Tua wrangle set to go another round

The lawyer for David Tua's former managers Kevin Barry and Martin Pugh says a High Court ruling in favour of the boxer is not a setback for his clients.

In a ruling released on Monday, Justice Hugh Williams said Tua had effectively been his own manager since October 10, 2003, when he fell out with Barry and Pugh and tried to end their business relationship.

However, Justin Toebes, lawyer for Barry and Pugh, said the substantive issues of whether the contract was ended legally, and of whether his clients owe Tua money, were still to be decided.

"What we would like now is for a hearing on all the substantive issues to be held some time this year so we can all put this behind us," Mr Toebes said.

He said the decision about whether Tua had been his own manager since October 2003 was relatively unimportant to the case.

"The issue is whether the order of notice to terminate the contract in October 2003 was properly or not properly given," he said.

He said the other substantive issue was the state of money in the company's account. Tua claims he is owed money by Barry and Pugh, Mr Toebes said.

"I believe the amount he is claiming is about $1.7 million." Mr Toebes said the two parties were due to have a legal conference on February 15 to determine dates for hearings.

Monday's ruling also leaves in place caveats over a house belonging to Pugh's girlfriend on Auckland's North Shore, and over money from sale of a beachfront property at Pakiri, north of Auckland.

Tua's lawyer Luke Kemp said the decision was significant in two ways. "One David will feel better, he's got a family to feed and I suppose it has also an ongoing effect on the litigation about the things that aren't resolved - it removes one thing from the table," he told Newstalk ZB.

Mr Kemp said an application for legal costs would be made.

Tua told Newstalk ZB he was delighted with the result. "I'm blessed that this has happened at a time when I've got a good three to five years to really go for it."

- NZPA