David Tua Looks to Turn a New Page
With a professional record of 51-3 (43), David Tua is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. The problem is that most boxing insiders haven’t thought about Tua for some time.
Tua was once one of the more competent heavyweights in the world, but he withdrew from boxing two years ago after a discord with his managers. It wasn’t expected that he’d return, in part because of his age and due to the fact that he hadn’t had a significant victory since defeating Michael Moorer in 2002.
But he’s back, and fighting his way towards a successful comeback, with his sights on the heavyweight title that remained out of his grasp in his prime. On Saturday night he takes on Monte Barrett in his third tune-up fight in Atlantic City, N.J.
“I want to enjoy each fight one at a time,” the Samoan-born resident of New Zealand said recently. “I’m in a real good place mentally, physically, spiritually. That’s how I’m going to approach the great sport of boxing from this point on. And, yes, I have dreams and hopes of getting another opportunity to challenge for a world title and hopefully win it but I know that’s not possible if I don’t win the fight in front of me.”
Tua isn’t lying. This is his last stunt at lasting success, and he’s sure not going to go out without a fight.
In the early 2000s, Tua was widely regarded as one of the best heavyweights in the world, knocking out no less than four former heavyweight champions in John Ruiz, Oleg Maskaev, Michael Moorer, and Hasim Rahman.
In his only title shot against Lennox Lewis, Tua lost a 12-round decision in which he was unable to take any of the steam out of Lewis. While he regrets the outcome of the fight, he equally acknowledges it today as a necessary career builder.
He said: “I believe more importantly than all of the other things that it wasn’t my time. I really believe that because if things would have gone my way I really believe me and you wouldn’t be talking right now, and more importantly, I believe I would have lost my identity.
"When I was away from the game through other managerial problems, I looked back at that title fight and I thank God that it didn’t go my way. I don’t want to say it in the sense that I’m ungrateful or any other things because I love the sport of boxing and I’ve always appreciated and respected the support of the fans. But for me, Lennox was one of those great champions of that time.”
The graciousness of Tua is something that has been present since the early stages of his career. It continues to deepen as he becomes wiser with age.
While Tua is unwilling to get into the nature of the managerial dispute that ended his run the first time around, many believe it was sparked by money. If so, it would fall into a long line of boxing disputes related to trainers and fighters. At any rate, it seems to have taken a toll on Tua, who says that at one point he didn’t know himself if he’d ever get back into the boxing ring.
“I didn’t ever think I’d see the light at the end of the tunnel. I never thought I’d be able to break through to the other side, so it’s quite humbling to be speaking to you and talking about boxing. It’s a great honor to be given a second chance.”
With two wins since his return, bets are on Tua winning. A victory would make him a prime contender and bring a freshness to the division that has been notably absent for some time.
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