Boxing: Result will make me a better fighter says Tua

By PETER JESSUP

An unhurt David Tua was surprisingly upbeat yesterday after his draw with Hasim Rahman, and plotting another contest.

"Lots of guys in lots of divisions have had three fights," he said, citing Ali and Frazier, Hagler and Hearns and others.

That looks most likely after his management yesterday petitioned the International Boxing Federation to sanction a rematch of the eliminator.

Tua is No 3 and Rahman No 4 in the federation's rankings and the spot below champion Chris Byrd is vacant. Another possibility is South African Corrie Sanders, the World Boxing Organisation champion, against whom Tua is mandatory challenger.

The Rahman fight had been a tough battle, Tua said. Wrestling against the bigger man's holds had sapped his strength and he was disappointed that he had not followed the pre-fight plan and hammered away at Rahman's body, then delivered flurries of punches to the head.

"It will make me into a better fighter," Tua said.

"I have to believe in myself. I believe I can move up and it will be a good test of character."



He was flying back to his Las Vegas base yesterday and preparing to come home, arriving in Auckland early on Friday morning, US$1 million ($1.8 million) better off and with the prospect of another, richer rematch with Rahman.

"I have no worries about fighting him again. I'll digest the tape and I'm sure I can do better next time."

Tua thanked God, and said he had faith that what he had long believed to be his destiny - the world title - would still come. "This [the draw] is just a speed-bump on the way."

He had a short sleep-in yesterday, ate a big brunch and declared himself undamaged after the 12-rounder in Philadelphia. The puffiness was gone from under his eyes.

"I thought I won. I'm frustrated that the judges didn't see it that way but it was a tough fight."

Tua agreed he had taken a lot of punishment, and Rahman had prevented him from executing his plan of going hard and fast.

Trainer/manager Kevin Barry felt hollow about the result: "Dave should have taken him out."

But it could have been worse.

"I look at it this way - we went into the house of [Don] King and came away with a draw and that, in anyone's language, is a victory."

The Philadelphia crowd booed the result strongly. People been approaching Tua all day to tell him that he had been robbed, Barry said.

They have asked for a rematch date to be set within 30 days.

"We've petitioned the WBO and we're still interested in Sanders. Otherwise, it's someone further down the list," said Barry.

"But Sanders is more interested in fighting us than he is in fighting Lamon Brewster [No 3]. And you'd think people would want to see a Rahman-Tua rematch before that."

Barry said the extra three weeks of training camp necessary when the fight was postponed seemed to have left Tua flat.

"I could feel in the dressing room beforehand that he wasn't on his toes the way he had been, and he looked flat in the fight.

"He didn't show me what he had been showing in camp."

Tua had improved since losing to Lennox Lewis and Byrd, developing a jab and scoring points.

"I felt that at any stage in rounds four, five and six Dave was going to knock him out, but he never went on with it," Barry said.

"The first time [against Rahman] he was out-boxed but this time he showed he could box."