight Tarver, a southpaw known as 'The Magic Man," who has only one defeat in 22 bouts. Rumours say the fight could be in Nairobi.