I have to go with Tua on the basis of being more proven. He's got Rahman, Ruiz, Maskaev, and an aged Moorer on his win list and was never stopped despite taking the best from Lewis and Ibeabuchi. Stiverne hasn't had many fights and has only beaten Chris Areola which I think was a matter of 1. a good styles matchup and 2. Areola not being very good to begin with.
Tua never beat Rahman fair and square. He lost almost every round of that fight before getting that cheap shot KO. If he was forced to fight by the rules that would have been loss whether by DQ or points.
Prime Tua. Stiverne has a chin though so a decisaion wouldn't be unheard of. Stiverne would beat a fat Tua though.
Okay fine. Dock him for the Rahman fight and he still has Ruiz, Maskaev and Moorer ( aged ) which is still better than anything Stiverne has.
Rahman was ripped off in the 2nd Tua fight, Tua ate leather all night long but those corrupt a$$hole judges somehow gave the fight to Tua:-( In the 1st fight, i thought Tua cheap shotted him after the bell, but got the benefit of the doubt there also:-(. From what i have seen of Stiverne so far which isn't much i would call this a 50-50 pick em fight, it's KINDA UNFAIR TO COMPARE A RETIRED GUY TO A MAN WHO'S IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS CAREER, Stiverne still has a few good years ahead of him if he wants to go on?
I actually favor Stiverne. He has a jab usually (but not on Saturday), chin, and stamina. I think it would be a tough task for Tua, sort of like Rahman was. Stiverne would lose if he didn't jab.
Its debatable on weather or not David Tua was truly elite, but regardless of weather he was or wasn't, you pretty much HAD to be an elite fighter to beat him in his prime. Ike, Byrd and Lewis made that cut in my eyes, or lets just say that Chris and Ike were at least on the border. Stiverne is good. He turned pro at a late age and has shown some skills. but he didn't peak until his mid thirties. Suffered a TKO loss to Demetrice King early, which I believe was on cuts. His performances against Areola were excellent but against more of a fringe guy if truth be told. Anything can happen but on the surface I can't see why anyone would favor Stiverne.
You write that like Tua didn't need come from behind stoppages to beat Oquendo and Rahman. Maskaev and Izon caused him some trouble too, although my memories of those fights are faded.
Irrelevant.. The men who ACTUALLY defeated him at his best were primarily elite. And as I clearly stated in my opening sentence, " its debatable on weather or not Tua was elite himself." Therefore I am not making a case for him being an upper echelon participant of any era, but a man who's track record is more proven than Stiverne's. If you think Stiverne beating Chris Areola trumps anything that Tua did, then by all means make your case.