Boxing: Tua promoters start talks for Lewis fight

By PETER JESSUP

The United States promoters of New Zealand heavyweight boxer David Tua, and his Kiwi manager Kevin Barry, have opened negotiations with Lennox Lewis' handlers to settle a date for a world title fight at Madison Square Garden in November.

Tua has been training near Las Vegas for his bout with Obed Sullivan next weekend and Barry said his fighter was stripping down to fight weight and looking fast, strong and healthy.

The big South Aucklander continues to build credibility as he works towards the November date with Lewis.

His sparring partners at Prince Ranch, 20km north of Las Vegas, have told reporters from Sports Illustrated, London's Sun and other publications that he is the heaviest hitter in the division.

He received US-wide publicity this week after he and Sullivan held a telephone conference call for the country's boxing writers.

"Everything is looking really good," Barry said. "David is focused, he's fit and ready to go but very relaxed."

The 27-year-old has worked hard in sparring, with 10-round sessions up to last weekend and was now tapering down to four rounds a day.

Barry said the ranch was an ideal environment away from the hustle of Las Vegas.

Among the ranch's attractions are exotic animals, including a lion, camels, a baboon and a gorilla. A photograph of a smiling Tua patting a tiger with jaws agape appeared in the Sun.

Tua has not fought since October last year - a demolition job on Canadian heavyweight champ Shane Sutcliffe.

"I'm expecting a lot of David in this one. I'm expecting something impressive," Barry said of the Sullivan fight. Sullivan is 35-5-1, including a 10-round points loss to Michael Grant.

Barry said Tua's last pre-title fight would be on July 29 against an as-yet unnamed opponent. He said it would be someone with plenty of credibility, a "face" in the boxing world.

The Lewis fight is set to run in the second week of November, the last pay-to-view date available on the HBO network, to which Lewis is signed.

Tua's representatives from America Presents met Lewis' manager, Panos Eliades, and network representatives from HBO and Showtime in New York this week to finalise details.

He is not connected to any broadcaster after the Sullivan fight and will be looking for mega-millions if he is to be tied down for the next two, including the title shot.

The heavyweight is again helping out his Pacific brother, Maselino Masoe.

The three-time Samoan Olympian is fighting on Tua's undercard next weekend in a significant middleweight contest with Seattle boxer Tim Shocks.

Masoe, 15-0 and with 13 KOs since turning pro, beat Roberto Duran's cousin, Santiago Samaniego, in February and with a good win over Shocks would be in line for a top-10 ranking in the division.