Why Didn't David Tua Have More Success?

Great

 

Too short for his era, too fat for his height.

I attended the Lewis-Tua fight. His fans traveled. If he would've won a title, he'd have been a very popular champion.

 

One dimensional, predictable, no footspeed and lazy. Combine these traits with being short and fat then you have your answer.

 

Lazy

 

No, it was a lack of skill, he just wasn't good enough.

 

You cite a lack of boxing IQ...lack of motivation....and yet some folks here have him steamrolling some of the all time great champs!!!

 

A few things that were probably already mentioned. Got way to heavy. Should have stayed in the 210-220
Range. Think that restricted his movement which later hurt his defense and offense. also think he never learned how to cut off a ring properly. He def took some things from Tyson Frazier and Marciano but he didn’t learn to control distance the way they did or throw opponents off balance by applying the kind of pressure they did. Wether that be pushing opponents back so they can’t set or using angles they just did it better. He had the tools imo but maybe better coaching would have helped.

 

Some of it was mental. Against Lewis, he basically ditched his plan after four rounds instead of having a gruelling/high risk fight with a chance of making Lewis gas out and get caught late.

And he totally blew it in the Rahman rematch, which wouldve earned him a paper title shot.

On the other hand, he put up a decent fight against Byrd but just wasn't the better man on that night.