Boxing: Tua's long fight back begins

BY PETER JESSUP

David Tua's management will sit down today to work out a list of bouts that will regain the respect of fight fans before pushing for his second shot at the world heavyweight title.

Tua's sixth-round knockout of Danell Nicholson in Las Vegas won him the position of mandatory challenger for the International Boxing Federation.

His manager, Kevin Barry, will begin lobbying for a move up the ranks of the World Boxing Council, where he is fifth, and the WBA, who have him sixth.

Lennox Lewis holds the IBF and WBC belts.

Tua last time waited two years for the mandatory IBF challenge that was, by their rules, to have come within six months.

Barry and Tua's promoter, Dan Goosen, yesterday said the South Aucklander was prepared to take on allcomers within the top 10. But they would wait for Lewis, because they needed to rebuild respect lost in the 12-round points defeat to the big Englishman last November.

Tua's work against Nicholson was criticised by American commentators as a repeat of the Lewis loss. Some in the crowd were booing after round one, where Nicholson danced and Tua advanced without landing.

But the difference was that Tua kept going forward, trying to back Nicholson on to the ropes. When he got the taller American there, in round five, he finally landed the trademark left and the bout might as well have been over.

With 43s to go, Nicholson was looking like he was seeing Mir burn out before his eyes. He wrestled his way to safety at the bell.

Trainer Mustafa Muhammed told Nicholson to keep moving to his left to avoid Tua's hook. But his fighter was looking at the canvas, with fear in his eyes.

It was all over just 34s into the sixth. Tua put Nicholson on the ropes with a right, hit his defence down, then delivered the knock-out blow to earn his $US350,000 ($841,000).

His ecstasy showed, the beaming smile telling of the pressure he had been under to resurrect his career with a telling blow.

Tua obviously still had some trouble getting inside the longer reach. But there was improvement, mostly in the delivery of the right. Barry predicted he would be knocking out opponents with both hands later this year.

Also good was the fact he was even on points, 47-47, when the fight ended. Nicholson was no slouch. He was No 3 with the IBF which until yesterday had Tua at five, his only three losses being to Andrew Golota, Ukranian Vladimir Klitchko and Canadian champ Kirk Johnson.

But he was no Lewis.

Tua might fight three more times this year, Barry said, with his next assignment late in June or early July.

"We're only interested in the top 10, whoever we can get," Barry said.

Given the three organisations, there are more like a top 20.

Ranked in the top-10 with all organisations is Mike Tyson, but a fight with Tua is unlikely to happen because Tyson and Lewis want a huge payday to meet and neither can afford a loss before that happening.

There is John Ruiz, holder of the WBA belt after a re-match 12-rounder with Evander Holyfield. But he was knocked out by Tua in 19s in the quickest heavyweight fight in history and plans a third payday with Holyfield in China.

Klitchko turned Tua down before the Nicholson fight was settled. So did Larry Donald, the IBF's first choice for what was to be a four-way fight-off for the No 1 position.

Then there is Michael Grant, beaten by Lewis, Hasim Rahman and Oleg Maskaev. But he is Tyson's next target as he waits for Lewis to beat Rahman.

"We would love to fight Tyson. We would sign with Holyfield in a heartbeat. We would fight Ruiz, but the only way we'll get him is if he calls us," Barry said yesterday.

"But we have no aspirations to fight Lewis again this year. We have to fight and beat guys in the top-10 and keep knocking them out."