Boxing: Verbal sparring for Tua corner

By PETER JESSUP

David Tua's camp has reacted to the anti-Tua outpourings from new world heavyweight boxing champ Hasim Rahman with disdain in what promises to be the first of many verbal bouts.

Rahman has said he will never fight Tua. In response, the Tua corner say they would be happy to walk off with Rahman's title without a fight, because that is what their mandatory challenge position allows.

"If I was Hasim Rahman, I wouldn't want to fight David Tua again either," manager Kevin Barry said.

Rahman said he would never give Tua a title shot after Tua denied him a re-match after their 1998 fight.

"He's already felt David's power," Barry said. "David was the first person to expose Rahman."

Their clash ended in controversy when Rahman accused Tua of stunning him with a blow delivered after the bell, then finishing him off in the 10th and last round.

Rahman was later knocked out by Oleg Maskaev and sat down by Cory Sanders.

Maskaev was also beaten by Tua.

"If Rahman is still the champ when our mandatory comes up, we'll strip him [of the title]," Barry said, but he felt it would not come to that.

Barry is in Las Vegas to seek an opponent for Tua and to find a new base. The team want to shift from Prince Ranch where Tua, when he was last there, helped a man who was fatally mauled by a tiger.

The boxing authorities, promoters and critics "all say we're in a very solid position," Barry said of Tua's No 1 challenger position with the International Boxing Federation.

"We're right in the mix. I think before the end of the year we'll have big things in place."

There is no rush to sign an opponent for an interim fight as the camp wait to see if Rahman makes a deal with Mike Tyson, the No 1 for the World Boxing Council. Tyson has filed suit in a Manhattan court to force Rahman's hand.

Tua flies to Los Angeles today and will have a range of tests to gauge how his diet and supplements programme is working as he aims for his prime weight of 235lb before his next fight, expected in July.

He heads for Vegas tomorrow to resume training with Joe Goosen.