Paul Lewis: Cancellation will stymie Tua comeback

David Tua needs to start generating interest in the US. Photo / Getty Images

David Tua's decision to pull out of the Bruce Seldon fight in February because of his sick mother will not help his comeback.

While Tua's mother is the major reason for the decision, there are understood to be other factors and the net result - no fight in February in the US - will not hasten Tua's efforts to get back towards the top of the world heavyweight boxing scene.

His next fight will now be against Friday Ahunanya in a yet-to-be-announced New Zealand venue in March. However the Seldon fight would have helped awaken consciousness of Tua in the US, still the biggest and most important boxing market in the world in spite of the domination of the heavyweight division by Europeans.

Seldon, 43, although regarded as an easy stepping stone for Tua, was nonetheless a former world champion and a name recognised by fight fans. The sad truth is that while the Tua-Shane Cameron fight was a big deal in New Zealand, it stirred only minor interest in the US.

Ideally, Tua's promoter Cedric Kushner would have ridden on the coattails of the victory over Cameron to arrange a fight with a leading US contender - and a fight with Chris Arreola, the 28- year-old US heavyweight well beaten by Vitali Klitchsko in a WBC title fight in September, was a possibility. If Tua could have beaten Arreola, the possibility of a title fight would have been much closer.

However, the Arreola fight did not happen because of a lack of money. Affecting that was Tua's broadcast deal with Maori TV who own the New Zealand broadcast rights to Tua's next three fights for a comparatively paltry sum.

In theory, Kushner should be able to tee up a bout for Tua in the US with a separate broadcast arrangement and fee. However, these days the heavyweight boxing scene is just as affected by financial realities as any other and the broadcast fees in a home market can be important.

Promoters always try to maximise income streams and if a fight is to happen, all the financial planets and stars need to be in alignment.

Add to that the fact that Tua is a dangerous opponent. Getting smacked to the canvas by the powerful Samoan is not a recommended career move and opponents'managers will look at the money while assessing their fighters' chances against Tua. If the money isn't right, the risk won't be either - and that's how the Maori TV deal may be affecting Tua's comeback hopes.

Ironically, it was only Maori TV agreeing to release Tua from his broadcast deal (as long as they got the next three of his fights) that allowed the Tua-Cameron fight to take place. Also ironically, Maori TV have also been among those in the Tua camp wondering if Seldon was an opponent worthy of Tua.

Now that fight has gone west and the avuncular Kushner faces extracting Tua from the Seldon fight. He will be suspected of pulling out because he got a better deal - which does not appear to be the case – and even though Kushner is regarded in boxing circles as a man of his word, boxing's gossips will mutter and make a new match-up that bit more difficult.

Kushner, speaking after the announcement of Tua's fights against Sheldon, Ahunanya and a third, as yet unnamed, fighter in Honolulu, spoke openly about the trickiness of arranging fights and the need to balance a whole raft of issues. Kushner is proven at the business of broking fights but he has a hard job here.

The fact remains that the Tua train has so far rolled on only one station since Cameron - and that a fight with Friday Ahunanya who, difficult as he may be, cannot be described as a top liner.