Boxing: Tua plans fast demolition in last fight before Lewis

By PETER JESSUP

David Tua is preparing himself for another quick victory in his last fight before his guaranteed shot at the world heavyweight title.

His handlers want a short-order demolition job done on Robert Daniels in Las Vegas on July 22.

Tua is in hard sparring work, has lost nearly 5kg since his first-round win over Obed Sullivan, and is using the pressure of the most important fight of his career to focus his aggression for a Sullivan repeat when he meets Daniels.

"We want to get Daniels out of there as fast as we can," said manager Kevin Barry of the former WBA cruiserweight champ.

Daniels, 39-4-1 with 32 knockouts, has a reputation as a defensive fighter, keeping his hands high.

He has not beaten anyone of note since shifting up to heavyweight in 1992.

Tua has been told to smack his body, arms, anything in the way as he goes for the knockout.

"Daniels will be frightened when he comes out of his corner and we don't want him settling in and getting brave. He could be hard to get out if he gets a start," Barry said yesterday.

Tua had three rounds of sparring on Monday and Tuesday, four on Wednesday, five yesterday and will wind up that work with six rounds today and tomorrow.

Tua makes no apologies for dispatching his opponents in quick time, Sullivan following Gary Bell and Eric Curry as first-round triumphs and Shane Sutcliffe managing to make round two in Tua's last four fights.

"If the fight's over, it's mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned.

"A quick knockout is a payoff for all the training and hard work that goes into a fight."

After this fight Tua will take a short break in his Samoan homeland, then return to Auckland for a month-long strength and conditioning programme. Then his trainer, Ronnie Shields, will fly out with a sparring partner for a month's ring work.

The Tua management has rebooked the Prince Ranch base, where he has prepared for Sullivan and Daniels, for the final preparation for Lewis.

All his team are hopeful it will be a Vegas casino that bids highest when the fight purse goes up for auction next month to determine the venue of the title bout.

"David is well known here now, he's had his last four fights here and he's comfortable," Barry said.

"He's been having people such as Shaquille O'Neal, Ice T and Jean-Claude Van Damme coming up and asking to have their photograph taken with him."

Auckland-based middleweight Maselino Masoe has signed for two big fights in the United States, the first on Tua's undercard, then for a nationally broadcast bout in August.

Masoe, 15-1 with 14 knockouts - his only loss was due to a cut above the eye - has also been prepared by Shields as he sets to meet 30-year-old Mexican David Mendez over 10 rounds on July 22.

Mendez is 20-17-1, with 16 knockouts. The fight is early on Tua's card and will not be screened by Showtime.

But Masoe's next bout, against Sam Hill, 12-1 with seven knockouts, in St Louis on August 20, will be broadcast by Fox Sport worldwide.

Barry is setting the 34-year-old Masoe for a big step up in class in early October, then a major bout on the Tua-Lewis undercard.

He is hoping Masoe will make short work of his next two opponents to press his claim for a meeting with a ranked fighter.

Another of Barry's boxers also signed to promoter America Presents, former Commonwealth Games heavyweight representative Faii Falamoe, makes his sixth appearance as a professional in Vegas this weekend, meeting Utah's Willie Chapman, a 32-year-old with a 7-5-1 record.