Do we care about this fight?

OPINION: I'm not sure how to feel about the Tua v Cameron fight on Saturday, writes Nathan Burdon in this week's Straight Up.

It's been dubbed the "Fight of the Century" by someone who had either an overly developed flair for the dramatic, or a sharpened sense of irony, given it's only 2009.

You won't see the word overhyped on too many fight posters, but this is one matchup that surely deserves it.

Sure, they are New Zealand's two most recognised boxers but that's a little like being the tallest person at a little persons' convention.

With no firm attachments to either camp, most New Zealanders will have a hard time picking which fighter to go for.

Tua's story is well known.

The dishwasher from South Auckland rose to prominence when he won bronze at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 at the age of 19.

Eight years later he fought Lennox Lewis for the world heavyweight title and New Zealand and Samoa held their breath through a disappointing contest that Tua never really recovered from.

He has a big left hook, which you don't have to be a boxing expert to appreciate. He has battled weight issues, there was that unforunate appearance on Wheel of Fortune and the much-publicised falling out with his trainer and former mentor Kevin Barry, which is still being dragged through the courts.

Tua reportedly has serious financial problems from that dramatic breakup, and it seems obvious that money was the key reason behind him finally accepting the challenge from Cameron after several years of will-they-won't-they.

Cameron, on the other hand, has been a big fish swimming in a murky goldfish bowl.

It's a poor reflection that he needs this fight to help promote himself, given Tua's tarnished credibility.

I liked the fact he was a North Island shepherd who had got where he was more by hard work than any dazzling talent, but in recent coverage of the fight it seems he has been taking on an increasingly demonstrative demeanour that doesn't suit him at all.

Cameron should really leave the trash talk to those who do it well. He has left Tua looking like some sort of wise buddha in comparison, which is no mean feat.

He has looked a little like the school bully who has talked his way into a fight he can't handle.

People often talk too fast and too much when they are scared, and that's the way Cameron has come across lately. But do we care? Should we care?

Boxing is a politically incorrect sport.

I've been close enough to it to recognise the special courage it takes to get into the ring, but some people would put it in the same camp as dog fighting.

Are you willing to pay $40 to watch these guys fight?

Cameron's posturing has put me off enough to push me towards Tua, who at almost 37 should be eyeing the peaceful retirement that he should take but probably can't afford.

» Nathan Burdon has been the Southland Times sports editor since 2003 and has won numerous journalism awards, including provincial sports writer of the year.

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