Boxing: It's showtime and Tua can't wait

By Peter Jessup

David Tua will punch his way closer to a world title fight if he can smash Gary Bell, the man who has been Evander Holyfield's sparring partner for the past four years, at Caesars casino at Lake Tahoe on Sunday.

Tua was touted as one of the major boxing attractions in the world when the HBO network held its pre-match fighter front-off yesterday in Reno, Nevada.

He has featured on the US pay-per-view network as many times as any other fighter and is the major contender once the fog that surrounds a Lennox Lewis-Holyfield re-match has cleared, the network told its viewers.

Back at his hotel, Tua said he was fighting fit and raring to go. "Did you just ask me if I was confident," Tua queried when asked if he was confident.

"Yeah, confident, not over-confident, but I've done the work and I know how to deal with him."

Bell, 25, was the man who prepared Holyfield for his first hit-out against Tyson. Tua also sparred against him in the run-up to the 1992 Olympics.

"He's a young, strong guy and he likes to fight. So do I. This is his big chance so I'm expecting he'll come out hard and try to push me - this is the biggest fight of his career."

But not of Tua's. He's number-one contender for the IBF and number three on the WBC list and holds those placings despite the outcome after beating other fighters ranked higher than Bell.

After this bout Tua's manager, Kevin Barry, and his financial adviser, Martin Pugh, will sit down with Lou Duva's Main Events crew to settle details for Tua's world title shot.

The HBO announcer told the Reno crowd yesterday that negotiations between Holyfield (WBA/IBF title-holder) and Lewis (WBC) were continuing and that if the re-match fell through Lewis would choose between three fighters - Tua, Ike Ibeabuchi (whom Tua lost to on points in a close decision after a 12-round slugfest) or Michael Grant, who appears least likely given a poor points win over a lowly ranked fighter last time out.

Barry said Tua had won over US fans and gained credibility with his hard punching.

"When he hits people it hurts - he knocks them out. HBO rate him because he rates for them. It's time for David to get paid so we'll be looking for some very good fights in the near future."

Tua said he was in the best shape ever after sparring with partner Sean Hampton at his home-away-from-home in Vero Beach, southern Florida.

"I'm in absolutely great shape physically and mentally. A couple more days and it's showtime and I can't wait."

The plan? "Go out there and take him out as fast as I can. Throw plenty of punches, work hard."

And if it's all over quickly, as some of his fights have been, good. "It means a lot to me when people come to watch me fight but I don't think about their value for money when I get out there. The quicker it's over the better."

* Boxing coverage begins at 1.30 pm on Sunday on TV One with Tua scheduled to fight at 2.30 pm.