On David Tua

I was thirteen when I first witnessed, on television, the KO power of the big hitting Samoan that is David Tua. The victim that night was Cecil Coffee at the ASB stadium in Auckland. The Television – a 1988 model Phillips. The picture was really poor on the old box but you could definitely make out some sort of massive Polynesian thumping a poor guy, who to be honest at the time, I felt very sorry for. I got over it though and was a fan instantaneously. The whole of New Zealand was. Who wouldn’t be? Is it wrong to be visually satisfied from watching a stocky islander belting the living daylights out of every opponent? No, it’s not. I mean, I’m not a sadist, I truly don’t like seeing people getting hurt…..but hell it was just simply entertaining.

I was hooked. (As was Cecil coffee incidentally…he was knocked out by a big left in round one). I followed the career of this Polynesian powerhouse for years. I witnessed the destruction of John Ruiz, which could go down as one of the best knockouts ever. I witnessed the epic fight against Ike Ibeabuchi which broke records for punches thrown for a heavyweight bout. I saw the epic failure against Chris Byrd and the world title shot against Lennox Lewis. I waited during the frustrating court cases that seemed to last an epoch. I think all fans can tell you there wasn’t a more frustrating boxer to follow than David Tua. The “on then off” fight dates. The long rest periods between bouts.

Sixteen years on and have we got a new, potentially dangerous David Tua? Was the draw with Monte Barrett the end of the road or merely a flat tyre? If it’s the latter, then he’d better get out his spare and jack because time is running out for the Tuaman/Terminator/Tuamanator? (He’s had more names than fights in the last few years)


When David Tua fought his comeback fight against New Zealander Shane Cameron late last year he genuinely didn’t like the guy. You could tell, and it certainly showed in the ring. The angry David Tua showed up. He hit Shane Cameron with such intention, as if he’d been given Original Recipe Chicken instead of the Hot and Spicy. He was mad and it was great to see. I thought the Tuamanator was back. I thought he entertaining knockout artist had re-emerged to possibly shake things up. Unfortunately, Tua fans know too well, that for every three or four great David Tua performances there is always the lumbering, plodding David Tua around the corner.



That’s the Tua that fought Monte Barrett. The David Tua that looked as if he’d rather be lying in a hammock than laying people out. Honestly, he didn’t look like he wanted to hit the guy. It was frustrating; it was almost as if he liked him too much. There was no killer instinct. I thought about the Adam Sandler movie “The water Boy” – maybe he should have visualised Kevin Barry’s head with big dollar signs in his eyes in place of Monte Barrett’s. That would have got him angry. Some say he had a shoulder injury – who knows. All I know is he may have blown his last chance of fighting again for the heavyweight belt.

I constantly hear reports from Tua fans, that the poor performance and knockdown against Barrett has actually made him more attractive to Klitschko. This is wishful thinking I feel. It’s trying to make chicken salad out of you know what. There is no way the loss to Barrett did anything to improve his claim to a title shot. I hear Tua fans tell me “if Shannon Briggs can get a shot - why not Tua”. Simple. Briggs has more marketability in the States than Tua. Tua’s poor showing against Barrett didn’t do anything to raise awareness. Quite simply, all Tua had to do was beat Monte Barrett and he'd be talked about alot more, raised his profile and almost guaranteed a shot against Klitschko. (Despite the draw with Monte Barrett he is still WBO#2). Saying that, I’m not ruling out David Tua getting a shot at Wladimir Klitschko (he has mentioned him as a possible opponent in December and he hasn’t been ruled out). Stranger things have happened.

If the unexpected happens and Tua gets the opportunity to fight Wladimir Klitschko for the heavyweight title, I won’t be able to ignore the niggling thought in the back of my mind. Has he deserved it? I’m not at liberty to say if he has or not. Sure he’s got a great record and beaten some good fighters in the past and I guess if the opportunity arises you’ve got to take it. When will he get another chance if it’s not now? Wether I feel he deserves a shot at Wladimir Klitschko or not – I won’t lie....I’d love to see it. I think every boxing fan deep down wants to see David Tua fight Wladimir Klitschko. Why? Because it’s different. Sure all boxing pundits will tell us he has no chance against a guy as tall and skilled as Wladimir Klitschko. Sure we all can predict Tua’s face will be jabbed more than a junkie’s arm, and lose a decision as lopsided as Pamela Anderson. But maybe, just maybe the angry David Tua, the KO hungry David Tua that has given us so much entertainment over the past twenty years will show up, get inside Wladimir and give him one hell of a fight.