Boxing: Tua starts new chapter with Cameron fight

Heavyweight boxer David Tua says his showdown with fellow New Zealander Shane Cameron in Hamilton on Saturday night marks a new chapter in his career.

Tua, 37, is the more experienced of the two protagonists, with 53 fights for a win-loss-draw record 49-3-1.

He is best remembered for his challenge for Britain Lennox Lewis' world title in Las Vegas in 2000, when he lost by points.

But he also has the distinction of having knocked out four opponents who have held a world belt - Hasim Rahman, John Ruiz, Michael Moorer and Oleg Maskaev.

For Tua, that was history and he rated what the promoters have labelled "New Zealand's Fight of the Century" as being "as big as it comes".

"Everybody brings up the guys I've fought in the past but that was another part of my career," he said.

"This is a new chapter and a new journey. This is a real big fight for me in New Zealand."

While Tua is the favourite with bookmakers in New Zealand, Australia and the United States, he hasn't been in action since his second-round TKO of American Cerrone Fox in September 2007.

He has also shed 26kg after having weighed in at 134kg at the start of his build-up against Cameron.

The official weigh-in will take place tomorrow, but Tua said he was at his fight weight of 108kg after what he described as probably his best training camp.

It was different from other camps "because I'm happy, I really am happy", said Tua, whose long-running legal battle with former manager Kevin Barry is still going through the courts.

"There were times in camps in the past where there were too many things," he said.

"When I did go into the ring, there were too many things that distracted me. In this fight, I believe everything is where it needs to be."

Being back in New Zealand was a plus because it meant he could be with his family.

"As a fighter in the past in the States, when I did go into a camp, I was away for six, seven, eight weeks," he said.

"But this time, it's been different because, after I train, I leave everything at the gym and go home and do the very best to be a father figure, a husband figure. It's been challenging, but it's been choice."

Tua's US-based promoter, Cedric Kushner, said the boxer did seem "very relaxed, very at ease, very comfortable with himself".

Kushner also said Tua recognised the significance of the bout at Mystery Creek and the need to win if he wanted another shot at a world title.

Cameron, 31, also said he had had a great build-up despite the hiccup of hand surgery after he stopped American Robert Davis in Gisborne in March.

"No complaints on my side," he said.

"It was a great preparation, no niggles. We've had three great sparring partners. They've all shown me different looks."

The fight wouldn't be easy, he added, "but my conditioning is right and the head space is solid, so I have no doubts".

Cameron, who has had 23 wins and one defeat and whom the WBO ranks No 7 in the world, will put his WBO Asia-Pacific and Oriental championship belts on the line against Tua.

He was confident they would still be in his possession come Sunday.

"I'm the champion of these belts and I want to hold on to them," he said.

"Come the fourth of October, I'm still going to have these belts."

- NZPA