Boxing: League commitments could knock out SBW belt defence

Sonny Bill Williams could be a victim of David Tua's bout with Russian giant Alexander Ustinov and his push for a world title fight.

Tua's connections are in the process of issuing a challenge to Sonny Bill - but not in the expectation that the two will actually meet in the ring.

The target is Williams' WBA international title won when Williams beat Francois Botha in a controversial and disputed bout in February.

Williams is getting close to the time when he has to defend the belt or surrender it. Tua is motivated by his fight against Ustinov. That fight, in Hamilton on August 31, will be sanctioned by the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation.

If Tua has Williams' belt, it means he brings more to the table and also means he is likely to be ranked higher by the WBA if he beats Ustinov and retains the international title - giving him a better chance of a world title shot.

Under WBA rules, Williams has to defend the international title within six months. That time is up as of August 8. Tua's connections are not expecting Williams to take up the challenge. However, if he ducks Tua, the WBA could decide to vacate the international title, putting it up for grabs at the Tua-Ustinov fight on August 31.

Williams is unlikely to want to meet a fit and motivated Tua in the ring. But if he decides not to answer the challenge, he could be stripped of the title. His other option is to fight someone else - but August 8 is not far away and Williams technically has a full card of NRL appearances for the Roosters.

The WBA's spokesman for their Pan Asia Boxing Association, Brad Vocale, confirmed from Australia that Williams was required to defend his title within six months - and that the title could be declared vacant if he didn't.

"It means he has to answer a challenge or stand to lose the belt," he said. "But even if he arranges another fight, he may not be able to do it in time because of his NRL commitments."

Nor is that the only pressure on Williams' titles. His New Zealand Professional Boxing Association title could also be up for grabs soon. Williams won the title when he beat American Clarence Tillman but the secretary of the NZPBA, Pat Leonard, confirmed that it has been undefended for 18 months.

"It's been too long," he said, "but there hasn't been an official challenge lodged until just recently. So I have written to Khoder Nasser [Williams' agent and manager] that there has been a recent challenge and that we have authorised Afa Tatupu to enter into negoations with him for an overdue challenge.

"Normally when someone wins one of our titles, they get the right to arrange an optional challenge - but this has now been 18 months."

It is not clear what will happen if Williams does not accept the Tatupu challenge but, again, losing his title must be a possibility. The problem for the Williams camp is that Tatupu may not have commercial appeal enough to persuade an audience to part with the $40 pay per view fee.

Tatupu, known as "King" Afa, is 33 and holds the New Zealand Boxing Federation heavyweight title - the competing association to the NZPBA. He has been boxing for four years and has had 12 fights for eight wins, seven by knockout. His losses include a knockout by Joey Wilson, regarded as one of the best local heavyweights and a knockout by well-performed Japanese fighter Kyotaro Fujimoto, who has also beaten Tillman.