David Tua looked his absolute best the night he fought Ibeabuchi at 235 lbs. Almost every fight after he gained weight and was not as sharp. At 253 lbs he would only be a punching bag to Tyson at or close to his prime which he would be around 216lbs. He may not get knocked down, but the ref would stop the fight within 6rds . And Tua wouldn't protest.
I’m not sure it is possible to expand on that pick. Sure Tua is bigger. He’s a bigger target. It’s not like Tuas going to be harder to reach. Tua is right there. Same height and well within reach. Tyson won’t have to do anything elaborate to hit him. He’s beating him to the draw every time. It’s not stretching up there like Tyson was against a 6’5” guy Like Biggs. Against Biggs Tyson was second guessing every move and out jabbing a much longer guy. Had him walk onto short punches because he knew where Tyrell was going. Tyson will be chopping away at Tua like he did all those guys he beat who had never been knocked out before like Tubbs, Thomas and Holmes..only he’s reaching Tua quicker because he’s not having to work for those openings against longer men. He has a wide target before him. Barring a a freak accident, I don’t think Tyson can lose.
Tyson, but Tua in front of him the whole night with his good chin and power? That might be very interesting.
Tyson by KO- when Tua felt Lennox Lewis power he kept himself at bay- This fight he may have to fight to survive- Tua had power but Tyson had better upper body movement and angles, faster hands so Im thinking Tyson gets him before the 5th
Tua never liked it to the body...he flinched from feather fist Byrd but granted he was already on the decline in that fight........anyway, Tyson would initiate the stoppage with body punches and finishes it up on top, maybe 5 rounds max.
I voted Tua in the end, but there's not much in it. Tyson is the better, faster boxer. Tua is the bigger, tougher brawler. What makes me think that Tua might win is two reasons: 1) Stylistically they both like letting bombs go at close quarters. That means that Tyson is going to take his share of damage as well, and 2) that damage is going to count when the fight gets longer and Tyson slows down. In a nutshell, Tua's chin wins it for him. It's going to be hard to blow a guy like him out. Essentially I view this as kind of the Marciano - Tyson matchup in some ways. Marciano is trying to do what Tyson does except he's giving up like 20lb. Tyson is playing in Tua's playground and he's the little guy here.
tua needs to be like 225 or so. Always did. Or if he was in the shape of a Frazier, 215. That version would be a ton more effective and would have the ability to move his feet. And stay in his range, not the opponents. As for the bout, whichever of these 2 comes in at 253, loses.
Ehhm what?? U´re telling Tua better not equip that 30 pounds to have a "weight advantage" over Tyson? He better not give away those advantage, does he? --->
Silly reason to make a thread. Yes, Tua was even more massive than Tyson, just as Tyson was more massive than Marciano. But aside from the fact that it was a cool 40-45 lbs between prime Rocky and Mike and about 20-25 lbs between prime Mike and prime Tua, he was, just like Rocky, also slower and less skilled than Tyson. Had Tua been faster and more skilled than Mike I would pick him without a moments hesitation. As it is, I do think Tua would be perhaps the most difficult fighter style wise for Mike together with old Foreman, but the gulf in what they actually did in the ring at their best is just too big for me to pick Tua.
I don’t think there is 40-45lb difference between 189lb of Rocky and 216b of Tyson. By my calculations it’s less than 30lb. I don’t think there is only 25lb between prime mike and prime Tua. It depends where you think Tuas prime was. Was Tuas prime around the time he fought Ibeabuchi at 226lb or was it after that point? There is 10lb between Tyson and Tua if we use the weight of the Ibeabuchi fight and the weight of the Biggs fight. In this matchup Tua is 253b and Tyson is 216lb Would you pick Tua if he was faster and more skilled -and lighter though?