Boxing: Lips zipped on opponent

David Tua took care of Shane Cameron last week when embarking on the comeback trail. Photo / Getty Images

David Tua's manager Cedric Kushner says neither world-ranked Kali Meehan nor fellow Shane Cameron-conqueror, Friday Ahunanya will be his fighter's next opponent.

Kushner is sticking to his contention that Tua's next fight will be in New Zealand, targeted at December 13, but is adamant neither the New Zealand-born, Australian-based Meehan nor the Las Vegas-based Nigerian (who handed Cameron his first defeat as a professional) are likely starters.

Kushner is also insistent that the Maori TV issue - they hold the broadcast rights to Tua's next three fights in this country - "is not as big a problem" as many have said.

Maori TV's broadcast rights have been identified as an obstacle to staging another fight, which would need pay-per-view TV to be profitable.

But Kushner said: "I have had some very constructive talks with Jim Mather [Maori TV CEO] and some communications by email and I believe Maori TV will not be a problem. There have been suggestions from some people that Maori TV is driving the bus. Well, they're not. David Tua is driving the bus."

While matters remain to be resolved, it's clear the Tua camp are of a mind to fight in New Zealand rather than go overseas - but it's not clear who the next opponent might be.

Former champion Hasim Rahman may still be an option, even though reports from the US suggest he is all but confirmed for a November 19 fight against another ex-champ, 48-year-old Ray Mercer, and then a possible fight against Evander Holyfield.

The latter fought - and lost - against the WBA champion, the giant 7 foot 2 inch (2.18m) Russian Nikolay Valuev last year, about the same time as Rahman was well beaten by Wladimir Klitschko. Valuev fights UK heavyweight David Haye on November 8 (NZT) for that title and Rahman may see a title bid against whoever wins as his quickest way back rather than a fight against Tua.

Meehan seemed a possibility for a NZ-based fight, as he is already calling out Tua in the media. David Higgins of Duco, the promoters of the Tua-Cameron bout, knows Meehan is keen, as he met him twice in Sydney when trying to put together a Meehan-Rahman bout on the Tua undercard (which never eventuated).

Meehan was previously the No 1-ranked challenger for Valuev's crown but was mysteriously pushed down the rankings recently and denied the title shot the position offers.

Meehan hasn't fought much in recent times - he works on a road construction gang in Sydney in the meantime - and a bout against Rahman would have served as a kind of WBA title eliminator bout.

A fight against Tua may work the same way for Meehan but he may be better served for now by sitting tight and seeing what happens with Haye and Valuev.

Ahunanya has also been less than active lately and is an awkward fighter, just under the top rank of heavyweights and quite well known in the US.

He has fought in New Zealand before but Kushner said of the Nigerian and Meehan: "Don't need either of them."

Tua time?

Some heavyweights who may have an interest in fighting David Tua at some stage.

KALI MEEHAN
Ranked: No 3 challenger by WBA; 29th by IBO.
Record: 38 bouts, 35 wins, 3 losses, 29 knockouts.
Height: 1.97m
Age: 39
Strengths: Fast running out of time and with a long reach of the type Tua has found awkward in the past - though Tua knocked him out as an amateur.
Weaknesses: Has been beaten by opponents of better class, including Hasim Rahman and the UK's Danny Williams, although his split-decision loss to Lamon Brewster (US) was hotly disputed.
Has beaten: No one of real note.

NIKOLAI VALUEV
Ranked: WBA champion; No 2 IBO; No 5 by Ring magazine
Record: 50 fights, 1 loss, 34 knockouts
Height: 2.18m
Age: 36
Strengths: He's a giant, dwarfing opponents, using his vast weight well and is hard to hit because of his height. Huge reach; has never been knocked out.
Weaknesses: He's slow, almost ponderous, and admits he is still learning. His loss came against the much smaller Ruslan Chagaev, who successfully moved him and scored while doing so.
Has beaten: Evander Holyfield, John Ruiz (twice), Sergei Liakhovich, Jameel McCline.

DAVID HAYE
Ranked: No 4, WBA; No 3, WBO; 8th IBO; 7th Ring magazine
Record: 22 bouts, 1 loss, 21 knockouts
Height: 1.91m
Age: 28
Strengths: Fast, capable boxer with good punching power, even though he is a converted cruiserweight.
Weaknesses: Doubts about his chin; over-the-top trash talker and unpopular after ducking the Klitschko brothers.
Has beaten: No-one of note in heavyweight division, which is why many think he is lucky to be fighting Valuev and to be so highly ranked.

HASIM RAHMAN
Ranked: 10th IBF; 17th IBO
Record: 54 bouts, 45 wins, 7 losses, 2 draws, with 36 knockouts.
Height: 1.89m
Age: 36
Strengths: Still dangerous, still has a good punch and still respected in spite of recent inactivity and sliding off most rankings. Has beaten some class fighters.
Weaknesses: Can be outpointed by clever fighters; uncertainty about his current worth because of inactivity after being soundly beaten by Wladimir Klitschko.
Has beaten: Lennox Lewis, Corrie Sanders, Kali Meehan, drew with Tua and James Toney; has lost to Klitschko, Tua, John Ruiz, Oleg Maskaev, Lewis and Holyfield.