Peter Jessup: This bout won't come out swinging

It's hard to think of a more misguided title for the Tua-Cameron bout than that which the promoters have come up with.

Even in a sport known for extravagant exaggeration, the moniker "Fight of the Century" is over the top.

For a start, the century is just nine-and-a-bit-years old.

Secondly, this fight promises the same outcome as the Tua-Lennox Lewis contest in Las Vegas in 2000 - a boring 12-round draw.

Tua has not fought since September 7, 2007 when he beat Cerrone Fox in the second minute of the second round.

The delay until October caused by Cameron's hand injury and then a change of venue to Mystery Creek, which was announced yesterday because of rugby scheduling at Waikato Stadium, will do nothing to help his cause in terms of ring fitness.

Fox had a record of eight wins and nine losses and that is typical of the calibre of "fighter" Tua has faced since 2005. Prior to that was Saul Montana, 38, (49 wins and 15 losses), KOd in round one and Robert Hawkins, age 39, (23 and 13), Maurice Wheeler, age 39, (10-12); Edward Gutierrez, age 43, (15-7) and Cisse Salif, age 38, (23-14).

The pattern here is that Tua has not fought a "real" opponent since he signed a big-money deal with promoter Cedric Kushner in 2005, two years after the split with former manager and trainer Kevin Barry and the accountant Martin Pugh who was brought into the business not too long before the trouble started between fighter and management.

Kushner has a multimillion-dollar reason to get Tua in the ring, but not against anyone who might beat him.

Consider that Kushner's company was once called Zenascent, then Cedric Kushner Promotions, then CK Rush and now Gotham Boxing. And also that he admitted in court to having paid US$100,000 ($180,500) in bribes to the president of the International Boxing Federation to manipulate the rankings which determine who gets title bouts.

Tua went without a loss as a professional for many years and it was towards the end that he collected the three losses and a draw that make his record 49-3-1. He had a two-year break from the ring after the split with Barry and Pugh. Too often he succumbed to the feting he would receive at villages in his native Samoa and too often that meant roast suckling pig.

Cameron meanwhile has amassed a creditable record of 23 wins (20 KOs) and one loss since turning professional in 2002, fighting mostly tough opponents bar the podgy Brazilian Jucinor Hipolito who was called up late.

His problem is injury and cuts.

But Cameron is 188cm tall and his reach is 187cm while Tua has 178cm in height and reach.

Cameron is a boxer, something that Tua never was - he's a fighter, a street brawler with a phenomenal knockout punch.

Cameron is 31, fit and cut like a proper fighter, whereas Tua at age 36 is way slower than he once was and unlikely to get down to a weight where he might be quick enough to get inside the taller man's guard. He was never a good trainer.

There is no chance he can regain the speed and power he once had, let alone the hunger for boxing.

The likelihood is that Cameron will dance backwards around the ring, jabbing at Tua to keep him outside the distance where he can deliver his trademark knockout left hook. He'll earn enough points to win simply because Tua will not be able to hit him.

The Cameron camp has wanted this fight since 2006. It wasn't until both fighters were guaranteed an equal payout of $500,000 that contracts were signed - so the best result for the backers is a rematch.

It seems highly unlikely that this fight will do anything to resurrect the reputation of professional boxing, which is in tatters here and throughout the rest of the world.