Tua vs Joshua (Tua by KO) Tua vs Wilder (Tua by decision or even TKO) Tua vs Fury (Fury by decision) Tua vs Ruiz would be a interesting fight. (Pick'em giving Tua the edge)
Tua was a plodder who was easily tamed by a jab and some movement. Oleg/Izon/Wooden/Oquendo/Rahman all boxed his head off until they tired and his power bailed him out except vs Wooden. He probaly would follow AJ around until the Bodybuilder gasses and then its lights out, plus AJ does not have a meaningful jab at ll. Tua would get white washed against Fury, he would not put a glove on him. Wilder would jab his head off similar to the Stiverne fight, except Wilder does not gas, let Tua have a couple of right hands similar to what Lennox did and Tua will go into his shell and happily loose a wide decsion. Tua never ever won a belt......that was time when Morrison, Grandpa Foreman, Glass chinned Moorer, Botha, Ruiz and the rest of the cannon fodder collected belts while the One trick Pony could never get even close to win one. A good contender but nothing special.
Beat a few belt holders though.. Was a little unlucky to fight them when they didn't have a belt Tua didn't help himself stacking on all that weight.. The 220 pound wrecking ball I would pick over aj n wilder.. Doubt he would get near fury though
AJ is a far better boxer than Tua, Ruiz`s handspeed bothered him because he was punching with him, Tua never tried that once with Lewis, Ruiz would done better v Lewis because he threw more punches at AJ.
Tua is a nightmare for Joshua because Joshua struggles with shorter fighters and doesn‘t use his reach advantage. I don‘t know why Wilder and Fury get always mentioned in a thread about Joshua. Wilder and Fury would beat Tua because both fight TALL and know how to utilize their reach advantage. Just read the post from @sauhund II because it would be exactly like he said.
In his prime no one (except Lennox and Chris Byrd, two masterful boxers) were able to outbox him and keep him off for an entire fight. No matter how bad he was being outboxed, eventually he got you. The third person was Ike, who quite frankly was just as much of a tank as Tua and despite Ike winning, Tua gave him brain damage. Joshua never showed a boxing mind as sharp as Lennox or Byrd's and never showed he was the tank that Ike was. Tua by vicious tko 10 after being dominated on the scorecards.
We re talking 1997 prime Tua who threw nearly 1000 punches vs Ike,he walks down Fury hammers his body and finishes him late,Fury doesnt hit hard enough to keep him off. Add an ATG chin into the mix and sure Tua will eat leather but hes left hooking the gypsy king into oblivion. If Steve Cunningham can drop Fury,Tuas blasting him out. Not so certain about Wilder,Wilder fights long and does have power.
Fury is far better now than when he fought Cunningham, his active guard is amazing he`d keep Tua guessing with his eratic movement and jab, he slips punches far better than Lewis did, Lewis would have got hit more by Wilder and Wlad than Fury did.