Tua jumps to four on world ranking

David Tua has jumped up the world rankings after demolishing Shane Cameron earlier this month.

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David Tua has been given an exciting new world ranking but still no opponent.

Tua's second round knockout of Shane Cameron has the Kiwi heavyweight moving in the right direction in his latest comeback to boxing's big-time.

The WBO, which sanctioned the Hamilton fight, has placed Tua at No 4 on their latest heavyweight rankings, which have just been updated.

It's a list headed by giant Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko, who is also the IBF champion.

Tua, out of action for two years before signalling his return in style, has also made inroads on a couple of other respected ranking lists.

The IBO, which declares itself as the only sanctioning body with unbiased computerised rankings, has been quick to acknowledge Tua after he ended his inactivity in such impressive fashion. They have placed the 36-year-old New Zealander at 34 after he had fallen off their radar.

BoxRec.com, a highly regarded boxing website, rank Tua 22nd on their list.

But progress has not been as swift in finding Tua's next opponent.

His handlers continue to sift through their options as to who to line him up against.

Sunday News can reveal that Duco, which promoted his comeback fight, has opened talks with Team Tua and Maori Television which has the New Zealand broadcast rights to Tua's next three fights.

Duco ran a successful event in Hamilton and is clearly hoping to remain part of the gathering momentum.

Tua's global promoter, Cedric Kushner, said his phone hasn't stopped ringing since he returned to New York last week.

"There is massive interest but nothing has been finalised in any direction," said Kushner.

Tua only returned from his post-fight trip to Samoa this weekend and Kushner wanted to discuss contenders with him.

Talk continues of a December 13 date in Auckland. With that now just eight weeks away, pressure mounts to get something finalised to enable both fighters adequate build-ups.

Last week Hasim Rahman was freed up after his November bout with Ray Mercer in New York was canned because Mercer was unhappy with his share of the purse. Promoters are eager to get Tua and Rahman together for a third fight and it remains on Kushner's radar.

"But it won't be the next fight, that's for sure," he said.

Kushner stressed there needed to be credibility in Tua's next opponent.

"We don't want to negate all the good that has been done," he said.

In contrast to Tua's ranking rise, the loss for Cameron has been bad news. Not only did he have to hand over his WBO Oriental and Asian-Pacific belts to Tua, Cameron also dropped out of that organisation's top 15 heavyweights after entering the ring at Mystery Creek ranked No 7.

Meanwhile, Tua's former manager Kevin Barry has made a final plea for their six-year legal battle to be drawn to a halt.

Tua will again face off against Barry and fellow ex-manager Martin Pugh for a two-day hearing in the Auckland High Court, starting tomorrow.

"I don't blame David any more for the public sideshow we have both been involved in," Barry said. "For 12 years David Tua was a real part of my family and my family loved him. There are no winners."

- © Fairfax NZ News