Would David Tua struggle in the heavyweight division today?

Hasim Rahman and Fres Oquendo were both in Top Ten. And as you well know, Rahman, Maskaev and Ruiz were all once or future kings.

 

Tua wasn't that much different from Andy Ruiz. More power and maybe a little less skill and handspeed. He'd occupy the same space in rankings (6-8 depending on if Povetkin and Fury count) but might knock out one or two if the top five if given a fight against each of them.

 

Racist. You have a bias towards white fighters.

 

I think there were plenty of times especially after Rooney and even more so after Prison when Tyson didnt show great skill or sharpness at all but Tyson had great speed and attacked with overwheming intensity while Tua was a slow and steady type pressure fighter unless he hurt you

 

Rahman was barely top-10, at the time, if at all, the first time they met - even though, he strangely found himself in the '98 rankings, having been stopped by Tua in that year. The same could describe Oquendo, i.e. low end of the rankings.

Both of these Tua victories relied on late KO power (and, in the case of Rahman I, a punch after the bell, as well as a dubious stoppage) since he was being soundly out-boxed in each case.


Similar circumstances arose in the Maskaev bout - except Maskaev was an unranked, relative pro novice and, moreover, it became apparent that anyone with a bit of dig could KO Maskaev, as his career bore out.

Ruiz was caught cold and had been roughly 5 or 6 years away from being ring ranked.

The fact Tua's unbeaten record came to an end at the hands of an up-and-comer, who he couldn't knock out, in Ibeabuchi, demonstrated his reliance on a KO, to avoid close decision wins, draws or decision losses. He fell foul, in the same manner, against Byrd and similarly in Rahman II.


In addition, since when have caretaking titlist's been described as "kings"?

 

Agreed. His best bet would be a body attack and Tua was good to the body. But, his style and power is not enough to overcome the best of the big men. Especially, since he was not in any way elusive.

 

To rangy and move to much for Tua to get set. Ibeabuchi was right in front of him. Tua prime looks good against fighters with that style. Someone with good movement makes Tua look dog shite imo

 

I think that I am right in saying that only Rahman was ranked by Ring Magazine when Tua beat him, and I don't need to tell you the circumstances.

This makes Tua's resume against people who were key players in the division wafer thin.

I would simply have to favour Joshua, Fury, and Wlad over him and Povetkin if they let him box again.

I wouldn’t bet any money on him beating people like Parker or Ortiz either.

 

No. Or anyway there is not the slightest prima facie reason to suppose he'd struggle any more in more in the current talent pool than he did against the opponents he actually fought.

Why would he?
Because boxing has "evolved"?
Because homo sapiens are so much larger than they were twenty years ago?
Because of advances in "scientific training" and "nutrition"? (I'm never quite sure if "nutrition" is a euphemism for steroids.)

This is my very first post on this forum, and I must say I finally registered after about three years of being content to merely peruse the threads because I could no longer contain my irritation at the fact that so many disputes on these boards could be so easily resolved (and yes I mean conclusively resolved) with a little scientific literacy.

How about this: from now on, whenever someone makes an appeal to "scientific training", either directly or obliquely, they should be immediately challenged to cite actual peers reviewed papers upon which this allegedly scientific training is based.


For what it's worth, the posts of a user by the handle "janitor" are by far the most perceptive and well reasoned I have seen.

 

errata: peer reviewed

 

Lol... No bias here at all.

By your criteria why isn't Wlad at the very least 50/50 if Tua loses to Joshua and against Wilder is 50/50? You're consumed by hate.

 

Top 5 maybe top 3 on a good night... But he could also lose to some fights outside of that heap since he was inconsistent.

 

SPEED, how could I forget? He definitely had speed.