David Tua is one tough fighter, so is Oscar Ringo Bonavena. On Sept 20 1966, Ringo had Smoking Joe Frazier down twice before being on the short end of a split decision loss to Joe. Oscar lost a 15 round verdict to Jimmy Ellis, in Dec 1967, even tasted the canvas. Bonavena went 15 with Frazier in a rematch on Dec 10 1968, he lost.Then he was stopped by a past his prime come backing Muhammad Ali, on Dec 7 1970, in round 15. A very brutal fight here, Tua can hit very hard, but Oscar has tasted punches from great fighters. I see very anxious moments for Oscar, but he pounds out a very close decision, it looks like Oscar's decision win in 1966, against durable George Chuvalo.
It's a tough one to pick for me tbh. We know that Tua can get a little over rated but he's not facing an all time great here. But he's facing a tough, rugged, afraid of no one Bonavena. So it s not a blow out for Tua imo but I do think he gets a decision over him. But it wouldn't surprise me either if Oscar got himself a point s decision, Tua wasn't unbeatable. I'm picking Tua Richard but with no great certainty.
Ali floored him3 times and ko'd him,Ellis dropped him and Folley dropped him ,but Tua ,who hit harder than any of them can't?Yes makes sense.
He has tasted punches from fighters who were not great punchers and been floored and in one case ko'd.Nobody floored a primeTua. He has every advantage here chin,size,and power.
Right Richard...Tua wimped out vs Lennox Lewis,...and never even mastered a mediocrity like Rahman, whereas Oscar gave the best of his generation all they could handle...nearly stopped stopped Frazier, battled on toughness and heart alone vs Ali,...had the versatility to surprise everyone with the strategy he used vs Chuvalo...with only Jimmy Ellis really outclassing him. I can't see Tua distinguishing himself in any way like that. Speaking of Frazier, Oscar showed in their first bout that he had the capacity to do well vs short fighters...that he had a reverse gear and a surprisingly good sense of distance, when Smokin Joe was routinely chewing up and spitting out other fighters. If The Great Monte Barrett could deck Tua, I think Oscar could as well...after all, he arguably had Chuvalo down legitemately at least once. Oscar, I feel, would foil Tua's plans and be his usual unpredictable self in winning a close decision.
Wasn't Tua around 37 when he got dropped by Barrett? Something along those lines. It really was back end of his career. A prime Tua would have shrugged em off and destroyed him.
Oscar was one knockdown away in the 2nd round. Wouldn't you say that was cutting it awfully close? I have no idea how old Tua was...could he have been in any way significantly old? I don't think that's an excuse or a defense for Tua.
Yes I think a fighter being several years past prime and over his best weight is a significant factor.
