I apologize if this has been posted. I did a search and didn't find anything. This documentary was filmed right before his fight with Lennox Lewis in 2000. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjmjyt6vfF0[/ame]
What ashame that guy. Look at him in that video funny hair and fat think it says it all. A far cry from the fighting machine that faced Ike Ibeabuchi. Too bad he didnt challenge for the title earlier, but noone wanted to fight him.
I wish Ibeabuchi had gotten the decision against Tua & not went to prison... then he could've gave Lewis a nice exciting title defense with 12 rounds of action.
Wow. It looks like Tua's corner weren't exaggerating the rib injury. It could have had an impact on David during the fight, particularly when Lennox hit him in the body. This content is protected GIFSoup
Tua was in over his head against Lewis. We all knew it. But it was a good fight, and Dave was an exciting contender. But I've been in with both for a decent amount of rounds, and Lennox is just a lot better. Comparable power, as well. David could have gone further then he did, but not much: He simply wasn't one of the best two or three guys in the division, and wouldn't have ever gotten to be The Man. He was an exciting contender/fringe contender for as long as he was fighting though, and boxing needs em. I just wish he hadn't shown out two losses to Monte Barrett recently...Losing to a lesser ranked heavyweight who was never as good as you prime for prime and is more shot than you are looks awful.
Interesting perspective and thoughts. I always thought even Duva may not have been the ideal manager for the guy. And that was as good as it ever got. I would have liked to have seen him w/ a disciplinarian like a Davenport maybe or later on a Sdunek type. you know, the trainers that always had their guys in top shape. Keep David at 210 to 215 and keep that quickness and then just work on mobility. I'm hardly his biggest supporter, but DKP would have been a much better route to take. Man, just look what they did with that Ruiz career. They could have and would have steered him to the face first easy to hit guys for fights. No Ibeabuchi, but an Alex Stewart instead. No good defenses to penetrate and certainly no Larry Donald types. More like guys right in front of him like a Morrison. Joe Hipp. Ruiz and guys like that walk in. Facing those types, we are talking about a champion and not the underachiever. Tough sport when management is not 100% and that is a common denominator with all the woulda coulda shoulda guys.
As much as people said Tua was like Tyson he wasnt even close. Tua would get stuck on the end of the most limited of fighters jabs. See Jeff Wooden, David Izon, Hasim Rahman etc. Tua was just too limited with his punches. His overhand right was just fair so all you had to look out for was the lefthook. That was never going to be good enough to beat Lennox Lewis. Tuas best attribute was his fitness and determination coupled with his power. It allowed him to win all those fights he was trailing on but once he let that go, he was just an ordinary slugger with little more than a powerful lefthook. Lewis didnt fight the best version of Tua but he probably would have always beaten him.
Ike wasn't ready for Tua that's why team Tua took the fight. It was surprising. Ike definitely wasn't ready for Lewis either. Holyfield was the target and that's why King got him. He needed a young heavy to replace Holyfield.