Fast forward ahead to next year. V. Klit is retired. Haye is no longer champ, being dethroned by Joe Blogs. W. Klit says there's no one else to fight, and considers retirement. Who will reign after this? And I can see Tua in the mix.
I don't see him in the mix as Barrett could be his last fight. If its not, then what we have to look forward to is him fighting one or two more bums at the most, then off into oblivion. Beating Barrett won't earn him a title shot and he surely won't fight a top fighter after that. So at best if he fights two more bums we then have the usual stalling, inactivety, promoter problems, money issues, people afraid of him talk, as to why he can't get a fight. Instead of actually manning up and fighting someone. I am more inclined to believe he loses his WBO rankings through inactivety next year, rather than the WBO forcing a mandatory. If by chance he wakes up tomorrow and starts calling everyone out and arranging fights in parking lots just to prove he's the toughest mo'fo out there at the moment, I'm right behind him. But it is just not likely to happen.
There's a clear pathway Bopper. He fights Barrett, the second MTV fight. He then fights a Barrett look-a-like in August, which completes his MTV contract. Now it's time to get serious. Either Wlad gives him a crack at the end of the year, first of next year, or the IBF and WBO order a Tua vs Peter eliminator. Wlad has no one left to fight. Peter knocked him down 3X, and that's appealing for a rematch. Or Tua KO's Peter, and he's the Second Coming.
Agreed Diehard. Tua is no way going to waste the next 2 years. This is it - and he knows it and talks about it and acts like it. He has to get that Maori TV contract done and then we'll see a huge step up At least I hope all of that!!!
Since a former crusier with a s0-so chin is one of the champs, and since Vitaly is about to relinquish one of the belts, I would say he has a good chance. Its not een out of the realm of possibility that he could beat Wlad, though its unlikely.
If he keeps busy and if he keeps (gets?) in shape. He needs to have something lined up after the Barrett fight already. Tua has very little time left and can't afford to waste a month of it.