David Tua

David Tua

Tua in 2014
Statistics
Real name Mafaufau Tavita Lio Mafaufau Sanerivi Talimatasi
Nickname(s)
  • Tuaman
  • Tuamanator
Rated at Heavyweight
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Reach 178 cm (70 in)
Nationality
  • Samoan
  • New Zealander
Born (1972-11-21) 21 November 1972
Faleatiu, Samoa
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 59
Wins 52
Wins by KO 43
Losses 5
Draws 2

David Tua (born Mafaufau Tavita Lio Mafaufau Sanerivi Talimatasi; 21 November 1972)[1] is a Samoan-New Zealander former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2013. A highly ranked contender for most of his career, Tua was known for his brutal punching power, especially in his left hook; he scored sixteen knockout wins inside of the first round, which included knockouts of world heavyweight champions John Ruiz and Michael Moorer within thirty seconds of the first round, as well as late stoppages of other world champions Oleg Maskaev and Hasim Rahman.

Nicknamed the "Tuamanator", his fast-paced bob and weave pressure fighting style has often drawn comparisons to Mike Tyson. Tua fought many of the best fighters of his era and challenged for the WBC, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles. In his five losses he was never subject to a technical knockout, and possessed one of the best chins of his time.[2]

Amateur career

In his early career, Tua trained three days a week at a small gym in Mangere Bridge, under boxing trainer Gerry Preston.[3] Tua became New Zealand national heavyweight champion in 1988 at age 15.[4]

At the 1991 World Amateur Boxing Championships, he was surprisingly knocked out in the first round by three-time Olympic gold medalist Félix Savón. At age 19 he won a Bronze Medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He lost his semi-final to David Izonritei, whom he would later defeat as a professional.[4] Tua turned professional later the same year.

Professional career

Tua debuted in December 1992. Of his first 27 fights, 23 were won by knockout.[5]

Tua is known for his devastating knockouts. In his 1997 fight with Ike Ibeabuchi, the two fighters combined to set the record for most punches thrown in a heavyweight fight on record. Ibeabuchi won the decision, handing Tua his first pro defeat. Prior to the loss, Tua had devastating KO wins against future titlist John Ruiz (via 1st-round KO, in only 19 seconds) and Darroll Wilson. Tua also beat David Izon and future champion Oleg Maskaev to set up the fight with Ibeabuchi. After the loss to Ibeabuchi, Tua took on future champ Hasim Rahman and TKO'd Rahman in the 10th round. The victory over Rahman marked the beginning of Tua's struggles with his weight. He ballooned up to 253 pounds when he defeated Obed Sullivan in 2000 by KO. Later that year, he weighed 245 pounds in the loss to Lennox Lewis. Tua was disappointing in the fight, with both fighters avoiding each other and Tua not throwing combinations. Tua lost a clear-cut decision.

Tua fought for the WBC, IBF, & IBO heavyweight titles in November 2000 – and went the distance in a 12-round bout – but lost on points by a wide margin to defending champion Lennox Lewis.

Following the Lewis loss, Tua regained steam with a KO over Danell Nicholson but lost by a close decision in his next fight to future champion Chris Byrd. In 2002 he beat prospect Fres Oquendo and demolished Michael Moorer in his next fight with a powerful shot 30 seconds into the first round, which put Moorer out cold. In 2003 he drew in a 12-round rematch with Rahman.

2005 comeback

Tua was inactive for over two years before he stepped into the ring on 31 March 2005 and bested Talmadge Griffis in a 10-round bout — ending the match and earning a TKO victory with 26 seconds remaining.[6] Tua's next contest in October 2005 ended in a split decision over Cisse Salif with Tua dominating in the late rounds.[7]

Tua defeated Edward Gutierrez by knockout in the fourth round of a scheduled 10-rounder on 26 July 2006. The fight was held at the Manhattan Center ballroom in New York City, and featured on ESPN2. Tua started slowly, scored a knockdown with his famous left hook in the second round, and put Gutierrez down for the count in the fourth round with a combination of two left hooks, one to the head and the decisive one to the body.[8]

In November 2006 Tua defeated Maurice Wheeler in the seventh round of a scheduled 10-rounder by knockout. Tua ended the bout with a solid left uppercut to the body which immediately sent the howling Wheeler to the canvas.[9]

Tua continued his comeback in February 2007 with a unanimous decision over Robert Hawkins in a 10-round bout. Tua ended the match being the aggressor and hurt Hawkins in both the ninth and tenth rounds with body punches, but was unable to end the match with a knockout.[10]

Tua, looking in good shape and weighing in at 237½ lbs (his lightest fight weight since 2001), was featured as the main event of a Pay Per View show[11] on 18 August 2007 in Sandy, Utah and ended the bout quickly with a first-round knockout of Mexican champion Saul Montana. Tua threw two powerful left hooks to the head that sent Montana sprawling to the canvas giving Tua his sixth win in a row.[12]

Tua, again looking in good shape and weighing in at 234 lbs, fought the unheralded Cerrone Fox at the Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan on 7 September 2007. Tua made short work of his over matched opponent ending the bout at 1:41 of the second round.

While Tua's promoter, Cedric Kushner, stated Tua was scheduled to fight an opponent on 18 October 2007,[13] the fight never materialized.

2009 comeback

Tua fought fellow New Zealander Shane Cameron at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on 3 October 2009 with Tua knocking Cameron out seven seconds into the second round to pick up the WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental Heavyweight titles. The promoters for the fight were John McRae and David Higgins of Duco Events. The fight had been scheduled for an earlier date, but was delayed due to Cameron having surgery on a fractured hand.[14]

On 31 March 2010 Tua fought Friday Ahunanya, winning on points after 12 rounds. The fight promoters for this fight were again John McRae and David Higgins of Duco Events.

The Tua-Barrett fight had been tentatively scheduled for 26 June in São Paulo, Brazil. However, the fight was moved to 17 July at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City in a bid to promote David Tua's career in the United States. At 38 years old, Monte Barrett (34-9, 20 KOs) was viewed by some as an easy opponent for Tua as he had lost his previous three fights. The match was a controversial draw with Tua being knocked down for the first time in his professional career late in the 12th round.

Tua fought Demetrice King on 19 March 2011.[15] Tua defeated King by unanimous decision with the scores: 100-91, 100-91 & 100-90.[16]

Tua's rematch against Monte Barrett on 13 August 2011 resulted in a unanimous points decision going in favour of Barrett. The judges scored the bout 113-112 115-112 115-112.

In December 2011, it emerged that Monte Barrett tested positive for banned stimulant methylhex-anemine following a urine test after his 13 August points decision over Tua. Tua's lawyer, Blair Edwards, called for action against the 40-year-old New Yorker requesting the return of Tua's WBO Asia-Pacific and Oriental titles and the restoration of ranking points.[17]

2013 comeback and retirement

In June 2013 it was confirmed that Tua was once again getting back into the ring. Belarusian Alexander Ustinov defeated him by unanimous points decision, following which he announced his retirement from professional boxing.[18] Ringside Report were mixed in their evaluation of his career, referring to him as "one of the best heavyweights never to win a world title".[19]

Titles and accomplishments

Outside the ring

On 10 October 1992 Tua appeared on the New Zealand version of the gameshow Wheel of Fortune. He asked for an "O for Olsen" (a reference to Olsen Filipaina) but this was heard by some as "O for awesome".[20] He requested "P" when buying a vowel on the same episode.[21] He was also heard to ask if he could buy a "constonant" during the same show.

From 1992 to 2003, Tua was managed by former boxer Kevin Barry, who also trained him from 2001. But in 2003, Tua ended his business relationship with Barry and financial manager Martin Pugh. Though Barry accepted his dismissal as trainer, he resisted Tua's decision to end their contract, which still had two years to go. In 2004, Tua's accountant learned that the boxer's finances with his boxing company, Tuaman Inc. Ltd., were tangled with company expenses; Tua no longer had most of his $NZ 20 million in purses from his professional matches, and important assets Tua thought he owned alone were anything but, including a piece of coastal land at Pakiri. Tuaman Inc. Ltd had business expenses flowing in various directions, involving companies and clients Tua had no knowledge of. Tua's own home was purchased with borrowed money, and the boxer's purses were linked to renovation costs for Martin Pugh's property. These findings were based on documents from Pugh's offices.

In 2005 Tua took Kevin Barry and Martin Pugh to court over their business arrangements. Barry and Pugh accused Tua of manipulating them to collect revenue, yet Tua maintained that he knew little of the men's affairs and did what they told him to do out of trust. The dispute gave both sides legal victories: over the issue of the coastal land property, the court ruled in favor of Barry and Pugh, since Tua failed to properly clarify his ownership over the land; on the issue of the terminated 2003 contract, the court ruled in Tua's favour, concluding he clearly owed no expenses to his former management from that contract. In October 2009, it was reported in The New Zealand Herald that the parties had settled all previously unresolved matters arising from the protracted litigation.[22]

In May 2007, Cedric Kushner, president of Gotham Boxing Inc. and Tua's promoter, filed a $5 million lawsuit against IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and promoter Shelly Finkel among others – and while the lawsuit is unrelated to Tua, Kushner has stated he will drop the lawsuit if Tua is given a title bout against Klitschko in 2008, which ultimately failed to materialize.[23]

In September 2009 Tua lost an aunt in the Samoa tsunami. In early October he travelled to Samoa with cousin Va'aiga Tuigamala to see how they could help.[24]

Records

In 2003 Tua was ranked 48th on The Rings list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.[25]

While Tua received only one shot at a heavyweight title belt, he has won victories over fighters John Ruiz (two-time heavyweight champion), Hasim Rahman (two-time heavyweight champion), Fres Oquendo (two-time heavyweight title challenger), Oleg Maskaev (former WBC heavyweight champion), and Michael Moorer (three-time heavyweight champion).[21]

In popular culture

Professional boxing record

Professional record summary
59 fights 52 wins 5 losses
By knockout 43 0
By decision 9 5
Draws 2
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
59 Loss 52–5–2 Belarus Alexander Ustinov UD 12 16 Nov 2013 New Zealand Claudelands Arena, Hamilton, New Zealand For vacant WBA Pan African heavyweight title
58 Loss 52–4–2 United States Monte Barrett UD 12 13 Aug 2011 New Zealand TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand Lost WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles
57 Win 52–3–2 United States Demetrice King UD 10 19 Mar 2011 New Zealand TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
56 Draw 51–3–2 United States Monte Barrett MD 12 17 Jul 2010 United States Tropicana Casino & Resort, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US Retained WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles
55 Win 51–3–1 Nigeria Friday Ahunanya UD 12 31 Mar 2010 New Zealand The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand Retained WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles
54 Win 50–3–1 New Zealand Shane Cameron KO 2 (12), 0:20 3 Oct 2009 New Zealand Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand Won WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental heavyweight titles
53 Win 49–3–1 United States Cerrone Fox TKO 2 (10), 1:41 7 Sep 2007 United States Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, US
52 Win 48–3–1 Mexico Saúl Montana KO 1 (10), 1:15 18 Aug 2007 United States South Towne Expo Center, Sandy, Utah, US
51 Win 47–3–1 United States Robert Hawkins UD 10 22 Feb 2007 United States Roseland Ballroom, New York City, New York, US
50 Win 46–3–1 United States Maurice Wheeler KO 7 (10), 2:48 3 Nov 2006 United States Roseland Ballroom, New York City, New York, US
49 Win 45–3–1 United States Edward Gutierrez KO 4 (10), 2:59 26 Jul 2006 United States Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York, US
48 Win 44–3–1 Mali Cisse Salif SD 10 21 Oct 2005 United States Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida, US
47 Win 43–3–1 United States Talmadge Griffis TKO 10 (10), 2:34 31 Mar 2005 New Zealand The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand
46 Draw 42–3–1 United States Hasim Rahman SD 12 29 Mar 2003 United States Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
45 Win 42–3 United States Russell Chasteen KO 2 (10), 1:41 30 Nov 2002 United States Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
44 Win 41–3 United States Michael Moorer KO 1 (10), 0:30 17 Aug 2002 United States Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
43 Win 40–3 United States Fres Oquendo TKO 9 (12), 1:54 13 Apr 2002 United States Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort, New Cumberland, West Virginia, US Won NABF heavyweight title
42 Win 39–3 United States Garing Lane TKO 8 (10), 2:35 19 Dec 2001 United States Feather Falls Casino, Oroville, California, US
41 Loss 38–3 United States Chris Byrd UD 12 18 Aug 2001 United States Cox Pavilion, Paradise, Nevada, US For USBA heavyweight title
40 Win 38–2 United States Danell Nicholson KO 6 (12), 0:34 23 Mar 2001 United States Texas Station, North Las Vegas, Nevada, US
39 Loss 37–2 United Kingdom Lennox Lewis UD 12 11 Nov 2000 United States Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, US For WBC, IBF, IBO, and lineal heavyweight titles
38 Win 37–1 United States Robert Daniels TKO 3 (12), 0:47 21 Jul 2000 United States Regent, Las Vegas, Nevada, US Retained IBF Inter-Continental and USBA heavyweight titles
37 Win 36–1 United States Obed Sullivan KO 1 (12), 0:51 3 Jun 2000 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, US Retained IBF Inter-Continental and USBA heavyweight titles
36 Win 35–1 Canada Shane Sutcliffe TKO 2 (10), 1:20 23 Oct 1999 United States MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, US
35 Win 34–1 United States Gary Bell TKO 1 (12), 1:19 17 Jul 1999 United States Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, US Retained USBA heavyweight title
34 Win 33–1 United States Hasim Rahman TKO 10 (12), 0:35 19 Dec 1998 United States Miccosukee Resort and Gaming, Miami, Florida, US Won IBF Inter-Continental and USBA heavyweight titles
33 Win 32–1 United States Eric Curry TKO 1 (10), 0:43 26 Sep 1998 United States Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, US
32 Win 31–1 United States Nate Tubbs KO 2 (10), 2:12 30 May 1998 United States Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
31 Win 30–1 United States Cleveland Woods TKO 3 (10) 18 Apr 1998 United States Cow Palace, San Francisco, California, US
30 Win 29–1 United States Jeff Wooden MD 10 10 Mar 1998 United States National Guard Armory, Pikesville, Maryland, US
29 Win 28–1 United States Jeff Lally TKO 2 (10), 1:04 22 Nov 1997 United States Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
28 Loss 27–1 Nigeria Ike Ibeabuchi UD 12 7 Jun 1997 United States ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California, US Lost WBC International heavyweight title
27 Win 27–0 Russia Oleg Maskaev TKO 11 (12), 1:16 5 Apr 1997 United States Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US Retained WBC International heavyweight title
26 Win 26–0 Nigeria David Izon TKO 12 (12), 1:54 21 Dec 1996 United States Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, US Retained WBC International heavyweight title
25 Win 25–0 United States Darroll Wilson KO 1 (12), 3:10 20 Sep 1996 United States James L. Knight International Center, Miami, Florida, US Retained WBC International heavyweight title
24 Win 24–0 United States Anthony Cooks TKO 1 (10), 2:24 21 Jul 1996 United States Teamsters Hall, Baltimore, Maryland, US
23 Win 23–0 United States John Ruiz KO 1 (12), 0:19 15 Mar 1996 United States Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US Won WBC International heavyweight title
22 Win 22–0 United States Bruce Bellocchi TKO 2 (10), 2:39 13 Jan 1996 United States Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
21 Win 21–0 Mexico Mauricio Villegas TKO 6 (10), 2:51 26 Aug 1995 United States Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
20 Win 20–0 United States Sean Hart UD 8 15 Jul 1995 United States Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, US
19 Win 19–0 United States Dan Murphy TKO 5 (10), 0:35 20 May 1995 United States Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
18 Win 18–0 United States Bruce Bellocchi TKO 1 (10), 3:00 4 Mar 1995 United States Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
17 Win 17–0 United States Cecil Coffee KO 1 (10), 0:29 9 Dec 1994 New Zealand ASB Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
16 Win 16–0 Canada Ken Lakusta KO 4 (10) 1 Oct 1994 United States Scope, Norfolk, Virginia, US
15 Win 15–0 Jamaica Everton Davis UD 10 13 Aug 1994 United States The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, US
14 Win 14–0 United States Lester Jackson UD 8 7 May 1994 United States Broadway by the Bay Theater, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
13 Win 13–0 United States Calvin Jones TKO 4 (8) 16 Apr 1994 United States Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, US
12 Win 12–0 United States Bill Corrigan KO 2 (8), 1:17 5 Feb 1994 United States The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, US
11 Win 11–0 United States Mike Acey KO 1 (10) 26 Nov 1993 New Zealand ASB Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
10 Win 10–0 United States Krishna Wainwright UD 6 6 Nov 1993 United States Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, US
9 Win 9–0 United States Rick Honeycutt KO 2 (6) 25 Sep 1993 United States Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, New York, US
8 Win 8–0 United States Larry Davis KO 1 (6), 2:18 10 Jul 1993 United States Fernwood Resort, Bushkill, Pennsylvania, US
7 Win 7–0 United States Bruce Johnson TKO 2 (6), 0:44 22 Jun 1993 United States Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
6 Win 6–0 United States Willie Washington KO 1 (6) 28 May 1993 United States Houston, Texas, US
5 Win 5–0 United States Alfredo Nevarez TKO 1 (6) 23 Mar 1993 United States HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas, US
4 Win 4–0 United States Howard Kelly TKO 3 (6) 27 Feb 1993 United States Showboat Hotel Casino and Bowling Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
3 Win 3–0 Cuba Lazaro Almanza TKO 3 (6) 6 Feb 1993 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US
2 Win 2–0 United States Lorenzo Poole KO 1 (6) 14 Dec 1992 United States Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, US
1 Win 1–0 United States Ron Humes KO 1 (4), 0:37 1 Dec 1992 United States Convention Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia, US Professional debut

Titles in boxing

Regional titles
Preceded by
John Ruiz
WBC International heavyweight champion
15 March 1996 – 7 June 1997
Succeeded by
Ike Ibeabuchi
Preceded by
Hasim Rahman
IBF Inter-Continental heavyweight champion
19 December 1998 – 11 November 2000
Lost bid for world title
Vacant
Title next held by
Timo Hoffmann
USBA heavyweight champion
19 December 1998 – November 2000
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Chris Byrd
Preceded by
Fres Oquendo
NABF heavyweight champion
13 April 2002 – August 2002
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Elieser Castillo
Preceded by
Shane Cameron
WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight champion
3 October 2009 – 13 August 2011
Succeeded by
Monte Barrett
WBO Oriental heavyweight champion
3 October 2009 – 13 August 2011

References

  1. Hoffer, Richard (13 November 2000). "It Takes Tua to Tango David Tua is a playful Samoan, but he plans to give Lennox Lewis a serious run for the heavyweight title". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  2. Dettloff, William (9 January 2008). "David Tua's jaw of steel". ESPN. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  3. "Boxing: The fist that could win it for Tua". The New Zealand Herald. 11 November 2000. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  4. 1 2 [Biography at New Zealand Olympic Committee]
  5. "David Tua at". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
  6. "Boxing: Tua too much for Talmadge Griffis". The New Zealand Herald. 1 April 2005. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  7. Archived 10 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. "David Tua Walks Through Gutierrez – Boxing News". Boxingscene.com. 2006-07-27. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
  9. "Tua stops Wheeler with body shot". Eastsideboxing.com. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
  10. "David Tua tops Hawkins". Eastsideboxing.com. 2007-02-24. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
  11. http://www.pinnaclefitenite.com/news.php?article_id=11
  12. "Is The Tua Man a NUA Man? Greenburg, Quillin and Williams all Victorious". Eastsideboxing.com. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
  13. Tua wins again Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. "August likely for Cameron v Tua". Home.nzcity.co.nz. 1994-12-17. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
  15. "Tua confirms next opponent". Television New Zealand. 12 December 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  16. "David Tua – Boxer". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
  17. Liam Napier (2011-12-01). "Third David Tua-Monte Barrett bout likely". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
  18. Liam Napier (2013-11-17). "Tua's career over after unanimous loss". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
  19. http://ringsidereport.com/?p=32307
  20. Samways, Ana (17 July 2009). "O for Olsen". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  21. 1 2 20 things you never knew about Tua. BBC Sport. 3 November 2000.
  22. "David Tua and managers settle". NZ Herald. 21 October 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  23. Klitschko vs. Tua? Kushner vs. Finkel?
  24. Vaimoana Tapaleao (9 October 2009). "Be strong, have faith, says Tua". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  25. ""Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers", about.com". Boxing.about.com. 2014-04-10. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
  26. "Family Guy 5ACX05 Episode Script | SS". Springfieldspringfield.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-05-11.

External links

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