Boxing: Promoter predicts star status for the Tuaman

Dan Goosen says NZ's heavyweight title challenger will be a big hit in and outside the ring, reports PETER JESSUP.

Dan Goosen makes no apologies for the way his fighter, Mike Tyson, went about his work against Andrew Golota - the Pole quitting after two rounds - and hopes that David Tua will do the same to Lennox Lewis in 10 days.

"I can certainly see the displeasure from the fans' point of view, but our guy did his job. We send him out to knock the other guy out or make him quit - I'd like to see Tua do the same job on Lewis and make Lewis quit," Goosen said in Las Vegas yesterday.

The president of Tua and Tyson's promoter, America Presents, Goosen is sitting on the biggest payday in boxing if the pair meet. It is the fight Americans really want - the two street brawlers slugging it out toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring.

Goosen will not talk about anything specific past the November 11 date (November 12 NZ time) that Tua has with Lewis for the world heavyweight crown.

But he believes that the South Auckland Samoan is about to become a big star, not just in boxing.

"What's next? It doesn't matter. Victories will catapult him and the industry to levels people thought were unobtainable - people except for Tua and those around him."

Goosen said things "could not be better" with Tua right now. "I've been in this business 20 years and it's not too often you hear people talking about someone as the saviour of the industry as they are about David Tua.

"This business needs David Tua to be successful. People feel he can change the shape of the business and the way it is promoted. They feel his rising star has huge potential and it can only get better with victories. Come November 11 it's going to be the old Hollywood story - a star is born."

But he has to say that, right, because he is Tua's promoter?

"I mean it," he said. "People - and I'm talking little old ladies, mothers, kids, people who are not boxing fans - will take to him.

"And once you have people on your side it doesn't matter whether you're an actor, a politician, a sportsman - you have the opportunity to be bigger than the industry, bigger than the game, like [Muhammad] Ali was, like [Michael] Jordan was.

"David Tua has a charisma about him that will transcend boxing. He has star value."

That's a pretty big call, isn't it?

"It's only big if you don't want it," he said. "If you want it, it's part of the job. David Tua wants it. For Tua, it comes with the territory. It's just him being him - he's like everyday people and that's why they love him."

Goosen also likes Tua because with him it is easy work.

"He's very likeable and personable, but the best thing is you don't have to sell his story - you just let David talk and everything falls into place."

Tua and manager Kevin Barry signed with America Presents after wrangling their way out of a contract with the Duva family at Main Events.

That company went down, split and reformed in two parts.

America Presents looks to be the one on the up, so the shift was better than timely.

And Goosen is happy that Tua talks of winning the world heavyweight title as being his destiny. "His destiny is our destiny.

"Tua and Tyson will be huge because of Tua, the up-and-coming champion.

"Oh my God, I gotta tell ya ... "

Herald Online feature: Tua v Lewis