Boxing: Tua tussle will round out super Sunday of sport

David Tua did some shadowboxing yesterday in his last public appearance before his world title fight against champion Lennox Lewis.

The next glimpse of the Tuaman will be when he walks into the Las Vegas ring. The squat scrapper's parting remark to an intense crowd was "size doesn't matter."

The Tua fight looms as the main event of a super Sunday of sport, running back-to-back with the All Blacks' test against France, as they try to avenge last year's World Cup defeat.

The rugby coverage on Sky starts at 7.30 am; Tua's world challenge is from 3 pm on TV3.

Tua's public workout yesterday gave him his first taste of the fight ring, the impressive Mandalay Bay Hotel Events Centre, where he worked out to a backdrop of relaxing Samoan music and a rap tune that has been written just for him.

Asked for the umpteenth time about the 18cm height advantage he gives away to the world champion, Tua said: "It's like dating a taller girl. In bed you're both the same size."

Boxing experts say it will be too big a task for the 1.76m New Zealander to overcome the Englishman's skilful 1.94m frame.

Lewis also has a 38cm reach advantage over Tua, who has been sparring men with long reaches to prepare himself.

"I've said before, when it comes to this fight, I'm going forward and fighting my way," Tua said.

"But regardless of how you prepare yourself, you can't go out there and try to be a technical fighter. You just have to go out and fight the fight."

His final workout, of only moderate intensity, was to be today at the Team Tua training camp, the Prince Ranch. He will complete light fitness work in Las Vegas on the two following days.

The Tua camp has been boosted by the arrival of droves of New Zealand and Samoan supporters, and with more to come, the "people's champion" seems sure to be the 13,000-strong crowd's favourite.

The All Blacks can expect no favours from the French crowd at Stade de France in Paris, and will have their work cut out for them after New Zealand A's 23-21 loss to the French Babarians yesterday.

As tipped by the Herald's chief rugby writer, Wynne Gray, the All Black selectors left Taine Randell out of the starting line-up for the first test. Auckland winger Doug Howlett will start for the first time in a test, with Tana Umaga at centre.

Herald Online feature: Tua v Lewis

The Herald Online is ringside for the countdown to David Tua's tilt at the world heavyweight boxing title. Reporter Peter Jessup and photographer Kenny Rodger bring you all the news, inside information and pictures, leading up to this Sunday afternoon's showdown in Las Vegas.

* Be sure to get your full-colour poster of the two fighters in the print edition of the Herald on Friday November 10.