Boxing: Tua takes five before the big one

By PETER JESSUP

David Tua slipped from the hype of Las Vegas to the home life of South Auckland yesterday, with his promoters going into overdrive as the man himself took a one-day break.

The heavyweight boxer's stocks have risen considerably with his 51s win over Obed Sullivan on Sunday. Several rival groups are now likely to bid to stage Tua's November world title shot against Lennox Lewis.

The fight will be on November 11, with the venue to be determined. Tua and his management are keen on another fight at the Las Vegas MGM Grand hotel/casino. New York's Madison Square Garden and London are other possibilities.

Tua's backers, America Presents, were yesterday talking to Lewis' manager, Panos Eliades, but AP vice-president Dan Goosen did not believe a deal was imminent.

There are television contracts and a pay-to-view split to be decided, plus the venue and split of the gate. Challengers generally get 25 per cent and defenders 75.

When Tua fought Michael Grant, the American was paid around $US4 million. Tua has a better record, plus the No 1 ranking for the International Boxing Federation, and the mandatory bout that brings, so Grant's paypacket is likely to be Tua's starting point for negotiations.

Anything up to double that is on the cards if the fight is put to "purse bid," like an auction for fight rights.

"Everyone in the industry knew David Tua was the cream of the young heavyweights - now the public knows it, too," said Goosen.

America Presents was pushing his name and face with the line "the young Mike Tyson." Goosen admitted there was no comparison morally between Tyson, a convicted rapist, and the God-fearing, family-loving Tua.

"I hate to compare the two that way, but it's a good comparison in fight terms, to tell people how good a fighter Tua is," Goosen said. "The people of New Zealand and Samoa should be proud. He is the future of the heavyweight division.

"There is not an offence out there that David Tua cannot open up, including Lennox Lewis."

Of Lewis' height and reach advantage, Goosen said: "David Tua doesn't have to be looking at his hairdo or his eyeballs. Tua will be looking straight at his chin, and that's all he needs to see."

Tua's past early-round knockouts had led to a perception that he had got lucky with big punches a couple of times, Goosen said, and America Presents was out to tell the fans that the Sullivan result proved Lewis could go the same way.

"With that left hook David's got, we're going to get lucky a lot."

Tua will be in Auckland until June 18, with plenty of family time to compensate for all the weeks away training. His manager, Kevin Barry, gave him yesterday off after the flight home, but the pair will be back in the gym today.

They have his pre-Sullivan fight camp venue, Prince Ranch, just outside Las Vegas, booked until the end of July as he builds to his last assignment before meeting Lewis.

The opponent will be announced in a week, and is likely to be another from the America Presents stable - and not one who will interfere with his title run. The plan is to work Tua up in sparring rather than in contest.

AP's opposition, Showtime, wanted to take Tua and Barry on the New York promo circuit, but Tua's response was that they could go to New York any time. Yesterday was time for family.

"David couldn't have made a bigger impact in the States," Barry said of the Sullivan result. "We believe Lewis is trapped now. He can't say Dave isn't in his class, he can't back out of the fight."

Lewis, too, has one more bout, against South African "White Buffalo" Frans Botha on July 15, Botha having earlier gone down to Michael Grant.

Lewis was ringside for that fight and would not have been troubled by what he saw Botha put up.