Boxing: Tua refocuses after emotional trip

By PETER JESSUP

Boxing's heavyweight division is about to undergo a big shakeout and Aucklander David Tua gets ready to fly back into the thick of it after an emotional trip home.

His mother Noela suffered major heart problems and underwent a triple bypass operation. She is expected to be released from Green Lane Hospital in the next few days.

"She's a tough lady, a fighter. She had to be strong to bring us up," Tua said of his seven brothers and sisters. "She'll be okay."

He and trainer/manager Kevin Barry fly to the United States today and will go to the Lennox Lewis/Mike Tyson fight in Memphis next weekend, courtesy of Tyson's management and broadcaster Showtime, with which Tua is signed for one fight.

That date will be early August against an unknown opponent. In the next month just about all the other top-10 heavyweights are engaged to fight.

American Corrie Sanders, 37-2, is a good chance to fight Tua. One of Sanders' losses was to Hasim Rahman, who was beaten by Tua.

Rahman, 35-3, fights former undisputed champion Evander Holyfield at Bally's Park casino in Atlantic City this weekend.

Holyfield is 37-5-2, but the important statistic is his age, 40 in October.

Barry said Holyfield was a possible for the August date against Tua, depending on the outcome in Atlantic City.

Barry grinned and nodded in a sort of embarrassed way at a comment that Holyfield was still fighting considering Barry and Holyfield fought against each other at the Los Angeles Olympics 18 years ago.

Tua said the Tyson-Lewis fight was not something he would have sought out to go to.

"I'd rather be kicking a ball with my boy in a park."

But he has to be there because of the publicity and the big-time boxing people who will be at the bout.

WBA champion John Ruiz, 37-4-1 and one of his losses to Tua, defends his title against Canadian champion Kirk Johnson, 32-0-1, on July 22.Well-ranked Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko meets another well-worn but still-ranked fighter in Ray Mercer in Donald Trump's Atlantic City casino next month.

Michael Grant, who lost to Lewis in April 2000, fights journeyman Anthony Willis in Las Vegas and Chris Byrd, who beat Tua last year and is No 1 for the IBF, meets journeyman Jeff Pegues, 18-9.

The third man in the ring for the Lewis-Tyson fight was named yesterday, referee Eddie Cotton being picked for his size. He is as tall as Lewis and heavier.

American Cotton has refereed in Russia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, England and South Africa as well as his home country and has overseen 19 world title fights.

It will be his first heavyweight title fight. He refereed George Foreman versus Lou Savarese and Shannon Briggs, and was in charge for Riddick Bowe against Andrew Golota II, disqualifying Golota in round nine for low blows.

"I also did fights in New Jersey prisons from 1984 to 1992. We were told not to stop those fights, let 'em get knocked out," Cotton said.

New Jersey boxing commissioner Larry Hazard said Cotton's size was a factor in the appointment because of the record of bad behaviour by Tyson.

The judges are Bob Logist of Belgium, Anek Hongtongkan of Thailand and Alfred Bukwana of South Africa.