Boxing: Critics warned of law action

David Tua. Photo / Kenny Rodger

Angry promoter Cedric Kushner says he will be consulting a lawyer tomorrow to investigate legal action against critics who hinted that corruption may have played a role in the controversial draw between heavyweight boxers David Tua and Monte Barrett in Atlantic City last weekend.

As Kushner (who is said to have lost about $100,000 on the fight) examines his legal options, new evidence is starting to emerge that may help to explain Tua's lacklustre performance.

An injured shoulder, thought to be a rotator cuff problem, may have robbed Tua of some of his power - although Kushner was adamant the injury was not being brought forward "as an excuse. The truth is that he didn't have a great night, that's all."

Tua saw a doctor after the fight to have his shoulder examined - but carried the shoulder problem into the fight.

Asked why Tua appeared down on power and unable to knock Barrett out, even acknowledging Barrett's clever boxing, Kushner said that Tua had cried off from a sparring session before the fight with the sore shoulder.

"I showed up at the gym about 10 days before the fight for David's second-to-last sparring session. But he didn't spar that day - because he said his shoulder was hurting him.

Asked if the shoulder could have drained Tua of some power, Kushner said: "I believe that is likely - but I find it impressive that David himself is not offering it as an excuse."

Kushner also said: "I have to say I was a bit surprised [when Tua hung back after hurting Barrett earlier in the fight instead of pressing on with a flurry of blows].

"I don't know why that happened. I thought at the time that he was waiting for the next round but when that came and went, well, I was a bit surprised. I will say that Barrett tied David up very well and boxed him well.

"If David sustained another injury to the shoulder in the fight itself, well, that could have impacted everything - but the key thing was the referee awarding that point in the last round [when a frustrated Tua threw Barrett to the ground]. That shouldn't have happened. Without that, David wins the fight."

Another reason could have been Tua's aerobic fitness. Crack fitness trainer Lee Parore trained Tua before the Shane Cameron fight when Tua was in prime condition and simply exploded with power. However, with much reduced purses and money tighter against Friday Ahunanya and Barrett, Parore was not retained.

Aerobic fitness could explain why Tua looked sharp and boxed well for the first few rounds, but then slipped into puzzling, comparative quietness and hesitation. Even though Tua looked ripped and strong, aerobic fitness is a different thing and those who haven't boxed 12 rounds as a heavyweight at this level struggle to understand the cost of the physical effort.

Every muscle in the body is used. It is also subjected to a battering from the other guy. It's like being forced to run a marathon through an automated car wash with the floor covered in thick mud; while punching a large moving object; while Valerie Vili throws shot puts at you.

Tua is now on holiday in the US for a brief period before returning to New Zealand. He may not yet be aware of the intense criticism that greeted the result of the fight - when he was knocked down for the first time in his career - in his homeland.

"I think that has been unfair to David," said Kushner. "If a fighter has a bad performance, it's his fault. If he wins, the other guy must have been a bum, so it was expected.

"How many times was I told that Tua would end the fight in two rounds? I counselled caution because Barrett is a good fighter and had trained well but I must be honest; I didn't think it would go 12 rounds either."

However, Kushner said that claims of the fight being affected by corruption were "preposterous".

"First and foremost, David was ahead on all cards going into the 12th round. Some people have been watching too many movies.

"It doesn't happen like that; I didn't know the judges. I wouldn't have known what they looked like if they had walked into my apartment."

Perhaps one of the reasons for some suspicions being raised about the fight was the curious end to it. There was a long pause while the judges' cards were being collected and, when the verdict was finally announced from the ring, the fighters chatted amiably while the ring announcer boomed out the scores.

It looked for all the world as if both boxers already knew the result.

"There's a reason for that," said Kushner. "It is not uncommon for someone in the camps to sneak a peek at the judges' cards. That's what happened here.

"I was told by someone involved that David had won - and told him that. Then they did a recount - I don't know why - and it was a draw. I think someone had obviously told them by that stage."