Boxing: Latest challenger bears similarities to Tua

Ironically, A fighter of similar dimensions and attributes to David Tua is now lining up to fight Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF world heavyweight title in September.

Samuel Peter, one of the few genuine contenders in the heavyweight division has earned a September 11 bout with Klitschko after the original opponent, Alexander Povetkin, failed to confirm the fight.

The irony is that, in theory anyway, had matters gone better for Tua in his ill-fated draw with Monte Barrett, it could have been him whistled in as a late replacement for Povetkin. In theory, that is.

In practice, Peter is the next automatic contender on the list after Povetkin, who was the IBF mandatory challenger.

However, after the Russian failed to return the contract or to show up for a press conference this week, the fight passed on to Peter.

At 1.88m and 105kg, Peter (known as 'The Nigerian Nightmare') is of similar build to the 1.78m, 109kg Tua.

The similarities don't end there. Peter burst on the scene as a knockout specialist - and won the WBC crown in 2007 before losing it to Vitali Klitschko in a highly physical encounter.

Once he had the title, Peter seemed to abandon his big-punching ways in favour of becoming a better technical boxer.

That seemed to reduce his power (another possible parallel with Tua, on the evidence of the Barrett fight) and he was sometimes in less than perfect condition.

None of this should be taken to suggest that Tua would have been in line for a title fight.

Both Klitschkos are tall, strong and have stiff, heavy jabs - exactly the sort of boxer Tua has had trouble with throughout his career.

He is also not yet a mandatory challenger anywhere.

Ironically, too, it appeared that Tua's fight with Barrett might have taken place at exactly the right time - with many of the heavyweight contenders, like Samuel, jostling for position. They include Hasim Rahman (still a viable opponent for Tua now) Chris Arreola, Tomasz Adamek, Povetkin, Ruslan Chagaev, Odlanier Solis, Nikolay Valuev and Eddie Chambers.

Now, however, it's a question of finding a credible and rewarding opponent (in payday terms; boxing, as ever, is all about the money) because the fight with Barrett earned Tua nowhere near the $500,000 he banked from the Shane Cameron fight.

The other irony is that Klitschko's fight with Peter is intriguing because it is a re-match - and because Peter, like Tua, is a renowned puncher with a good chin.

When they fought in 2005, Wladimir Klitschko was still in his formative years and not quite the efficient and durable fighter he is now.

Peter, now 29 and with 34 wins from 37 fights, with 27 knockouts, knocked Klitschko down three times but the big Ukrainian managed to win every other round to win the IBF mandatory title shot - the same chance he is now offering Peter after Klitschko won the IBF title a few months later, a title he has held ever since.

The Nigerian-born fighter beat James Toney for the WBC crown and then defended it against Oleg Maskaev before being given a brutal beating at the hands of Vitali Klitschko in a poor performance in 2008, when an overweight Samuel declined to emerge after the eighth round.

Since then, Peter has trained up, has re-discovered his hard-hitting ways and has dispatched four opponents (none of whom are well-known).

Shades of what might have been?